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t m c » p u l s e | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 8 36 B y B r i t n i N . R i l e y T hose who have kept their New Year's resolutions may have stocked their pan- tries and refrigerators with 'healthy' snacks and drinks. But some foods that profess to be healthy are more processed than consumers might expect, while plenty of high-protein offerings are actually belly bombs in disguise—high in sugar and fat and low in nutrition. "There are always fads that are emerging, but we know what works for weight loss: calorie restriction and exercise," said Roberta Anding, registered dietitian and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. "But if you are not willing or able to do that, then it becomes an 'I'll try anything' kind of mentality… Maybe it's the gluten, maybe it's the dairy. You can spend a lifetime searching for something." Gluten—a family of proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley—has gotten a bad name in recent years for adding carbs to our diets. Because of this, costly gluten-free products, such as pasta, bread, and chips, have been popping up in grocery stores. "For the average person who does not have celiac disease, gluten-free means they had to take something out of a food," said Anding, who is also a sports dietitian for the Houston Astros. "To take something out makes the food more processed." Gluten has also been blamed for causing stomach irritation in people who do not suffer from celiac disease, but Anding believes another group of substances—sugar alcohols—could be responsible for that. "A lot of the protein bars with 20 grams of protein … that is equal to almost three ounces of meat. In order to keep the calories low, they may put in a category of sweeteners called sugar alcohols," Anding said. "Sugar alcohols can cause cramping, bloating and diarrhea and, depending on how sensitive you are, that would be something to avoid." To avoid purchasing bars made with sugar alcohols, Anding says to look for ingredients on nutrition labels end- ing in the suffix "ol." Sorbitol, erythritol and mannitol are all examples of sugar alcohols. Other seemingly healthy treats that are often over- processed and unhealthy? Veggie chips. "We are all looking for the permission to eat a salty or savory snack and we feel better if it says veggie chips," Anding said. "There is really not enough vegetable in it for it to be worth the caloric investment." Because so much of the packaging for veggie chips depicts beautiful, fresh vegetables, consumers may not realize that many are made with potato starch, potato flour, corn starch, spinach powder and other vegetable substitutes. HOW HEALTHY ARE 'HEALTHY' SNACKS? This is a dietitian saying this: You would be better off eating a potato chip than a veggie chip because it is a real potato, where some of these manufactured veggie chips are really designed to make you think they are a better option, and they aren't. — ROBERTA ANDING Registered dietitian and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine