Quick Tip: Top 10 Worst Snack Foods
Spoiler alert: some of your favorite snacks might be on this list. If they are, that means we’ll want to replace one of them with something that’s going to give your arteries a bit more longevity.
1. Chocolate-Coated Doughnuts, Mini Doughnuts and Snack Cakes – Now I can’t lie, every time I go to Dunkin’ Doughnuts I want to grab a bag of the chocolate munchkins just as much as the next person, but these little guys have even more saturated fats than any other type of snack food!
2. Snack Pies – We all love ‘em and I’m pretty sure they even say “great snack” on the wrapper, and you know what…it is a “great snack!” Well, as long as great snack means high in calories, total fat, saturated fat and sugar, and low in protein, fiber and other healthy nutrients. So, if that’s the case, dig in!
3. Mega-Butter or “Movie Theater” Microwave Popcorn – This is one of the few products that still has trans fat. A bag popped contains about 4-5 grams of trans fat. On movie night, tell your significant other to pass over some sweet potato chips instead.
4. Regular Chips and Cheetos – This goes out to every college girl that I know- Cheetos Flamin’ Hots are not the way to go! Some food for thought, a 2-ounce bag contains 320 calories, 22 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat and 500 mg of sodium. Want to know how to avoid getting that freshman 15-35? Stop eating these!
5. Packaged Frozen Snacks – I know we love hot pockets, and grabbing a toaster strudel in the morning has been getting you off on the right foot, but to be honest with you, these just suck. These frozen snacks are high in calories, high in saturated fats, high in sodium, and if you think these are good for you, you might actually be high.
6. Chicken Nuggets – I know what you’re thinking, “But Sergio, these are full of protein!” And though that’s true, lets be honest, you can get it from a source that doesn’t have high amounts of fat, saturated fat and sodium.
7. Cheese and Club Crackers – If you’re eating cheese and crackers solo, you’re probably going to make a decent dent in the box. That’s just the nature of the beast. And with that being said, this snack is low in everything good (protein, fiber) but high in everything you don’t need (fat, saturated fat, sodium), and the dairy from the cheese isn’t benefiting your body either. Next time you’re at a soirée, pass on these.
8. Milk and Cookies – I’ll be the first to say that I didn’t want to put these on the list because of how much I love cookies. BUT! The truth is that this snack is horrible. The cookies are on the same lines as the snack cakes that are high in saturated fats and sugars, and they lack any type of nutritional value. The milk is a dairy product that your body doesn’t need and it’s also high in fats. And if you think that you can get a lot of calcium from a glass of milk, you can actually get more from a cup of spinach. Just ask Popeye!
9. Candy – There is no nutritional value in sugar.
10. Bagel and cream cheese – The bagel is always something that people like as their “go-to” snack or meal, and this is a mistake. Bagels, for the most part, are made up of processed white flour (gluten) that quickly turns into sugar in the body. And while bagels are typically are low in saturated fats, as soon as we pile on that cream cheese, things go from bad to worse. You just end up adding more saturated fats and sodium. Bagels are not the quick fix you’re looking for!
Want to know what to eat instead? Look out tomorrow for our top 10 best snack alternatives!
