Making The Best Bad Food Choices
You don't always have the option to eat a healthy meal. And sometimes, you just feel like indulging.
Either way, it's good to know that some "bad" foods are better than others!
On The Early Show Thursday, registered dietician Keri Glassman showed how you can select some of the "best of the worst."
While none of these foods she displayed are truly healthy, some are less calorie and fat-laden than others.
BELGIAN WAFFLE VS. BAGEL WITH LOX & CREAM CHEESE
Waffle
Calories: 490
Fat: 20g
Bagel
Calories: 650
Fat: 25g
The key here is PORTION. The waffle has built-in portion size that's actually somewhat reasonable. Traditional bagels, on the other hand, are huge, and loaded with way too much cream cheese.
CHEESEBURGER VS. TUNA SALAD SANDWICH
Burger
Calories: 360
Fat: 16g
Tuna
Calories: 530
Fat: 31g
Everybody assumes that burgers, particularly cheeseburgers, are among the least healthy things you can order from a menu. Turns out that assumption is wrong! Tuna can be healthy, and sandwiches can be healthy, but once you start mixing all that mayo into the tuna, you're in big trouble. The same holds true for any mayonnaise-based foods -- chicken salad, egg salad, etc. -- all of these are big diet busters.
2 PIECES PEPPERONI PIZZA VS. EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Pizza
Calories: 537
Fat: 22g
Eggplant
Calories: 790
Fat: 55g
This one may not be a big surprise; eggplant parmesan is fried. But it is surprising to see how much more fat the eggplant has compared to the pizza -- almost all the fat the average person on a 2,000 calorie diet is supposed to consume in one day ( 65 grams). The message here: Always,,always, always stay away from fried food.
CHINESE BEEF & BROCCOLI VS. KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Beef
Calories: 900
Fat: 54g
Chicken
Calories: 1240
Fat: 80g
Wow! How crazy are these numbers?! According to Keri, many people in this instance would choose the chicken, assuming that the white meat is healthier than beef. Although the chicken dish is often described as "sauteed," the restaurant is probably using the same amount of oil as if it were fried; the chicken simply was not breaded. On Chinese menus, look out for dangerous key terms such as "sauteed" and "quick-fried." These are just as bad for you as Sweet and Sour Chicken, for instance, or General Tao's Chicken.
STEAK & BAKED POTATO WITH SOUR CREAM VS. ROASTED CHICKEN LEG & THIGH WITH CREAMED SPINACH
Steak
Calories: 520
Fat: 19g
Chicken
Calories: 726
Fat: 46g
Once again, chicken isn't necessarily healthier than beef. Here, we have a fillet versus dark-meat chicken with skin. Dark meat with the skin on is nowhere near as healthy as white-meat chicken. The other problem in instances like this is that people often feel they are eating healthy by ordering chicken, so, they think, it's OK to go ahead and indulge in the creamed spinach. Sorry folks, that's just not going to fly. Spinach is good for you, but not when it's been cooked in loads of cream. Even a potato that's loaded with sour cream is going to be a better choice.
CHEESECAKE VS. APPLE PIE WITH ICE CREAM
Cheesecake
Calories: 460
Fat: 34g
Pie
Calories: 690
Fat: 37
OK, obviously no dessert (except plain fruit) can truly qualify as good for you. But once again, some options are better than others. Surprisingly, the fruit dessert isn't the winner here. The crust is loaded with butter, and ice cream is high in fat. If you're looking for a "best of the worst" dessert option, try to stay away from anything that's loaded with butter. Mousse, sorbet and flourless chocolate cake will always be better options.