Unhealthy eating habits can stand in the way of long or short-term weight loss success.
We spoke to health expert, Maria Ascencao about unhealthy snacks to avoid if you are on a diet plan.
High sugar granola bars
These are popular snacks but high in sugar and saturated fat. Make your own healthier version with rolled oats, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate chips and or dried fruit.
Pastries, biscuits, and cookies
Especially those laden with refined sugar, flour, and added fats. They are unhealthy on many levels.
Processed meats
These should be avoided as they are high in sodium and unhealthy fats which contribute to arterial stiffening and may put you at risk of developing heart disease or diabetes.
Potato chips or crisps
These are popular but most are filled with sodium, fat and have no nutritional value because they are highly processed. Instead, try a vegetable alternative such as sweet potato or kale chips or gluten-free crackers.
Fruit-flavoured yoghurt
These are filled with sugar and artificial flavouring. A good alternative is to have Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit.
Ascencao said one of the tips on how to avoid unhealthy snacking is to buy only healthy foods when shopping and read food labels carefully.
“Plan your meals ahead, make your own healthy snacks, don’t skip meals and take a high-quality food supplement like SA superfood green tea extract, Origine 8. Origine 8 is rich in antioxidants called catechins which has been shown to increase antioxidant capacity, balance blood sugar and aid weight loss by increasing the number of calories your body burns through thermogenesis,” she said.