Do You Know These “Food Frauds?”

What's a "food fraud?"

Recently, University of Pittsburgh nutritionist Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, shared with WebMD the foods that have us fooled. While many of us think these foods sound healthy, they can actually be wrecking our diets in a very sneaky way.

The first example?  Caesar salad, which sounds like a healthy choice on the surface--until you take a closer look.  The dressing is the real culprit, making just a small bowl a 400 calorie, 30 gram-of-fat diet destroyer.  The fix?  Start with a plain Caesar salad and then add just a tablespoon of dressing and cheese, instead of preparing the salad with large amounts of both ingredients.

Another culprit is the fresh smoothie.  We may think we're getting a healthy dose of fruit with this delicious drink, but the reality is they are often loaded with up to 80 grams of sugar, 350 calories and very little protein or true "fresh" fruit.  Bonci recommends getting a small size and asking specifically for fresh fruit, low fat milk or protein powder to add nutrition.

Energy bars, which are very popular, can also be a real problem. They tend to be small but pack a lot of calories and are often "no better than a candy bar."  Bonci advises looking for bars that are no more than 200 calories and have at least 5 grams of fiber and some protein.

Chicken burritos are yet another food that sounds deceptively healthy.  However, lots of calories and the saturated fat in the cheese, sour cream and flour tortilla can really sabotage your healthy eating efforts.  Instead, go for a soft taco or fajita with grilled meats, veggies, and low-calorie salsa on a corn tortilla.

Other not-so-healthy foods mentioned by Bonci include 2% milk, turkey hot dogs, breakfast muffins, low-fat granola, low-fat yogurt, iced tea, microwave popcorn and cole slaw.

So what can you do to avoid falling prey to these common "food frauds?"  Just be sure to look beneath the surface and know what you're really getting in some of these deceptive choices. Being more aware is the first step to a healthier way of life.