How to avoid interrupting your diet: The 4 most common errors

Eating in a balanced and healthy way can be a difficult task, especially when there are thousands of ways to turn a light meal into a combo filled with calories. How many times have we believed that we are eating a healthy snack or dish, when actually it was the complete opposite due to the great variety of toppings, sauces or simply down to our own bad habits when we eat?

Identifying our own inappropriate behavior will help us to avoid constantly interrupting our diet regime, allow us to eat healthily and achieve a fabulous body.

The most common errors are:

Mistake # 1: Using creamy dressings with vegetables

Vegetables are an excellent and light snack, but combining them with creamy dressings can turn them into a high-calorie snack, as a seasoning can contain up to 145 calories per two tablespoons. Therefore, using the combination of vegetables with dressings eventually will increase your weight.

How to avoid this:

• For a lighter dressing to accompany your snacks or vegetable side dishes: You can use natural fat and buttermilks which bring more protein than conventional yogurt and have a pleasant flavor that can be combined with herbs such as rosemary, coriander (cilantro) and some spices like curry that will give a touch of flavour to your food without the excessive calorie intake.
• Add homemade hummus or combine your fresh vegetables with things that have low fat and calorific content. Doing this will also add extra protein to your dishes.
• Opt for light snacks such as cucumber or jicama, which are very low in calories and can be served with any kind of chutney or sauce, lemon and salt.

Mistake # 2: Drinking a litre or more of water or fruit water

Fresh water or fruit water are both better choices than carbonated drinks. However, if these drinks contain added sugar or sweeteners, drinking a litre or more could impact your weight due to the amount of calories it contains.

How to avoid this:

• Use seasonal fruits that are fresh and ripe: This will avoid adding extra sugar to fresh waters. If you prefer very sweet drinks, non-calorific sweeteners are an excellent choice to sweeten your drinks.
• Limit added sugar to one tablespoon per litre.
  Try to substitute such drinks with juicy fruits instead, as well as plain water to keep you hydrated.

Mistake # 3: Too much sauces in sandwiches

Skinless roast chicken or turkey sandwiches are light meals as well as very complete, but serving them with a layer of sauce is a common misconception and loads your sandwich full of calories. Barbecue sauce is a favorite and also one that contains one of the highest amounts of sugar.

How to avoid this:

• Opt for simple options like chicken seasoned with spices such as turmeric or paprika.
  Prepare dressings based in light non-fat yogurt, mix with hot sauce or honey mustard, have fun combining different ingredients and make a different dish every time.
• Use a base dressing and add finely chopped cabbage, light mayonnaise and mustard: Cabbage is rich in fibre and vitamin B6.

Mistake # 4 Adding cream, milk or syrups to coffee or tea

Coffee and tea are widely known as drinks with health benefits, the problem is when we add sugar it can increase your intake of fats or carbohydrates.

How to avoid this:

• Currently, manufactured coffees or teas have varied and pleasing flavors such as vanilla, almond, chocolate or hazelnut. These may help you to avoid adding extra syrup or flavourings to your drink.
• You can also find flavored teas, whose flavours alone make it a delicious hot drink.
• Add skimmed milk and avoid using sweeteners where possible.

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