Humans make healthier food choices by concentrating on major dietary components which include proteins and carbohydrates and vegetables. People watch their calorie intake from chicken breast and salad greens but they forget to count the calories from the sauce which they use for their food. The world of nutrition contains invisible calories which people fail to see because they consume condiments. Our brains fail to identify these substances as food because they exist in liquid or semi-solid form yet these substances possess the ability to transform a skinny meal into a product that contains excessive calories.
The Mayonnaise Multiplier
Mayonnaise consists of 100 percent fat because it is made from oil and egg yolks, a single tablespoon contains about 90 to 100 calories and you have added calories equivalent to one medium-sized candy bar when you apply it to both sides of your sandwich.
“Healthy” Salad Dressings
Creamy dressings like Ranch, Caesar, or Blue Cheese are notorious, but even vinaigrettes can be traps and most people who buy balsamic vinaigrettes from stores discover that these products contain excessive amounts of sugar together with inferior-quality oils. A heavy dressing application has the potential to increase the calorie content of a nutritious salad by 200 to 300 calories.
BBQ Sauce is Liquid Candy
Barbecue sauce basically functions as spiced caramel. Most brands consist of approximately 50 percent sugar content. A small serving of BBQ sauce (two tablespoons) contains between 15 and 20 grams of sugar which equals nearly the sugar content found in a glazed donut.
The Pesto Trap
Pesto contains pine nuts and olive oil together with parmesan cheese which are all healthy components but it contains extremely high calorie content, the oil content in this food enables people to consume 120 calories from a small-sized scoop. People who use excess pesto on their pasta dish will discover that they have added 500 calories to their meal.
Honey Mustard’s Secret
The word mustard should not mislead you into thinking otherwise. The plain yellow mustard contains zero calories but honey mustard typically combines honey with sugar and mayonnaise. People who eat Ranch dressing will discover that its calorie content lies between these two dressings.
The “Free” Soy Sauce
Soy sauce contains almost no calories while its sodium content reaches extremely high levels. The body retains excess water when sodium levels increase which leads to bloating and causes weight measurements to rise the following day thus creating a false impression of weight increase.
Nut Butters are Not “Light”
People consider peanut butter and almond butter to be healthy fats yet their consumption comes with calorie costs. The product contains approximately 190 calories for two tablespoons. The spreading of this product on toast or the dipping of apples enables people to consume four to five tablespoons which results in them reaching almost 500 calories.
Butter is the Ultimate Hidden Add-On
Restaurants use butter as a finishing touch for their vegetables and steaks to enhance the flavor of these dishes and even a single tablespoon of butter adds 100 calories. Your steamed vegetables appear shiny because they have received at least one tablespoon of fat which remains concealed from view.
Teriyaki and Sweet Chili Sauces
These Asian-inspired sauces achieve their thick sticky texture through the process of sugar reduction. The sugary coating of these products operates like BBQ sauce which creates an invisible weight gain effect that adds extra calories to your stir-fry meal which actually contains only lean protein and vegetables.
