5 Foods That Seem Healthy But Aren't

Have you ever gone out with your friends and they say, "Oh, I'm getting a salad! I'm on a diet."? Well, not so fast! Don't let what could be a healthy salad fool you. Read up on these 5 foods that you may want to take a closer look at next time you eat out (or even when you make them yourself!).

Clean Eat Education: 5 Foods that May Fool You

1. Oatmeal

We love oatmeal - right? It's a staple in our diet and hopefully is in yours as well. However, when you go out and eat oatmeal you may not be getting exactly what you think. I recently ordered a bowl of oatmeal at a restaurant only to have an epiphany as it was coming to our table that it may be made with milk (something that many people can't have). After it came out, I found out that it was actually made with half and half.

It's also important to pay attention to the toppings that restaurants include with your oatmeal. They typically top oatmeal with dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc) and many times these items contain added sugars. If you consume these with the brown sugar or sweetener they provide you, you will probably be consuming much more sugar than you expect. Try to stick with real fresh fruit for your topping and limit the amount of added sugar. Other toppings they might provide could include sliced almonds, granola (more sugar!) and maple syrup (more sugar!). If you aren't careful that bowl of healthy oatmeal can turn into calorie city!

If you are making your own oats at home try one of our most popular oat recipes:

• Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
• Cranberry Apple Steel Cut Oats
• Banana Cream Quick Oats

2. Granola

Granola - It's perfect in your Greek yogurt as your breakfast or midday snack, but have you looked at your granola lately? You may be shocked to find out just how much sugar they add in to make it sweet and "lightly toasted" for you to enjoy. With granola, it's also imperative to pay attention to the serving size. You could easily consume 2-3 servings when you really only think you are consuming one. (this is one of the reasons we recommend having a food scale!).

Consider making your own:

• Cinnamon Vanilla Granola
• Apricot Flax Fall Granola
• Gluten-Free Power Granola

If you are looking for better store-bought options try one of the following but still pay close attention to the serving size!

Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola

Autumn's Gold Grain Free Granola

3. Wrap Sandwiches

Ever ordered a wrap because you forgot your clean lunch at home or didn't have time to prepare it thinking that the "whole wheat" version will be okay for today? You are not alone! Think again though - those wraps are often 1.5-2 times the amount of bread you would consume in a normal sandwich and much is hidden as the sandwich is wrapped up.

4. Salads and Low-Fat Dressing

This is a big one that gets a lot of people! We think that salads: lettuce, vegetables, and grilled meats are healthy for us... well, they are! Until you add in the dressing! Most on a "diet" will reach for the low-fat version of the dressing. BAD IDEA! The fat is masked by sugar - and lots of it! Some salads have more calories than a cheeseburger! Opt for oil and vinegar or red wine vinegar and skip any fried flair in your salad.

Try one of the following as your salad dressing:

Oil and Vinegar Bottle Set

Red Wine Vinegar

5. Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt just might be one of my weaknesses! It's creamy texture and chilling temperature make it the perfect treat. However, have you ever thought about how they cut the fat from the yogurt? By adding in sugar, thus extra calories. If you are going for a treat, consider making your own. We have a ton of clean eating treats to choose from!

What foods should we add to this list that may have fooled you?

Clean Eat Education: What Does Your Produce Sticker Mean?

Have you ever wondered about the stickers on your produce?  They actually do have a purpose!  Check the sticker to make sure you are buying the correct produce!

Need help deciding on what you need to purchase organic?  These posts may help you:

• The Dirty Dozen
• The Clean Fifteen

- Whitney

Do You "Self Sabotage"?

Are you a victim? Do you have the best of intentions, but the second you get close to meeting a goal, you sabotage it because it's easier to give up rather than fail? It's called "self sabotage" and it's one of the main reasons most of us fail to meet our fitness and weight loss goals. Sounds familiar? Keep reading!

Although those pesky "toxic" friends and family may be making it hard for you to stick with your diet and your normal fitness routine, it's ultimately you who needs to take responsibility. Learn to recognize your own "self sabotaging" behaviors. Fight the fight against yourself! after all, you are the only tangible being that can make YOUR dreams come true!

Common Self Sabotage Behaviors

1. Blaming others for your shortcomings. You didn't have time to prep food on Sunday night? Chances are, it wasn't your best friend that kept you out of the kitchen for an hour when they stopped by to chat - it was that hour or two of recorded TV shows on your DVR!

2. Self doubt. Have one of those pesky voices in your head that tries to tell you that you can't do something every time you start to daydream that you can?  Squash it! You don't have to listen to it - after all, you control your thoughts!

3. Setting unrealistic expectations and/or goals. Do you have a tendency to overextend yourself? Work best under pressure? With things like health and fitness goals that take time to perfect and reach, you set yourself up for failure before you even start if your expectations are unrealistic. Do yourself a favor and set realistic goals with realistic time frames.

4. Giving up before you get started (or before anyone notices). I can tell you right now - I do this! It's hard to live like this - just DON'T! Search your heart and learn what is important to you and don't give up. If you do fail and someone notices, it's just a learning experience. Everyone fails - you have to give yourself the right to fail.

Ways to Combat Self Sabotaging Behaviors

1. Tell your goals to a friend you trust. Your friend may not share your desires and you may not be working toward a common goal; however, you can still be of use to them and they to you. Tell them how you need help and offer to reciprocate by holding them accountable for reaching a goal in their life. REMEMBER - Don't judge their goal!

2. Write it down. Do you like to journal? Are you a list keeper? Keep a list every day of the tasks you need to accomplish. You can even prioritize them! I keep mine on my phone and just delete them as I mark them off. Not only is it therapeutic, but when you start the day with 20 tasks and you have 2 to complete by the time you start getting tired, you really learn that you can do much more than you ever expected. Confidence boost right there!

3. Give yourself positive affirmations. When is the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror? Do you know WHO you are? Are you the kind of person that rushes out the door in the morning? It may sound corny, but give yourself just one minute each morning to say something positive to yourself and you will be amazed on your outlook for the entire day.

4. Don't be afraid to fail. This may be easier said than done, but it can be accomplished! Do your best each day - that means accomplishing as much as you can on the "to do" list, starting with the most high-priority and easiest. Tell yourself that you are working toward something and that if you don't succeed the first time, it's not the end of the world. There is always tomorrow. Think about what went wrong and fix it!