If you’re on a diet, chances are you’ve got a good idea of the types of foods to avoid. For instance, cheeseburgers have got to go, as do fizzy drinks, cakes and chocolate – sadly!
But where it can get tricky is when some foods we perceive as healthy are actually loaded with calories. This can seriously derail your weight loss attempts and worst of all you might not even know what’s causing it!
In this blog post, we’ll go over some foods that are packed full of calories so you can minimise your consumption of these and keep those pounds falling off!
Salads (With Dressing)
If there’s one food that’s synonymous with restricted calorie intake and healthy eating, it’s salad. But did you know that in some cases salads might not be as weight loss-friendly as we think?
You see, while naked salads will certainly help you cut down on carbs, fat and calories, those with dressings might be loaded with sugar or other fattening ingredients.
Dressings found in restaurants or supermarkets tend to be the worst culprits, so if you need something to liven up your salad, try making your own at home.
Try a simple vinaigrette by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and a dash of honey or maple syrup for sweetness. You can also experiment with herbs and spices like garlic, oregano or black pepper to add depth to the flavour profile, without adding too many extra calories.
Pasta
By now, most of us are aware that pasta isn’t the healthy choice it was once thought to be. However, there are still some out there who believe this Italian favourite is good for losing weight.
It isn’t. At all. In fact, pound for pound, pasta is some of the most calories-rich food we can possibly eat.
Quite why so many people think eating pasta topped with mayonnaise (more on this later) is going to help you lose weight is anybody’s guess, but hopefully, anyone reading this will heed our warning – if you want to cut down calories, avoid pasta like the plague.
Avocado
These days, it feels like every TikTok or Instagram influencer is urging us to eat nothing but avocado on toast morning, noon and night!
But did you know that while avocados are undoubtedly nutritious due to their abundance of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, these large, oily fruits are also pretty calorific?
Indeed, a medium-sized avocado contains around 240 calories, so eating too many may well prevent you from losing as much weight as you’d like – especially if you’re having them with bread.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t eat avocados. As mentioned already, they’re extremely nutritious and their healthy fats can help you stay full for longer. Just limit yourself when eating them as you may struggle to burn off the calories if you overindulge.
Nuts
Another often-healthy food many might be surprised to find on this list is nuts. We say “often-healthy” because while some nuts such as Brazil nuts, pecans or almonds can be extremely nutritious, others might not be quite so good for us, especially when caked in salt or sugar.
If you’re on a diet and you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to avoid the excessive consumption of nuts. That’s because, while they are certainly filling and can provide a healthy, satisfactory snack, they’re also loaded with calories which will make losing weight hard if you eat too many.
If you want the nuts with the fewest calories then opt for almonds. Peanuts have even fewer calories, but they’re not actually a nut, they’re classed as a legume!
Smoothies
Another belt-busting indulgence that’s somehow earned a reputation as being diet-friendly is the fruit smoothie.
Although these drinks undoubtedly contain a lot of essential nutrients, they’re also loaded with sugar due to the sheer abundance of fruit they contain. They also lack dietary fibre which means all of the sugar is being digested at once, spiking your blood sugar.
In turn, this leads to heightened insulin levels, crashes and subsequent cravings, none of which will assist you in shifting those pounds when dieting!
If you love fruit, eat it individually rather than blending it together and drinking it. Trust us, your waistline will thank you for it!
Hummus
Although hummus is often sold as a nutritious and protein-rich snack (which it most definitely is) you also need to be mindful of its caloric content as it can be higher than expected, especially if it has olive oil and tahini included.
Add to that the fact hummus is often consumed with bread or similar dipping foods and it’s easy to see how overdoing it can quickly compromise your weight loss goals.
Get around this by opting for oil-free hummus and dipping crunchy vegetables such as carrots, cucumber or celery instead.
Meal Prep Services
So now we’ve covered some of the most surprisingly calorific foods and the need to minimise your consumption of these, it’s time to discuss another step you can take to help you maintain your weight: meal prep services.
Unless you have excellent knowledge of nutrition, it can be difficult to balance your macro and micronutrients to achieve your weight-loss goals.
In truth, it can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have a lot of knowledge of nutrition. This is where meal prep services prove invaluable!
Meal prep services provide carefully portioned meals, which eliminate the need for guesswork and ensure you consume the right number of calories to hit your goals.
All of our meals are designed to offer the correct nutritional balance, with a focus on adequate protein, healthy fats and controlled carbohydrates.
These benefits are in addition to the usual advantages you get from a meal prep service, including convenience and time saved on preparing your own meals, allowing you to concentrate on your workouts and other commitments.
So those are some of the most calorie-dense foods, along with some tips to help you reduce the amount you’re consuming with these foods. And as ever, our meal preps can help you hit your weight and fitness goals.