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Friday, April 29, 2011

Even MORE Bad Food

These Bad Foods lists are out there for a reason...people eat these foods without thought, and if they only realized how poorly they were eating, they would be horrified! I find these visual lists helpful to remind me that not only are processed foods bad nutrition, I don't ever want to eat like that again. The more I make myself ( and you! ) aware of what's in those shiny boxes in the freezer - so easy and fast to prepare - the less likely I am to revert to those old processed food loving days.


Worst Kids' Meal



Smucker's Uncrustables
Serving size: 1 package
Calories: 210
Total fat: 9 g (14%)
Saturated fat: 2 g (10%)
Sodium: 220 mg (9%)
Sugars: 10 g

"The calories aren't a problem here, but it's the ingredients that get me...Partially hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup appear a total of five times on the incredibly long list, not to mention all the other non-pronounceable words. Plus, Uncrustables are small, so larger kids will most likely need two servings to feel full. That's a lot of processed junk."




Worst Vegetarian Meal






Bertolli Oven Bake Meals Tri-Color Four Cheese Ravioli
Serving size: Half the package
Calories: 630
Total fat: 33 g (51%)
Saturated fat: 20 g (100%)
Sodium: 1190 mg (50%)
Sugars: 5 g

Don't let the simple packaging fool you: These meals are extremely heavy and pack more calories, fat and sodium than a Quarter Pounder with cheese. You're getting 50 percent of your [recommended daily allowance] for sodium, and the saturated fat hits your mark for the entire day! When shopping for sides, look for those under 350 calories. As for fat, a dish should have less than 1.5 grams of saturated fat for every 100 calories.

Worst Breakfast


 Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit
Serving size: 1 biscuit
Calories 440
Total Fat: 31 g (48%)
Saturated fat: 11 g (55%)
Trans fat: 3 g
Sodium: 850 mg (35%)
Sugars: 5 g

The saturated fat here is equivalent to five to eight strips of bacon.Order this, and you'll have consumed half of your daily requirement and a big portion of your sodium allotment -- and you haven't even made it to lunch. This meal also contains three grams of artery-clogging trans fats and only one gram of fiber. Daily fiber requirements range between 25 and 35 grams. To give you a sense of scale, a bowl of breakfast cereal alone can provide about 10 grams.

Worst "Sensible" Side



Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Penne and Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce
Serving size: 1 and 1/3 cup
Calories: 260
Total fat: 8 g (12%)
Saturated fat: 4.5 g (22%)
Sodium: 420 mg (18%)
Sugars: 3 g

These numbers don't look so terrible until you realize that, according to the Web site, Birds Eye is marketing this as a 'side dish. Allotting 260 calories and 8 grams of fat -- 4.5 of which is saturated -- to something you'll be eating at the same time as a main course is pretty excessive. Especially when the dish uses misleading words like steam fresh and lightly sauced." Cut calories and fat by looking for sides you can add your own seasoning to.

Worst Classic Dessert


Sara Lee Classic New York Style Cheesecake
Serving size: 1 piece
Calories: 480
Total fat: 30 g (45%)
Saturated fat: 16 g (82%)
Trans fat: 2.5 g
Sodium: 490 mg (20%)
Sugars: 31 g

We all know that cheesecake isn't the healthiest, but this one has nearly twice as much fat as you typically see. Here's the reveal: According to a company press release, it's a whole inch taller than the Sara Lee cheesecakes you usually get. Because the change is all height -- which tends to be tougher to spot than width -- it's easy to think you're getting that extra fat and calorie fix from a much saner, smaller portion. This item also contains both trans fat and high-fructose corn syrup, which can give insulin levels an unwelcome bump.

 Thank you, AOL Health