And by useless, we mean void of nutrition.
“Generally, these foods are also fairly refined or processed.”
They aren’t necessarilybadbut they just don’t offer much with respect to nutrients," Smith says.
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“Regular anddiet sodasare loaded with artificial chemicals like colorings and sweeteners.
Drink This Instead:Sometimes that fizzy pop craving just won’t go away, though.
Pretzels
Pretzels seem like a relatively harmless snack.
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They don’t fuel your body.
Eat This Instead:Smith recommends kale chips as a healthier alternative.
The truth is, it can offer some nutrients if and only if you choose the right kind.
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It’s also very important to pay close attention to portion size if you’re watching your weight.
Pair your whole-grain pasta with ahealthy pasta sauceto avoid added sugars.
Both are rich in potassium, as well as vitamins A and C!
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But typically, the sweeter the wine, the more calories it contains.
Dry wines have about 106 calories per glass, whereas sweet dessert wines have around 225 or more.
Three glasses of wine with dinner could easily add up to an extra 400 calories.
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You’ll get some of that resveratrol but not much in the way of nutrition.
Coffee-based Beverages
Now this is really where calories can start adding up.
Drink This Instead:Black coffee.
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The easy guide tocutting back on sugaris finally here.
Croissants
We know, we knowbiting into a buttery, flaky croissant can be a transcendent experience.
Eat too many of them, however, and pretty soon your belly could transcend your belt buckle.
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A butter croissant from Starbucks has about 310 calories, more than half of which come from fat.
Eat This Instead:Grab some oatmeal.
Oats have plenty of fiber and are a perfect breakfast.
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A serving of Starbucks Classic Oatmeal is just 160 calories on its own.
You may find that the accompanying package of dried fruit makes the packet of brown sugar superfluous.
Donuts
We have to wonderhow did these things ever become a breakfast food to begin with?
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Some of the offerings at Dunkin' Donuts come close to packing 500 caloriesand 0 grams of anything nutritious.
Eat This Instead:Satisfy your sweet tooth by making some energy balls to eat with your black coffee.
Chopped nuts,dark chocolatepieces, nut butter, and unsweetened, shredded coconut are other nutritious options.
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Don’t be fooled into thinking that this omnipresentcondimenthas much to do with the goodness naturally contained in tomatoes.
The sugar and salt override any cancer-fighting lycopene it contains.
Eat This Instead: Slightly more expensive, but well worth it, is organic ketchup.
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Research has shown that organically-raised tomatoes produce nearly twice as much lycopene.
Mayonnaise
Regular mayo ranks among the worst of empty-calorie condiments.
Non-fat varieties of mayo aren’t a whole lot better, considering the sugar and preservatives they contain.
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There’s something not quite right about that .
You’ll save more than 200 calories and 20 grams of fat per quarter-cup serving.
Plus,Greek yogurtis rich in protein and calcium.
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What do you get nutritionally for all that?
Cream cheese doesn’t provide a significant amount of any good-for-you nutrients; even its calcium count is lame.
A 100 gram serving contains 253 calories89 fewer than the same amount of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
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It also has 11 fewer grams of fat than its American cousin.Mon Dieu!
Thick-Crust Pizza
Cheese has protein, and tomato-based products have lycopene.
That’s the good news aboutpizza!
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Well, it’s all contained in a high-cal, low-nutrient crust.
However, wewillsuggest that you opt for a thinner-crust slice whenever possible.
And here’s a New Yorker’s bonus tip: That stuff they call pizza in Chicago?
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Just go ahead and avoidthose deep-dish slices.
Drink This Instead:If you’re going to drink beer, choose Guinness.
That’s enough to turn a piece of grilled chicken into a delivery car of empty calories.
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Without going overboard on empty calories, you’ll still get the sweet and tangy taste you crave.
But the more you tinker with meat, the more the bad stuff offsets the good.
Eat This Instead:Try Gravlax.
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A quarter-cup of the stuff serves up 220 calories and 22 grams of fat.
It’s the fastest way to ruin an otherwise healthy salad or plate of crudites.
Eat This Instead:Hummus.
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Pancakes
White flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter.
Adding chocolate chips, syrup, or more butter definitely won’t help matters.
Adding bananas or blueberries as a topping will help.
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French Fries
Potatoes are vegetables.
What’s a French fry but a vegetable heated with a little oil?
The skin, in most cases, is removed when making fries.
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Oh, and then there’s the fat.
Eat This Instead:Sweet potato frieswill be your new best friend for your French fry cravings!
This will reduce the fat content, and you’ll also get a dose of fiber and vitamin A.
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Milk fat is largely cholesterol, which is a saturated fat.
Ice cream is also high in sugar, which makes up the majority of its carbohydrate content.
Eat This Instead:Sorbet.
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It’s made from fruit juice and syrup, so there’s plenty of sugar in this ice-cream-related treat.
Plus, it has plenty of zinc and B vitamins.
Opting for grilled calamari instead.
