Granola.
Who doesn’t love a good parfait topped with this crunchy goodness? Heck, why not grab a few harmless handfuls in passing? Personally, I love granola and I would eat it everyday if it didn’t have such a detrimental effect to weight management. Take Harvest Crunch for example: 1 cup contains 315 calories, 15 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of fat. For some women trying to lose weight, that is easily 20% of your entire day’s worth of calories right there. Not to mention half of your sugar allotment for the day as well.

Bars.
Protein bars, energy bars, fruit n’ nut bars, you name it. There are literally hundreds on the market, most of them being highly processed and full of sugar and excessive calories despite the marketing claim that says they are good for you. Let’s take the Clif Bar for example, widely known for their impressive variety of delicious tasting products. That’s probably because the most prominent ingredient is SUGAR. In fact, they have four different types of sugar in their ingredients list – brown rice syrup, cane syrup, cane sugar, and malt barley extract. A single bar contains 260 calories and 21 grams of added sugar, which is a mere four grams shy of your entire day’s worth. Sugar is addicting, which often leads to unmanageable cravings and an overconsumption of calories.

Now there are bars that do exist that would be deemed as acceptable from a nutritional standpoint, they are just few and far between. And even the good ones average between 250-350 calories a bar which still doesn’t overcome the calorie overload.

Trail mix.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard clients proudly tell me they munch on trail mix as a “healthy” snack option. I hate to break it to you, but trail mix is full of sugar, fat, and calories. I’m talking a whopping 640 calories, 40 grams of fat, and 40 grams of sugar for one cup. And let’s face it, who’s actually measuring? It’s not uncommon to graze straight from the bag, exceeding well over 1000 calories. I mean, it makes sense when you break down the three staple ingredients: nuts (while nutritious, they are very high in fat/calories), dried fruit (contrary to what people think, they are not the best choice based on the extremely high sugar content), and milk chocolate (I don’t think I need to state the obvious with this one). Bottom line, this is one snack you should avoid if you’re trying to lose weight.

Milk.
Unless you are an infant, milk (like most dairy products) is not necessary in the diet. And while milk does contain certain important nutrients, it also contains the calories that could be hindering your progress. For example:

One cup of coconut milk has a hefty 552 calories and 57 grams of fat.

One cup of homogenized milk contains 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 12 grams of sugar.

One cup of partly skimmed 1% milk contains 110 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 12 grams of sugar.

Cutting out liquid calories is never a bad thing, and if you’re worried about missing out on those nutrients, don’t be. There are plenty of other foods you can get them from.

Oils and butters.
If you were to picture what a tablespoon looks like, it’s about the size of half your thumb. Now how many thumb-size servings of oils and butters per day do you use? Take that number and double it, because most of us greatly underestimate how much we truly consume. Why? Because oils and butters are hidden in our food in all sorts of ways – dressings, sauces, marinades, dips, you name it. On top of that, most people don’t actually measure, but rather just eye-ball their serving size. The kicker? Each tablespoon is about 100 calories. That adds up FAST.

Cheese.
Whether it’s a charcuterie board, melted on nachos, or a comforting grilled cheese sandwich, this high-calorie food will certainly slow you down. Like most items on this list, cheese is a high-fat food, and high fat means high calories. That’s why you can expect to consume over 100 calories for a standard slice. And let’s face it, when do we only have just one?

Red meat.
Ever get excited to go out for a fancy dinner and order that “modest size” 8 oz. steak? You’re looking at 600 calories, easy. How about a DIY dinner at home to control the portion size? 4 oz. of meat is a more appropriate serving size if you’re trying to lose weight, but if you’re having ground beef or pork that will still set you back over 350 calories. Red meat contains more saturated fat, which leads to more calories along with a host of other issues. For the sake of your waist line and your wellness, it’s best to limit this type of food.

Guacamole.
Holy guacamole, a single avocado contains about 320 calories! Now multiply that by the 4 that you use in your recipe, and you now have a 1,280 calorie snack sitting in a bowl just asking to be eaten quickly while it’s still vibrant green. While an actual serving size of guacamole is only 2-4 tablespoons, we rarely only eat just that.