Yes, There ARE Healthy Foods That Make You Fat. Haute Beauty Ambassador Jillian Michaels Explains.

Photo Credit: Don Flood

Healthy foods that make you “fat?” Yup, it’s true. You see, the nutrients in our food have nothing to do with the energy content in that food (also known as calories), and at the end of the day, a food might be loaded with wonderful nutrients, but also loaded with energy / calories.
Did you know fat is simply stored energy? When we consume more energy than our body can utilize it will store that energy in our fat cells. So, no matter how healthy a food is, if it’s very high in calories and you are eating too much of it you will gain weight. I bring this up because so often when people get stuck on their weight loss journey and I ask them what they are eating, they almost always say, “I’m eating healthy.” Upon further exploration I come to find out that even though the foods they are consuming have lots of vitamins and minerals they are actually incorporating too many options that are calorie dense.

Photo Credit: Don Flood

Here are the top 5 foods to be thoughtful about when consuming:

Photo Credit: Don Flood
Nuts: Nutrient packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, these guys are food power houses, but they are also LOADED with calories. A quarter cup of cashews (about 9 cashews in total) is 170 calories! I don’t know about you, but who eats NINE cashews? I eat about 20 at a time and that equals about 400 calories just for a snack! And it isn’t just cashews – almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds etc. are all VERY high in calories. The base calorie count for these nuts is just for the raw or dry roasted ones. When nuts are roasted in oil – which many are – it adds insult to injury. Proceed with caution.

Flavored yogurt: We often assume that yogurt is healthy but some of us don’t realize that these fruit yogurts are loaded with added sugar and calories! So, if you are going to consume yogurt make it plain, organic, and preferably low fat. Then be sure to add fresh fruit on top instead of the pre-mixed with tons of added syrup, sugars, possible food coloring, etc.

Juice: As I’ve said before, juice is a bit of a sad story. You make it by squishing a plant to oblivion to extract the sugary juice, but leave behind most of the good stuff in the process. What you leave behind is the majority of the nutrients and all of the fiber. You may be surprised to learn when you have a glass of orange juice you are getting as many calories and grams of sugar as a coke. So, I say avoid the juice and eat the fruit.

“Healthy sweeteners:” I see many recipes that substitute table sugar with honey or maple syrup. Even I have included this swap in many recipes created for my books or The Fitness App meal plans. These are definitely much healthier for you from a nutrition perspective, BUT they are still very high in sugar and calories, which simply means you need to consume in moderation. Remember: just because it’s a healthier option doesn’t give us license to overindulge.

Granola: I love this stuff. I used to put it on everything because it was “healthy.” I would eat granola in yogurt, in smoothies, with milk, as a stand-alone snack, etc. While this food is known to have fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and other key minerals, it’s also really high in calories and even in some cases added sugar. It is my recommendation that a half cup really should be the portion for granola which ends up being about 230 calories. Then, when you add milk, or yogurt, or top it on your smoothie bowl you don’t exceed 400 to 500 calories max. Starting with a full cup of granola (which honestly looks like nothing in person) can result in the whole meal equaling about 700 calories, which is a heck of a lot if you are trying to watch your waistline.

About Jillian’s Fitness App: With personalized workout programs to meet any goal, satisfy any exercise preference, and suit any fitness level you can train at home, in the gym, or outside no equipment needed! Whether you’re looking for a gentle yoga class to connect with your body, a power-packed HIIT circuit, a 5K training program, pre and postnatal options, and much more, The Fitness App has you covered! New programs for 2021 include:

• Booty Band Body– Sculpt your legs, booty and abs with this 4 week total body tone up using booty bands for added resistance
• Kettlebell Burn– Boost metabolism, burn body fat, and increase power with this 30 day total body blast
• Slider Shred– Tone and condition your entire body in 30 days with this workout featuring slides to help boost mobility, agility and strength
•     Special Guest Workout – Popular trainer and self-care specialist Jaime McFaden offers two great audio workouts: 7 Day Walk Your Wayto Better and 7 Days of Simple Self Care