Easy Fixes for Some Nutrition Mistakes

     Are you making some nutrition mistakes?  Even those who are health conscious and pride themselves on eating well can make some of the mistakes noted below.  Or, you may be interested in eating healthier and want to avoid some nutrition mistakes.   An interesting article in the Washington Post, 10 Nutrition Mistakes Even Really Healthy People Make covered a number of “mistakes” you may not be aware of.  What are some of these nutrition mistakes?   

     1.      Flax seeds – Flax seeds are the latest trend and healthy so you add some whole flax seeds to your cereal, your smoothie.  Flax seeds are super healthy, loaded with heart healthy omega-3 fats plus fiber and some antioxidants.  But to get the benefit of flax seeds, don’t eat them whole as they may go through you pretty much undigested.  Instead, buy ground flax seeds and sprinkle some on your morning oatmeal, add to your smoothie.   

     2.     Almond Milk – so many people are switching to almond milk.  They may be lactose intolerant and Almond milk doesn’t have lactose.  They may like the lower calories of Almond Milk.  But shake it before you drink it.  Why?  The added calcium and vitamin D may sink to the bottom.  To be sure you are getting the minerals and vitamins in each glass, shake before drinking.    

     3.    Don’t skip the fruit – so many people seem to cut back on fresh fruit or 100% juice to avoid “added” sugar.  My daughter was eating a banana and someone asked her, “Why are you eating a banana?  Don’t you know they are high in sugar?”  NO, no and no.  Bananas don’t have “added” sugar.  What we want to cut back on are foods that have sugar added to them, like the sugar added to sodas.  But fruit is healthy.  It has some natural sugar, fructose, but also fiber, vitamins, minerals and they oh so important, antioxidants.  The article notes a soda can provide 16 teaspoons of sugar.  To get this much sugar eating bananas, you would have to eat 6 bananas.  

     4.     Fat Free Salad Dressing or Skipping Salad Dressing – many dieters either buy the Fat-Free Salad Dressing or skip putting salad dressing on their salad.  While salad dressing can be high in fat and thus calories (such as 130 calories in 2 T. of Thousand Island Dressing), cutting out all the fat is not a healthy choice.  Why?  Because so many vitamins in the salad need some fat to be absorbed.  These fat-soluble vitamins, A, E and K and many antioxidants in those salad greens need some fat for absorption.  So add some oil or fat by using a Reduced fat salad dressing, a vinegar/oil dressing and or add some fat by adding nuts or avocado to your salad bowl.  

     5.    Sports Drinks – so many people drink these thinking they are good for your health.  One student in my class gave sports drinks to her four-year-old while the child watched TV.  First, sports drinks are for sports.  They are designed to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat especially during sports like soccer, or running a marathon.  But going on a walk after dinner or a casual stroll through your neighborhood doesn’t require refueling with a sports drink.  Rather rehydrate with plain water.    

    6.    Low-Fat doesn’t mean Low Sugar – I often make egg salad in the summer months.  To try to cut back on the fat calories I asked my husband to buy low-calorie mayonnaise.  I made egg salad sandwiches and he asked me why I put sugar in the egg salad.  I was puzzled as I never put sugar in the egg salad.  I took a bite of my egg salad sandwich and it tasted sweet.  Ruined really.  I looked at the low-calorie mayonnaise and they did take some fat out but they added sugar.  Healthier?  Not really and it made for a terrible egg salad sandwich.  So, low-fat doesn’t always mean it is healthier.  Read the label and the ingredients to see what is being added to the reduced-calorie food.

To read all 10 of the nutrition mistakes, go to the article at:  10 Nutrition Mistakes Even Really Healthy People Make.  You may find other nutrition mistakes you might be making.

Sources:  10 Nutrition Mistakes Even Really Healthy People Make, 130 calories in 2 T. of Thousand Island Dressing  Image source: Almond Milk