The market today is flooded with so many kinds of foods that it is
quite difficult to ascertain which foods are good to eat and which should be
avoided. The discussion around fat is obviously a confusing one as a lot of
health guru tends to make confusing and different pronouncements on fat as
good, or fat that cause cardiovascular disease, and that there are good fats
and bad fats.
Fatty foods can easily drag down an otherwise good diet, whether
it’s nibbling snacks, ordering fast food or cooking at home. The USDA Dietary
Guidelines notes that high amounts of total fat usually contain too much
saturated fat. Hence, it is important that foods with the highest fat content
are avoided in order to keep from gaining weight and maintaining calorie
boundaries. Some of the fatty foods that need to be avoided or if not avoided,
be taken in moderation are:
1.
Hot Chicken Wings.
Watching football is not complete without the hot chicken wings.
Unfortunately, this finger food is highly caloric and counts as more of a meal
than just a finger snack. Not only are the hot wings high in fat, but they also
have extra sodium from all that dippin’ hot sauce. Better to think of
alternative finger food to go while watching football.
2.
Cider.
An 8.5 ounce
of cider produces about 30g of carbohydrates, 30 g of sugar and about 120
calories. The calorie count may be low but the insulin surge from all the sugar
and carbs will keep the fats stored in your body. The same is true for apple
juice.
3.
Garlic Mashed
Potatoes.
This is
definitely a comfort food that contains 498 calories, 33 g of fat, 43 g of
carbs, 3 g of sugar for a typical 8-ounce serving. Smaller portion or serving
size will reduce the caloric content.
4.
Baked Acorn Squash.
While this
seasonal vegetable is rich in antioxidants and fiber, the popular recipes make
this food a fat bomb – butter and brown sugar are usually mixed with the vegie
in most recipes. Alternative is to bake it with olive oil instead of butter and
use maple syrup instead of brown sugar.
5.
Rotisserie Chicken.
Without
the skin and dark meat, this classic can be a good diet choice. The skin and
dark meat from the wings will increase the fat content on rotisserie chicken.
The skin will also have packed much of the sodium. Hence, to reduce sodium
content, do not include the skin and dark meat when cooking rotisserie chicken.
6.
Corn Bread.
Usually a
favorite partner for the chili and soups, one 3.6 ounce piece of corn bread has
46 g of insulin-increasing carbs, zero fiber and 328 calories. A good
replacement would be wheat roll which has about 115 calories, 22 g of carbs and
more than 3 g of fiber.
7.
Pumpkin Bread.
Not
turned to bread yet, pumpkin is a healthy choice. When baked, with all the
sugar and flour, what you will have is excess carb, high sugar content and less
fiber. Choose bread recipes that reduce the amount of carbs and sugar and
instead increase the fiber content.
8.
Creamy Soups.
Creamed
soups tend to pack more sodium than the water-based soup choices. A clear broth
with fresh vegetables and herbs for flavorings can keep the fat and sodium
content down.
9.
Bratwurst.
This
German sausage packs about 300 calories and 28 g of fat. This increases if
combined with carb-heavy beer and potato salad.
10. Apple Pie.
Fresh
apples eaten as fruit are good. Apple pie is not a replacement for fruit
requirements considering that a slice of apple pie gives 18 g of fat, 42 g of
carbs and 22 g of sugar. It would be better to bake an apple crumble, minus the
crust which is what drives the fat up.
Healthy food choices are always available. Eating fresh fruits and
vegetables could be the option and replacement of these foods that have high
fat content. Who said that these foods must not be eaten? Everything in
moderation is not bad as long as you know how to limit yourself from overeating
these food that do not contain high nutritional value and high amount of
saturated fat. A bit of controlling can save you from those bulging excess fats
and skin.
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