Do you feel like you’re eating all the right foods but those stubborn pounds still won’t come off? You might be getting blindsided by foods with hidden calories.
“People frequently assume that if a food is healthy, then it’s also low in calories,” says Krista Maguire, RD, CSSD. “However, certain trendy foods have a health halo that overshadows their true energy content.”
Even if you have the best of intentions to eat healthy, you could be eating lots of high-calorie foods without even knowing it. Here are a few common calorie offenders and tips on how you can still enjoy them without going overboard.
1. Smoothies
“Smoothies sound like a great way to add some fruit into your diet, but they can be real calorie bombs if you’re not careful,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, M.A., R.D.N., author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. That’s because many of them are spiked with gratuitous syrups, sorbet, and even straight-up table sugar.
Plus, many store-bought smoothies are way too big (Jamba Juice goes up to 28 oz. for a large!), packing the equivalent of four to six servings of fruit. That’s more than anybody should eat in a sitting.
Slim it down: Make your own smoothie from one cup each of fresh fruit, leafy green veggies, and unsweetened chocolate or vanilla almond milk.
2. Nut Butters
190 calories per 2 tablespoons
Munching on some peanuts or almonds requires serious chewing. Not so much for smooth, creamy nut butters.
“It takes far less time to stick a spoonful of nut butter into your mouth than to chew a small handful of nuts or peanuts,” Maguire says. “It’s easy to overdo it.”
Think about it: How many times have you actually portioned out how much PB goes on your toast? Many people just slather it on until it looks good.
Slim it down: You don’t have to lose your favorite nut butter, but it does help to measure it. Think one level tablespoon for smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal and two for sandwiches.
3. Frozen Yogurt
It is possible to find some brands of frozen yogurt that are lower in calories, but other varieties deliver nearly as many calories as ice cream. Take, for example, most of the flavors at a popular chain: A cup of froyo can run you up to 400 calories, and that doesn’t include those colorful toppings that most people add.
Slim it down: Whip up your own frozen dessert like this homemade vanilla frozen yogurt. You’ll control the ingredients and the calories. And if you do go to a froyo bar to make your own combinations, be mindful of the toppings you use. Even though the base may be lighter in calories, chocolate chips and gummy bears can quickly offset the difference.
4. Coffee Drinks
When you’re on guard against calorie-rich foods, it’s easy to forget that drinks can contribute to your daily calorie intake, too. Fancy lattes and coffee with creamer are prime examples.
“If your latte is made with whole milk or coconut milk and syrupy sweeteners, it could contain hundreds of extra hidden calories,” Taub-Dix says. “And that’s before the whipped cream topping!”
Slim it down: Order a skim milk latte and sweeten it with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or cinnamon. If plain coffee is your thing, try a splash of 2% milk instead of creamer and save a few dozen calories. Or, if you’re trying to nix the dairy, opt for unsweetened almond milk, which is about 10 calories for a quarter cup.
5. Honey
“Sometimes we forget that even though honey provides natural sugar, it’s still sugar,” Maguire says. In fact, this liquid sweetener packs a third more calories than regular table sugar. So you might think that you’re opting for the healthier option, but in reality, it’s still racking up the numbers.
Slim it down: “The more sugar you use, the more you tend to crave it,” Maguire says. “Slowly cut back on the amount of honey you use and over time your taste buds will wake up to the natural sweetness in foods.”
You can also use sugar swaps like stevia or monk fruit, which contain no calories or sugar.
6. Avocado
Remember when we thought fatty foods like avocados made us gain weight? Now, we know better. Truth is, a little slowly-digested fat can keep you full and satisfied, helping you eat less overall.
But the operative word here is “little.” Spread an entire avocado on your toast and you’ll rack up almost 21 grams of fat.
Slim it down: Try a quarter of an avocado for salads and a half for toast. You can keep the leftovers from browning by rubbing the flesh with lemon juice, then wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap before putting it in the refrigerator.
7. Cheese
Whether you’re tossing it into your omelet or layering it into your sandwich, cheese seems like a smart way to squeeze in extra protein. But it’s also an easy way to quickly rack up a surplus of calories.
Many types of cheese can be calorie-dense and high in fat, so there’s no need to overdo it on the cheese — no matter how good it tastes.
Slim it down: Trade a slice or wedge of cheese for two tablespoons of shredded cheese and cut calories by a substantial amount. Measuring it out will help you make sure you’re not getting too cheesy.
8. Seeds
43 to 52 calories per tablespoon
Whether they’re hemp or flax or sunflower, seeds are having a moment. However, if you’re sprinkling them on your already caloric smoothie bowl, you could mindlessly be adding extra calories, which is easy to do when the seeds are so small!
They might look harmless, but they can pack a big calorie-packed punch.
Slim it down: “Seeds are just an accessory,” Maguire says. “Instead of sprinkling them on top of your food, portion them out so you’ll know exactly how much you’re using.”
9. Dark Chocolate
What could be better than finding out that your favorite treat is good for you? Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and it often contains a lower amount of sugar. However, ounce-for-ounce it delivers about the same amount of calories as milk chocolate. So even though it’s a healthier option for a sweet treat, it doesn’t mean you can have a second (or third) helping without caloric consequences.
Slim it down: You can still get your dark chocolate fix — just do it in moderation. Avoid eating multiple chocolate squares by melting one in the microwave and drizzling it over fresh berries. Sweet tooth satisfied!
10. Coconut Oil
“Everyone’s going coconut crazy without realizing that it adds a lot of fat and calories to your diet,” Taub-Dix says. Like other cooking oils, coconut oil is mostly fat, providing about 13 grams of fat per tablespoon, making it one of the most fat and calorie-dense foods around.
But unlike other oils, nearly all of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. “While there’s currently a big debate whether or not saturated fat is bad for you, there’s certainly not much science that says it’s good for you,” Taub-Dix says.
Slim it down: If you really enjoy coconut oil’s flavor, add just a dash of it at the end of the cooking process. Use a little avocado or olive oil for sautéing, then swirl in a teaspoon of coconut oil for taste before serving.
The Takeaway
Just because a food is “healthy,” doesn’t mean it’s automatically low in calories. If you’re trying to whittle your waistline, be mindful of what foods you’re actually eating and how much.
To avoid going overboard on calories, pay attention to calorie-dense add-ins in foods like smoothies and froyo, and be mindful of serving sizes for smaller foods that are easy to eat too much of, like seeds and cheese.
