5 Foods We Had No Idea Were 1,000+ Calories. Calories can be healthy, remember! The more mindful we are of what we eat, the yummier.

What if I told you that many of the foods you thought were “healthier” actually help to pack on the pounds?

With the busy holiday season right around the corner (and subsequently long evenings filled with oversized portions and decadent desserts), it’s sometimes easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the health foods you make an effort to add to your diet are helping to ease those guilt-trips you inevitably put yourself through after that second slice of homemade cheesecake.

Here are a few food items you may want to reconsider before devouring—they can do more harm than good!

 1.     Granola.

I cannot even begin to convey the amount of granola I consume—everything from breakfast cereal to snack bars and yogurt topping. However, I have been doing so under the guise that I was choosing a healthier alternative to chips or cookies. Bear in mind, though, that two cups of granola contain nearly 1,200 calories. You should definitely think twice before reaching for that favorite cereal in the a.m.!

2.     Orange Juice.

Did you know that two cups of unsweetened, undiluted orange juice from frozen concentrate contains slightly over 900 calories? Drink a slight bit more and you’ve hit the 1,000 calorie mark! Not only do we tend to forget that what we drink (and not just eat) need be included in our calorie count, but also it’s fairly easy to consider a fruit juice as healthy (when in fact it’s not so healthy).

 3.     Peanut Butter.

As an avid peanut butter lover, I was shocked to learn that peanut butter contains nearly 1,200 calories per 200 grams. Just to put that in context, 200 grams is roughly the equivalent of seven tablespoons. If you’re anything like me, mornings usually consist of a bagel split in half with each part generously coated with at least three tablespoons of the spread (bare minimum). I will definitely be thinking twice before grabbing what I thought was a healthy breakfast option!

4.     Olive Oil.

Ok, though not a “food” item in the traditional sense that you eat it on its own, olive oil contains over 1,100 calories in only nine small tablespoons. I was always taught that olive oil was the “healthy” oil. That is a myth. What they really should be telling us is that, given the alternative types of oils, olive oil is the healthi-est (but certainly not healthy!). Just the other day, I whipped up an entrée that called for two cups of olive oil—I had no idea what kind of calorie amount I was working with!

5.     Nuts.

Ever find yourself mindlessly munching on nuts, thinking that you are eating a healthy snack? You might want to reevaluate that philosophy. As I mentioned in the section addressing peanut butter, nuts in general are also extremely high in calories. Containing nearly 1,200 calories per 200 grams, that’s slightly over 1 ½ cups of almonds—you would be surprised how quickly you go through that amount when chomping away!

Don’t get caught this holiday season thinking you are better off calorie-wise eating any of the above-mentioned foods—they really are working against your waistline. Whether you are a criminal lawyer in Edmonton who is hoping to maintain the weight during this festive season despite a heavy case load, or a stay-at-home mom in East Hampton trying to shed a few of those final baby pounds, bear in mind that “healthier” foods are oftentimes misleading.

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Assistant Editor: Melissa Petty/Editor: Bryonie Wise

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