Fruit smoothies
There is a saying: "Eat fruits, drink vegetables." Its meaning is that there is a lot of sugar in fruits, so it is reasonable to eat them whole - because of the fiber, its absorption is slower. This means that the blood sugar level does not jump, the process of fat deposition does not start (this is what happens when you drink fruit juices and smoothies). But eating vegetables in enough quantity to get everything useful from them is hard enough (try chewing 100 grams of spinach - a large bag). At the same time, they almost do not contain sugar, so it is convenient to consume them in the form of fresh juices and smoothies. A healthy compromise where the smoothie is still tasty but healthy and not too sweet is a mix of fruits and vegetables. As an example: beetroot with apple, banana with spinach, pear with celery.
White rice
“Sitting on rice” makes sense if a doctor prescribed such a diet for you - in case of problems with the kidneys or gastrointestinal tract: rice removes salt, is hypoallergenic and does not irritate the mucous membranes. But for the sake of losing weight, there is no point in eating it: there is a lot of nutritious starch in white rice, it is quickly digested and gives a feeling of satiety for a short time. An alternative is whole grain rice. It takes longer to cook, and you need to get used to its taste, but it belongs to the category of complex carbohydrates with a high content of useful vitamins and microelements.
Cereal bars
And here, just under the guise of complex carbohydrates, they sell us a bunch of sugar. As a rule, it is various syrups and other types of sweets that are the binding and flavor-enhancing substance in such bars. In addition, they often contain a decent percentage of fat - and not healthy vegetable, but cheaper to produce trans fats. If you want a healthy grain bar as a snack, it's best to make it yourself.
Vegetable chips
Beet, parsnip, and carrot chips seem to be a healthy alternative to potato chips. These are healthy vegetables, after all! But it’s not like that. First, there are all the same disadvantages that potato chips have: brutal amounts of fat and salt, as well as the carcinogen acrylamide (formed when starchy foods are quickly heated). Secondly, due to heat treatment and long storage, all the beneficial qualities of vegetables are practically nullified.
Dried fruits
Undoubtedly, dried fruits are healthier than ordinary sweets: they contain vitamins and microelements necessary for the body. Therefore, if you eat a couple of pieces of dried apricots with tea, there is nothing to worry about. Another question is that in dried fruits, as well as in sweets, there is a lot of sugar (in the form of fructose, which is absorbed even faster by the body and dramatically increases blood sugar), so eating them in large quantities is unhealthy.
Popcorn
Often cited as a healthy alternative to chips: crunchy can be done without any harm from popcorn, minimum fat, salt to taste. But all this applies only to the popcorn that you yourself cooked at home in a saucepan or oven from grains and good vegetable oil. Microwaved popcorn is desperately harmful. Primarily due to the large amount of trans fats and chemicals. For example, diacetyl is often added to commercial popcorn, which gives off the smell of butter and sour cream. The American Association for the Manufacturers of Extracts and Flavors has recommended reducing diacetyl in food, as the vapors generated by heating it have been shown to cause lung disease. Diacetyl is allowed in Europe and Russia,however, the European Food Safety Agency has included it on the list of food additives that will be further investigated for safety.
Agave syrup
Many healthy lifestyles and dieters spend huge sums of money to replace sugar with agave syrup. It's all about advertising. According to her, agave is healthier because its glycemic index (shows the level of sugar in the blood after digestion of the product) is lower than that of various types of sugar and honey. At the same time, agave syrup contains 80-90% more fructose, which, if abused, can develop insulin resistance in the body. In other words, here, as in the case of dried fruits, moderation is needed. If you add a spoonful of agave syrup to a serving of cottage cheese or porridge, there is nothing to worry about. But if you're substituting a can of agave syrup for a glass of sugar in dessert, don't count on it.>