Looking forward to your next cheat day? You might be daydreaming of all the yummy, creamy, salty, and deep fried treats that you can indulge in for just one day — but are the calories really worth it? So many of our favorite treats are actually filled with empty calories, hidden or added sugar, and usually have little to zero nutritional value. These foods may be delicious in the moment, but ultimately they aren’t doing anything for your health or weight loss goals. Read on to find 10 foods that aren’t worth the calories!
Cotton Candy
It might be your favorite fair treat, but the USDA Food Database says that cotton candy is 100 percent sugar! One ounce of cotton candy has a shocking 110 calories and 28 grams of sugar!
Decadent Coffee Drinks
Think about this before you order up that fancy coffee drink: NYC-based dietitian Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD says, “To me, these drinks masquerade as a caffeine pick-me-up, but are more like a dessert. I absolutely think it’s OK to indulge occasionally but making these your go-to drink at the coffee shop is definitely not a good choice…Sugar-sweetened coffee drinks can have more sugar, fat, and calories than most meals!” If you’re watching your waistline, you’ll definitely want to avoid the tremendous amount of empty calories and sugar hidden in these drinks!
Doughnuts
According to Sandra Arévalo, MPH, RDN, CDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics doughnuts are never a good idea. The average doughnut is anywhere between 150-350 calories. Arevalo explains, “Most doughnuts contain about 12 grams of sugar (about 3 teaspoons) and are also high in saturated fat, providing a third of the recommended daily intake.”
Canned Fruit In Syrup
“You might think that canned fruit is as healthy as fresh, but if the label shows that it’s canned in ‘light syrup’ or ‘heavy syrup’, it means that the fruit has sugar added to it,” explains Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition. She adds, “You want to limit the added sugar that you eat.” Gorin recommends thoroughly reading the label to be sure that your fruit is only packed in water.
Frosting
Trying to figure out if it’s really worth it to go for that extra slice of birthday cake? Consider this: just 2 tablespoons of frosting has 140 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 18-19 grams of added sugar! The American Heart Association warns that frosting contains hydrogenated fats – a dangerous type of trans fat that is bad for your heart.
Pina Colada
An icy, cold pina colada may be your drink of choice when you’re lounging on the beach, however, this pineapple juice, rum and coconut dream cocktail isn’t the best choice to sip on. The USDA Food Database states that a 6 ounce pina colada has 42 grams of sugar and 325 calories!
White Bread
A slice of white bread has little to nutritional value. The USDA Food Database states that the average slice of white bread is low in fiber with a whopping 150 calories! White bread is loaded with lots of unnecessary ingredients that most consumers cannot recognize, however the two most recognizable ingredients – high fructose syrup and added sugar – are two ingredients that have been linked to diabetes.
Processed Meat
A recent study in the European Journal Of Cancer found that there was a direct link between breast cancer and consuming processed meats. Processed meats like bacon, salami, hot dogs and deli meats are loaded with salt, nitrites and fat and they put you at greater risk for contracting many types of cancers. The American Cancer Society urges consumers to eliminate processed meats in order to reduce the risk of cancer.
Onion Rings
“A portion of 8 onion rings provides almost 300 calories, and to burn these calories you would need to walk for 45 minutes,” says Arevalo. She continues, “Dipping them in sauce or gravy can add another 150 calories, plus more fat and sugar, such that a portion of onion rings with gravy provides half the recommended dietary intake of fat for the day.” Yikes.
White Chocolate
You may have heard that chocolate has many health benefits – but this doesn’t apply to white chocolate. Dark chocolate has cocoa which contains antioxidants, making it a healthy choice when you’re looking for a chocolate treat. However, there’s no cocoa in white chocolate, making it void of nutritional value. According to the FDA code of Federal Regulations, white chocolate has 5 grams of saturated fat, 16.5 grams of sugar and 150 calories per ounce! White chocolate is comprised of cocoa butter, cream or milk, emulsifying agents and flavors.
