What Not To Put In Your Shopping Basket
All runners know that what you eat is equally as important as how many training kilometres you clock up. Every runner faces the conundrum of what they should put in their shopping basket on a weekly basis. With Irish supermarkets increasing their range of products, it’s no wonder people are confused what exactly they should purchase. Runner’s world suggest the following items should not be included in your weekly shop.
White & Brown Bread Enriched white bread are highly refined and lack the nutrients of whole grain bread. Not only has the bran and germ been removed from white bread to enhance shelf life, but also gone are the fibre, iron and Vitamin B. People will naturally pick brown bread or bread that is labelled ‘wheat’ because they are of the belief that it is healthier, but they could be wrong. Be sure to check the ingredients label. The first ingredient should include the word “whole”. This means that they have included the entire seed in the production process. Whole grainshave been proven to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Crackers ,Cookies and Cakes These are usually filled with calories, added sugar and fat that will mean you gain some pounds. These products contain no nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are benefit to you. If you do become peckish, a healthy alternative would be to choose low-fat, whole-grain or reduced sodium
Juice Even if it’s labelled 100% juice, it’s still best to avoid it altogether. The Juice will contain vitamins and minerals that are of benefit, but they’re full of calories and sugar and devoid of fibre that will fill you up. It’s harder for your body to tell you it’s full when you consume a drink containing calories. Alternatively you should drink either water, milk, or other calorie free drinks.
Soft Drinks The regular versions are usually packed full of sugar or calories equivalent to what you’d find in a meal. The diet or sugar free version may be free of calories but contain ingredients like ‘caramel colour’ and phosphoric acid, which aren’t doing anything to help your healthy eating goals
Oils & Butter Try to avoid butter and margarines that contain trans-fats. These type of fats have been linked to an increased risk of obesity and heart disease. Try and replace these with oils like canola, olive and grapeseed. Instead of spreading butter on to your bread, substitute it with a vegetable oil based spread like ‘Golden Olive’. These type of spreads contain significantly less saturated fat and is almost always cholesterol free.
Full Fat Diary As we are all aware, whole milk, cheese and yoghurt are packed filled with sugar and fat that you don’t need. An alternative to full fat milk would be to choose skimmed milk or try a non dairy type milk like Almond or Soya milk. Try low fat cheese and sour cream. When choosing yoghurts, choose one that contains less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. Ideally buy plain Greek yoghurts and sweeten it by adding your own fresh fruit.
Cream-Based Soups; Soups are fantastic at warming you up on a cold day. However some styles of soup are healthier then others. Try to avoid cream of anything soup, these would be cream of mushroom or cream of tomato. Try and pick out broth based soups with less than 150 calories per serving, less than 3 grams of fat and less than 149 milligrams of sodium per serving
Frozen Meals Even though there are many benefits to these types of meals, they can be filled with calories, fat and salt. Stay away from products that contain more than 550 calories, 10 grams of fat and more than 500 grams of sodium per serving. If you are unsure consult the ingredients label and make sure to check serving size. A lot of meals that claim to be a single portion are actually double
Alcohol Avoid any fruity mixed drinks. They are usually full of sugar and calories and will wreak havoc on your waistline. Choose beer, wine or spirits instead. Studies have shown that one or two drinks per day may actually reduce risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Red wine has antioxidants that have been linked to healthy heart. Beer offer protein, vitamin B and some soluble fibre.
Nuts; Nuts come jam full fiber, protein, vitamins and antioxidants. Nuts have also been linked to lowering heart disease. Try to avoid nuts that have either been salted or roasted in oil and may contain added sugars and other fillers. Stay away from highly processed nut butters which contain a small menu of preservatives and fillers like sugar, soy lecithin and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Try to eat raw, ground or dry roasted nuts are free of fillers and preservatives.
