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6 Surprising Foods That May Cause Weight Gain

“I’ve been on a diet for two weeks, and all I’ve lost is two weeks.”
~Totie Fields
Sound familiar?
This tongue-in-cheek quote is a funny way of saying something that most us have probably felt at one time or another.
If you feel like you are having a difficult time with weight loss, there may be a few seemingly “healthy” foods that you may want to reconsider as part of your diet.
Here are 6 surprising foods that may cause weight gain…

Energy/Protein Bars:

But they have protein, isn’t that good? Not necessarily. These bars are super handy and there are some that are great for in between meal snacking or post workout pick-me-ups, but make sure to really read the labels. I have found bars that are 400 calories or more, and many that are packed with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. If you love them, be sure to look for ones that have healthy ingredients (nuts, dates, honey, etc.) and pay close attention to the calorie count.

Granola:

Granola has long been considered a pantry staple and healthy breakfast option, but it can be surprisingly high in sugar and fat. The thing about granola is that the main components – oats, nuts, and fruit – may be healthy, but a lot of the store bought granola is made using oil and sugar. I highly recommend picking your favorite ingredients and making your own batch so that you can control what goes into it. If that’s not your style, be very careful to read labels and look for brands with less fat and sugar.

Dried Fruit:

Dried fruit seems like a perfectly healthy snack; after all it is FRUIT, right? Unfortunately, dried fruit can have many times more sugar and significantly more calories then you would get from the fresh version. The other problem is that it is very easy to overdo it because it doesn’t seem like you are eating as much. Your best bet if you are watching your calories is to always pick fresh fruit instead.

Frozen Dinners:

Shhh, hear that? The freezer aisle at your grocery store is whispering to you that it is full of diet friendly ready-to-go meals. Unfortunately, while these frozen meals may be low in calories or fat, they are generally pumped up with loads of sodium (which can make you bloated) and preservatives. I am all about convenience, but in most cases you are better off pre-packing your own healthy lunches or dinners. Even a homemade sandwich with veggies on the side is generally a healthier option than anything you have to microwave.

Salads:

Do you feel like you are making a healthy choice when you order the salad at a restaurant rather than an entrée? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Many restaurant salads offer huge portions and are overloaded with toppings. Sure, that bowl of spinach is healthy, but topped with chopped meat, cheese, croutons, and salad dressing it may be much higher in calories than you think. I recommend looking for healthy toppings and getting your dressing on the side.

Orange Juice:

That big glass of orange juice you are drinking in the morning might not be doing your waistline any favors. Did you know that a 12oz glass of orange juice actually has almost the same amount of sugar and carbs as a 12oz glass of soda? On top of that, most of the fiber that helps to make you feel full and keeps your blood sugar from spiking gets stripped out when fruit is made into juice. To keep your sugar and calorie count down, choose to enjoy the whole, fresh fruit instead. And if you want to get your metabolism extra fired up, you can replace that juice with Wu-Long Tea.