And here I thought it was just me.
Learn how to make some smarter choices, and you won't have to fear the frozen food aisle.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), there are some frozen treats that should be left to grow fur in your grocer's freezer, while a few choices won't do damage to your waistline.
Green Light: Fudgsicles and Creamsicles
CSPI says that non-fat milk, sugar, and cocoa give fudge bars their rich taste, yet they rarely contain more than 100 calories and one gram of saturated fat per serving.Healthy Choice Low Fat Fudge Bars and Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Sorbet Bars were the organization's top picks in this category.
Despite their rich-sounding name, Creamsicles are often comprised of low-fat sherbet surrounding a small ice cream core.
The group's pick in the Creamsicle category included fat-free Sorbet & Yogurt pops by Haagen-Dazs, and Strawberry and Cream and Orange Cream Bars by Tropicana.
Green Light: Fruit Bars
CSPI found dozens of refreshing fruit bars that contain between 30 and 130 calories each and no (or very little) saturated fat.The best picks contain fruit, fruit puree, or fruit juice as the main ingredient, which was found to be the case in several selections from Breyers, Dole, Tropicana, and Frozfruit.
The group warns to watch out for coconut, cream, or chocolate coating when choosing among fruit bars, as these ingredients raise the saturated fat content (and the calorie count).
Red Light: Ice Cream Bars
The CSPI recommends avoiding the high-fat ice cream used in Dove Bars, Haagen-Dazs, and Ben & Jerry's regular ice cream bars. Plus, the chocolate coating -- which is made from heart-harmful coconut oil -- turns these treats from bad to worse.It was found that some Dove Bars provide 330 calories and nearly half the saturated fat one should eat in an entire day. The CSPI says that is worse for you than a 9-oz. serving of filet mignon.
The group reports that among the worst ice cream aisle offenders is the Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Bar -- it packs in a whopping 370 calories and nearly three-fourths of the daily recommended saturated fat intake!
"The good news is that scores of frozen bars are low in calories and saturated fat," said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman. "But some food manufacturers seem to be competing with each other to make their bars as bad for you as possible."
To get the details on the nutrition counts of your favorite frozen food fixes, be sure to check out Calorie Count Plus.
Source:
Center for Science in the Public Interest. Nutrition Action Healthletter p. 13. September 2003.
