As RGJ Media's food and drink editor, I eat and imbibe (yay, martinis!) for a living. Who wouldn't want to get paid to try new restaurants, go to parties and visit the wine country?
But there's a downside to this dream job: the fight to maintain a healthy weight. Over the past decade, drink by drink, dinner by dinner, I gained about 90 pounds (and I'm only 5' 7 1/2" on a good day). In 2017, I lost 75 of those pounds, and I'm on the homestretch toward my goal weight.
I shed the equivalent of an 11-year-old boy in part by avoiding many classic "diet" foods that are supposed to help us cut calories or curb cravings or snack more healthfully. The reality is that such foods often sabotage weight loss because of hidden calories, fat or sugar (especially sugar) -- or all three.
In this season of resolutions, I'm sharing the skinny (sorry, I couldn't resist) on seven dangerous diet foods and what to have instead. By watching what I ate in several areas, I found I could preserve indulgence in another.
For instance: martinis. I never gave them up. A boy's got to live, doesn't he?
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Fat-free salad dressing. Bottled salad dressings (both fat-free and full-figure) offer an excellent reminder to read nutrition labels: The dressings brim with sugar. And the fat-free version lacks the fat needed to help the body absorb nutrients in the salad.
Instead: Make your own vinaigrette by whisking together 2 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar, plus minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
Rice cakes. These cakes are an old-school diet food, but their low calories come with a high glycemic index (the rate at which food causes blood sugar to rise). Quick increases in blood sugar lead to hunger a few hours later -- and to potential overeating.
Instead: Replace the cakes with cheese and apples (one of my favorite snacks) or make a single cake more substantial with a swipe of peanut butter that doesn't contain added sugar (again: read the label).
Gluten-free bread and pasta. Assuming you don't have celiac disease, going gluten-free can be the wrong move for weight loss. Many gluten-free breads and pastas actually have more carbohydrates than the real thing.
Instead: Eat the whole-grain versions, but watch serving sizes.
Artificial sweeteners. Though additional research needs to be done, several studies suggest that artificial sweeteners, unlike sugar, do not satisfy the body's craving for sugar, leaving you wanting even more sweets.
Instead: Ditch artifical sweeteners and sugar-free packaged foods. Feed your sweet tooth in moderation with a piece of real fruit (imagine that!) or fruit in your cereal.
Granola, protein bars, trail mix. These foods enjoy a halo of health -- and, in the case of trail mix, longtime outdoorsy associations -- but in fact they're variously loaded with sugar and calories, especially the protein bars. They're essentially candy.
Instead: Make your own granola or trail mix. Post workout, refuel with a lean meat (I like leftover roast chicken, which I typically have around).
Bagels. A bagel is a bagel is a bagel. Even when plain, it's still a refined flour product that activates your insulin, causing an increase in appetite. And we all know where that leads.
Instead: With breads, the first ingredient on the label should be "100 percent whole wheat" or "100 percent whole grain," and each slice should have at least 3 grams of fiber. Sprouted breads (like Ezekiel brand) are good at helping keep blood sugar lower.
Low-fat foods. When manufacturers remove fat from a product, they have to replace the flavor imparted by fat with something else -- and that something often is sugar, salt or additives (the same goes for many gluten-free products).
Instead: I used real butter. I used real mayonnaise. I topped my fish tacos with real sour cream. I simply did so in moderation.
Johnathan L. Wright is the food and drink editor of RGJ Media. Join @RGJTaste on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You also can subscribe here to The Reno Taste, a free food and drink newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.
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