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Fitness Magazine Names Worst 'Healthy Foods'

A healthy diet and losing weight are at the top of the list for many people, but a recently published list suggests you should be careful about foods that are commonly labeled healthy.

Sugar free, granola and trail mix are usually things people associate as healthy, but not so according to a recent list put together by Fitness Magazine.

The report named six "healthy" foods that can do you more harm than good.

At the top of the list is flavored yogurt. Nutritionists said some flavored yogurts contain more than 30 grams of sugar per cup.

Leslie Bonci, nutritionist at UPMC offered a solution.

"You put in a little bit of your own sweetener, a little bit of honey or a little bit of jelly or some fruit. You're going to end up with something that's lower in sugar and lower calories,” said Bonci.

Another “fat trap” according to the magazine are sugar-free cookies and candies.

Fitness Magazine found one popular brand with a single cookie containing 160 calories and 9 grams of fat.

Bonci said while sugar-free cookies and candies are great for those trying to control their sugar intake, it still can't be a free for all.

"If somebody is using them to control blood sugar, you still need to think about quantity,” said Bonci. “It's not just the item, it's how many, so the serving is not the bag or the box."

Trail mix is another item the magazine said can have high fat and calories. In the report a handful of a store bought mix packed 10 grams of fat.

Bonci said the solution for this can be found in your own cupboard.

"Start with a base of something lower calorie, like a puff cereal or an oat type of cereal, even popcorn, and then add some nut and some dried fruit,” she said.

Veggie chips ranked No. 4 on the list of bad “health foods.” According to experts, the rainbow colored chips are no better than traditional potato chips. Bonci said there are many natural alternatives with few calories.

"If people want the idea of a crunchy vegetable, there are products on the market called Just Veggies. It's actually a dried vegetable that's crunchy,” said Bonci.

For years, we've heard granola is good for us, but not all the time. A single cup of one version had a staggering 560 calories and 28 grams of fat.

"They're not all created equal, that means doing a lot of research at the grocery store to see what's there,” explained Bonci.

Last on the list is ground turkey. According to the magazine, if you're not careful about what you buy, you could end up with more calories than lean ground beef.

"If you really want low-fat ground turkey, you want to go for ground turkey breast, and it will say that on the label," Bonci said. "Don’t be misled by something on front of the label, it’s always a good idea to do the flip and read."



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