Today we know that in order to eat well, it's not a good idea to ban foods from our diet. Completely eliminating certain foods often does nothing but create an enormous craving to eat them . . .
That's why the key is moderation in both serving size and how often you eat, as well as sticking to a diet plan created in consultation with your nutritionist. Some foods are better if left for special occasions or holidays and should be consumed in small amounts, or in the diet version. Some of the usual suspects are:
Croissants. They're concentrated with fat and often sugar, and each one contains approximately 500 calories. Instead, go for toast with low-fat cheese or diet jelly.
Mayonnaise. A soup spoon of mayonnaise contains 200 calories and the light version has approximately half that. Don't add more than 1 teaspoon. You can cut out even more calories and fats if you use mustard (20 calories per spoonful) or ketchup instead.
Salad dressings. Very commonly found on the American dinner table, they also contain a lot of calories and fats. Choose low-calorie options or substitute with vinegar, lemon, balsamic vinegar (however much you want), and olive oil (small amount).
Cheese. It's important to consume this food every day. The hardest cheeses contain more calcium but also more fat. It's best to choose semi-hard, lower-fat cheeses.
Popcorn. The kind we buy from vendors on the street, at the movies, or in malls is generally prepared with a large amount of oil or margarine and sugar. Make it at home in a Teflon pan without butter. Ideally it's best to eat it only once in a while.
Sausages. Most have a high percentage of fat. Three sausages contain 210 calories while three diet sausages contain 105. Consume them in moderation.
Sauces. The most recommended is natural tomato sauce with very little oil and the spices you like. Sauces that contain cheeses, a lot of oil, eggs, and cream generally have a much greater amount of fat and calories.
Sodas. Technically, sodas shouldn't be classified as a food. However, their consumption is so prevalent that they have been included as one of the causes of the population's weight gain. They don't have any nutritional value, but they do provide a large amount of calories (half a glass of soda contains 40 calories). Most nutritionists don't find any reason to keep them in a diet except for the craving to drink them. Substitute water or light juices for them or drink diet sodas (one glass contains one calorie).
Ice creams. A large spoonful of ice cream (100 grams) could contain around 210 calories. There are many low-calorie, low-fat options on the market.
Bacon cheeseburger. Choose homemade burgers made with fat-free meat and vegetables. Add fat-free ham. Remember that side dishes such as french fries, sodas, and mayonnaise are tempting, but they're not very recommended.
