Sept. 3, 2021 | With so many people becoming creative when it comes to cooking during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of amateur chefs are experimenting with new foods and recipes. Unfortunately, not all of them are as healthy as they appear. For instance, if you are trying to avoid gluten in your diet, you may have found that there are a large number of gluten-free foods on the market these days. But you should be aware that when you take gluten out of a food product, such as bread or pasta, you’re taking away the ingredient that gives that food its delicious, chewy texture. To make up for the loss of flavor and texture, many manufacturers add fillers like sugar, fats and other chemical additives, leaving your gluten-free snacks with unnecessary calories. These are highly processed foods containing few nutrients and often made with refined starches that can lead to very rapid spikes in blood sugar. Instead, try foods that are plant-based and naturally gluten free.

Sept. 3, 2021 | If you are consuming more salads in an effort to lose weight and eat healthier, you’re on the right track. Vegetables are very healthy but they don’t always taste that good on their own. To add flavor, many people cover their salads with dressings that are tasty but loaded with sugar, vegetable oils and trans fats as well as other artificial chemicals. Dressings labeled fat-free contain less oil but are made up mainly of water, salt, sugar and thickeners designed to give it some body. If you want a healthier salad, consider making your own dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a safe food additive that contains no fat and very little natural sugar. Add nuts for a healthy crunch. And take care when it comes to purchasing pre-packaged salads. Many salads you find at supermarkets contain upwards of 1,000 calories. Meanwhile, the cheese, croutons, and meats pack a ton of sodium, which is used both as a preservative and to boost the salad’s flavor.

Sept. 3, 2021 | Trying to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet is always a good idea, but don’t be fooled by bottled juice blends. They may promise to deliver multiple servings of fruits and vegetables but they also have added sugars that add on the calories. Reza Hakkak, a professor in the UAMS Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, says many commercially packaged fruit juices have as much sugar as popular soft drinks. Fruit in its whole form has healthy fiber in its flesh and vitamins and nutrients in its skin that’s lost in juice form. Juicing extracts all of the fiber from fruits and vegetables and helps you feel full, but it condenses a large amount of sugar into a small, easy to consume drink. Dr. Hakkak recommends looking at the ingredients of any bottled juice or smoothie to make sure they contain no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving and only one serving of fruit. A glass of tart cherry or grape juice, both unsweetened, is a good way to start your day.

Sept. 3, 2021 | Many people working out these days in an effort to get healthy and lose weight are trying to incorporate more protein in their diets. Some may turn to protein bars for a post-workout snack. Nearly every energy and protein bar boasts lofty health claims, but many times they have nutritional profiles more similar to candy bars than fit foods. Just because it has the word “protein” on the label doesn’t mean a bar is a high-quality food. Many popular protein bars are nothing but candy bars spiked with protein powder so read labels carefully and be sure to look at the amount of sugar in them. And if the idea of having a protein-infused shake to start your day or end a workout appeals to you, you may want to reconsider having what you think is a healthy treat. You might just be whirling a whole lot of extra calories into your day. Instead of expensive powders, opt for pure-food options like Greek yogurt and peanut butter to boost the protein in your blended drinks.

Sept. 3, 2021 | Soup is a quick alternative to cooking an entire meal but how healthy is that can of bisque or chowder that you just opened? In addition to the large amounts of sodium that canned soups are famous for, some have more than 2,000 milligrams per can, there are also plenty of thickeners, coloring agents and other chemicals sealed in those cans. Some brands offer lower sodium varieties that still manage to pack in one-third of your daily dose of salt per serving. They also contain a large amount of sugar. A typical can of tomato soup, for example, contains a whopping 20 grams of added sugar, that’s equivalent to five teaspoons. Instead of turning to that easy option of canned soup, try adding some fresh veggies and leftover chicken to a low sodium boxed chicken or vegetable broth instead. And if you’re feeling productive, try making a batch of homemade soup over a weekend and freeze it in smaller portions that you can enjoy during the fall and winter.