Fit & Active...or Fit & Fat.....?

So as we say good-bye to January (Yea!!!) will we also say good-bye to the multitude of "healthy" foods as they disappear from all our favorite stores? I've laughed as I watch stores (and not just grocery stores) jump on the bandwagon marketing to those New Year's Resolutioners wanting to lose weight, exercise more, and eat better! Seriously, I sometimes think some advertising genius created a campaign to entice us to buy into "New Year, New You" concept! The ads are filled with everything from workout clothes to fitness equipment to gimmicks, diet programs-and food!

One of my pet peeves is how the packaging on food can send the subtle message "this must be good for me because it says reduced fat, low sugar, and comes in a green package!" If you follow my blogging even a little bit, then you know that I am constantly reminding you to read the labels. It doesn’t take as much time as you may think-honest :)

You’ve heard me say how it makes me crazy when what appears to be a single serving is actually 2.5 servings (yes, I’ve seen that). So that’s the first thing to look at when making smart choices.

It may seem like I am picking on Aldi’s “Fit & Active” food line, but there are plenty of other stores are doing the same healthy food thing. I LOVE Aldi! I just like the sound of “Fit & Active”. Haha! To be honest, Aldi has totally improved their "good for you" food options. BUT…I like to compare the items so I will read the nutritional info on a “regular” item, and then, maybe it’s low sugar counterpart, and many times I find they are pretty much the same. Or maybe 1 gram less of sugar-guess that makes it low sugar, right? Or at least reduced!

Many times the reduced fat item will honestly have less fat but lots more sugar! Unfortunately, to maintain the flavor in low fat foods, the sugar may be added to enhance the flavor of the foods after the fat is gone. Or artificial sweeteners might be used to replace the regular sugar.

Which brings me to the other thing to consider when making the best food choices. Avoid foods that are lacking any nutritional value, such as processed foods, foods made with white sugar, white flour-they are simply empty calories. Eat more fruits, veggies, yogurt…

Here's an idea-try a smoothie! A few weeks ago to boost my immune system I began making a giant smoothie every day for breakfast. I throw in different frozen (no sugar added) fruits, a scoop of greek yogurt and a little juice or milk in the blender. I drink half in the morning then I freeze the rest in a container to eat like ice cream for a snack later. It’s a great way to make sure I'm getting my daily requirement of fruit, too. And it’s oh, soooo yummy!!

So….back to the Fit & Active…I am not saying it’s ALL a scam! Some items truly ARE Fit & Active!! And that’s awesome!! And since you know I would never say give up your special little treats-I say make intelligent choices, sometimes you just have to choose the lesser of two evils. Be a smart-and healthy-consumer and read those labels!