If you've purchased any sort of "healthy" snack in the past few years, chances are you've seen one or all of the following labels:
· Gluten-Free
· Dairy-Free
· Soy-Free
· Non-GMO
· Vegan
· Organic
· Locally-Sourced
While I'll address these concepts at length in future blogs, for now, I'll simply discuss why choosing these healthier options doesn't necessarily mean you're a healthier person.
Food is comprised of both macro- and micro-nutrients, but for the sake of this article, we will only roughly discuss the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
All foods are made up of macronutrients, and these macronutrients add up throughout the course of your day. Depending on the type of diet/nutrition plan you are following, your macronutrients need to be adjusted to reflect those goals. If you're eating more macronutrients than you've been allotted, you will gain weight.
Regardless of whether or not your choose snacks that have these labels, if you're eating in a caloric surplus, you're going to gain weight.
Now, if you're asking me if choosing ice cream over a banana doesn't matter, it does. Choosing the right types of foods at the right time of day is extremely important for your overall diet, feeling of satiety (fullness), and long-term health effects. But, back to the topic at hand.
One gram of protein yields four calories.
One gram of carbohydrates yields four calories.
One gram of fat yields nine calories.
Every food has its given macronutrients, which determines the total calories of said food. If you're grabbing "healthy snacks," you're fueling your body with less processed, more nutrient dense foods. Most of the time, these foods have higher caloric counts as they are better in quality. This, is a win. However, if your long-term goal is weight loss, eating in excess, regardless of the type of food, will cause you to gain weight instead of lose weight. So yes, if you only eat healthy snacks but have X amount over your allotted calories for the day, you will not see the results you want.
Think before you buy. This is why goal setting is extremely important. Take your goal that you wrote down a few weeks ago, and ask yourself before you choose a "healthy" snack: is this food allowed on my current eating regime? Will be positively moving forward, or will I be negatively setting myself back, after eating this food?
Your food choices must be in alignment with your long-term goals, regardless of whether they are considered "healthy" or not.
Contact us to get your short-term eating habits in alignment with your long-term goals. We'd love to help educate you on the "dos" and "don'ts" of nutritional health, the right way.
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