Dietitian Uncovers the Bad in Seemingly Healthy Meals - East Idaho News

Dietitian Uncovers the Bad in Seemingly Healthy Meals

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Getty B 092411 Muffin?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1371473215266iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Eating healthy isn’t easy, even for people who think they’re doing the right thing.

Rachel Beller, a registered dietitian who has helped ABC’s Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, appeared on GMA Monday to share the secrets to eating better.

Beller, the author of the new book, Eat to Lose, Eat to Win, said whether you’re thinking about losing weight or just improving your overall health, you may not be eating as lean and healthy as you think you are.

Her philosophy is that people should keep it simple.  She said there are many foods that people think are healthy because they appear that way — either because of the color or because they’re sold in a certain store.

Take for instance a bran muffin and vanilla soy latte.

According to Beller, the bran muffin doesn’t have as much bran as you think.  Sure, the muffin looks brown, but that probably comes from added molasses and caramel coloring.  A check of the label showed the first ingredient was white flour.  That means it’s basically white bread that’s been colored to look brown, she said.  

She added that the word “soy” sounds healthy, but the drink has a lot of sugar.

Another diet pitfall is automatic grazing.  Beller said some people don’t realize exactly what they’re eating.  For example, a busy mother may eat some pita chips with hummus (sounds healthy), then taste some mac and cheese while she’s cooking.

Those bites amount to about half a turkey sandwich’s worth of calories, Beller said.

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