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Feb 18

Want to lose weight? Avoid these six words – Wink News

FORT MYERS, Fla. Every day is hectic for Valentine Antal, who has two young children.

Meals are really difficult, she said. I struggle constantly. Anyone who wants to bring me dinner, I welcome it!

When she has time to prepare food, she tries to watch what she feeds her kids.

I try to stay as organic as possible and as fresh as possible, she said. I try to stay away from processed foods.

PROCESSED MEAT

One processed food to avoid is lunch meat.

It was back in October 2015, the World Health Organization came out with this amazing research that stated deli meats have been proven to be linked to certain types of cancer, specifically colorectal cancer, said Sarah Allaben, a registered dietitian with Lee Health. Its a class one carcinogen, in the same class as cigarettes, in terms of the risk factors for getting cancer. So thats scary.

Allaben suggests looking for different types of meats at the deli.

Look for packaging thats made from whole breast without any type of preservatives or chemicals added, she said. It will say sliced from whole turkey breast or sliced from whole chicken breast and it will say no preservatives, no chemicals and just to be a smart consumer and just to be a smart consumer flip it over and make sure theres nothing funky going on.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

Avoiding high fructose corn syrup can be tricky when looking at packaging, Allaben said.

A lot of fruit-based products that are packaged, a lot of your fruit snackscertain types of fruit juices or anything like that a lot of times on the packages it could say its all natural or made with real fruit, she said. That doesnt tell us enough. We need to flip it over and see if theres any of that high fructose corn syrup they snuck in there because they could put a very small amount of the good fruit in there and put in that high fructose corn syrup to make it taste so great.

TRANS FAT

Another key word to look out for is trans fats.

The thing with trans fats, is they are a man-made fat, Allaben said. Theres nothing wholesome, theres nothing natural, and theyve been linked to a lot of cardiovascular and other issues.

An FDA regulation required companies to remove trans fats from food by 2018, said Allaben, who added that keeping them in food will require approval.

WHOLE WHEAT

If you think whole wheat is healthier, youre right, but make sure whole grain flour is the first ingredient, Allaben said.

The first ingredient might actually say white bread, or white flour enriched, so really make sure the first ingredient actually says whole grain flour, she said. Thats how youre going to know youre getting a whole grain product.

BPA

Stay away from the chemical BPA, which can leak into food, Allaben said.

Its a chemical thats put into packaging like plastic water bottles, plastic containers, cans, things like that, she said. They put a seal in between the product and the food, but a lot of time the BPA can leach into our food, especially if we microwave certain things or put hot tea or hot coffee in plastic bottles. A lot of companies have removed BPA but it doesnt mean its been removed from every product. So just make sure if youre buying something packaged or water bottles or baby bottles especially for pediatric patients, make sure it says BPA free.

ADDED SUGARS

Added sugars were placed under carbohydrates on nutrition labels, but that can be deceiving, Allaben said.

Just because you can tell how many carbohydrates in the food, you dont know whats been added during the manufacturing process, she said. So by 2018 the plan initially was to have added sugars with how many grams of added sugars are on there so that consumers know. Unfortunately the government might be taking that away. They might not actually let that go through. We just have to wait and see what happens.

GOING OUT TO EAT

Avoid big calories when eating out with your children, said Julia Calderone with Consumer Reports.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the average kids meal with an entree, side, beverage and dessert has about 1,000 calories, she said. And thats actually close to the amount that an eight-year-old should have in an entire day.

Consumer Reports recommends sharing food from the regular menu with children. Portions are generally over-sized so you will both eat better as a result,they said

Its not enough to just make a healthy entree choice, Calderone said. The sides, drinks and desserts can actually be packed with calories, fat and sodium. Ask your server to substitute fruit for fries, or get milk instead of juice.

Consumer Reports nutritionists also warn that anything with cheese or a creamy sauce is loaded in fat.

If dining at a chain restaurant, a small apple logo next to certain items on the kids menu indicates theyre from the Kids LiveWell program. Participants offer at least one meal and one side dish that meet healthful nutritional guidelines.

Many restaurants offer kid-sized desserts that have as many calories as an entree and twice as much saturated fat. Consider ordering just one dessert for everyone to share.

Parents who want to learn more about healthy eating can visit the USDAs Choose My Plate website.

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Want to lose weight? Avoid these six words - Wink News

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