'Healthy' foods that make you pile on the pounds

IF you are wondering why your "healthy" diet of smoothies, brown bread with honey and chicken is failing to reduce your waistline, wonder no longer.

Thought you were eating well? Think again

IF you are wondering why your "healthy" diet of smoothies, brown bread with honey and chicken is failing to reduce your waistline, wonder no longer.

These staples of wholesome eating are, in fact, more likely to make you fatter than fitter.

They are on a list compiled by diet experts in the UK which highlights options considered healthy - but which might also be pitfalls for those trying to lose weight.

The list also includes olive oil, juice, chicken, granola, dried fruit and nut mixes, and low-fat biscuits.

Catherine Matthews, a nutritionist with supermarket chain Tesco, said: "You may think a fruit or veggie smoothie is packed with vitamins and minerals, but it's also laden with sugar. Some contain as much sugar as fizzy drinks."

Trendy chefs have long encouraged us to use olive oil liberally, splashing it over everything from salads to pasta. But Matthews pointed out that this vital component of the Mediterranean diet, considered good for the heart, remains an oil, weighing in at 50 calories a teaspoon.

The nutritionist said that while honey was natural, it was still just sugar, and warned that drinking fruit juice is "the fastest way to gain weight".

Matthews said most people took less than a minute to drink a 300ml glass of juice with 150 calories - more than the 139 calories in a 330ml can of Coke.

She also singled out low-fat yoghurt, biscuits and other treats, saying they often have more calories than the standard version because manufacturers pack them with sugar to make up for the loss of flavour when fat is removed.

But even more surprising is the inclusion of chicken, which is usually seen as a healthy alternative to red meat.

The way it is cooked is crucial. Leaving the skin on and frying it trebles the calorie count in a chicken breast from 100 to 300.

In a recent study, the British Dietetic Association said that "if fruit juice is sipped over a long period of time, the juice, which is quite acidic, can damage dental enamel".

Matthews said those who want to lose weight should eat a high-protein breakfast such as eggs, as this tends to make you feel fuller for longer.

She also recommended a diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables and suggested people carry around a bottle of water to sip through the day.

Ten things you need to avoid

These are the food and drinks that Matthews says might not be as good for dieters as often thought - and suggested alternatives:

÷ Smoothies
They might be packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, but they are also laden with sugar. Try fresh fruit.

÷ Olive oil
It is rich in mono-unsaturated fats and healthier than butter and margarine, but is still oil. Try Frylight cooking spray.

÷ Honey
It is a 'natural' food, but is essentially just runny sugar with insufficient redeeming nutritional qualities to make it healthy. Try apple sauce or the sugar substitute stevia.

÷ Juice
Drinking orange, apple or cranberry juice is a quick way to gain weight at up to 150 calories a glass. Try cordial with water.

÷ Brown bread
Just because it's brown doesn't make it healthy. Try wholewheat, grain or rye.

÷ Low fat products
Biscuits and yoghurt with this label often have more sugar to make up for missing fat. Try plain yoghurt with fruit.

÷ Chicken
It is a lean meat, but only if you remove the skin, and never fry it. Try it skinless and grilled.

÷ Dried fruit and nut mixes
In many cases, the fruit is coated with sugar and the nuts with salt. Try berries and unsalted nuts.

÷ Granola
It is made with nutritional whole grains, nuts and seeds, but these have a lot of calories and fat. Try bran flakes and chopped fruit.

÷ Wine
It might have some health benefits, but a large glass has 225 calories. Try grape juice or a white wine spritzer made with Sprite Zero.

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