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Using less salt in your food may seem boring, but the payoffs could be as big as a lowered risk of death, new research has found.

Using a salt substitute when cooking was linked with a lower risk of dying early from any cause or from cardiovascular disease in a new study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

“We are excited to be able to provide evidence that salt substitutions are effective for improving cardiovascular outcomes when used long-term, up to 10 years,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Loai Albarqouni, an assistant professor at the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare at Bond University.

“Previous synthesis tended to focus on short-term outcomes, lasting only two weeks.”

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The study is a systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials that were published before August 23, 2023, and totaled 35,251 participants who were around age 64 on average and had a higher-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease. The trials were mainly in China, with the rest in the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Peru, the Netherlands and Norway.

With two-thirds of the findings coming from China, the authors “were surprised at how little salt substitution research has been conducted outside Asian countries,” Albarqouni said.

“This is partially why we have graded the evidence as ‘low to very low certainty’ for Western populations — there simply isn’t enough evidence to verify that salt substitutes would be as effective in the Western context.”

Salt substitution was also linked with a reduction in sodium in urine, and in blood pressure, an effect similar to that of blood pressure medications, the authors found. That could explain the lowered risk of death, Albarqouni said.

The authors acknowledged that in the trials, some of the salt substitutes were not verified and some were purchased by the participants instead of given to them by researchers.

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The trials compared the use of common salt — made of about 100% sodium chloride, occasionally with added iodine — with using a salt substitute comprised of 25% to 30% potassium chloride and 60% to 75% sodium chloride.

Another reason why applying the findings to a Western context is difficult is that salt consumption patterns in North America are “driven by processed and takeaway food, while consumption in the research context is more driven by the high amount of salt added during home food preparation,” Albarqouni said.

“This is not the strongest study to base a lot of conclusions on at this point,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, a preventative cardiologist and director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. “But it adds to the body of evidence and the signal in the noise that getting rid of sodium salt in your diet is a big plus and getting potassium in your diet is better,”

And “while we know potassium is beneficial, salt is salt,” Freeman, who wasn’t involved in the study, added. “If it’s sodium chloride or potassium chloride or magnesium chloride, it’s all salt. And the best way to get potassium in your body is to eat fruits and vegetables — that’s where potassium is most plentiful.”

Lowering your salt intake

The American Heart Association’s ideal daily sodium limit is 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure, and no more than 2,300 milligrams daily.

“If the majority of your food intake is coming from packaged or restaurant food, chances are your sodium intake is too high,” Albarqouni said via email. “There are a few physical signs you may be eating too much sodium, like bloating or swelling, tiredness, high blood pressure, increased thirst and/or urination.”

If you’re concerned about your intake, you can seek medical or nutrition advice from a professional, Albarqouni added.

When buying packaged food, check the sodium content on labels. Some foods can contain more sodium than you think, such as poultry or cereals, Freeman said. One standard-size pickle typically has around 1,500 milligrams of salt, he added.

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Besides lowering salt consumption by simply eliminating salt in your home cooking, you can also try purchasing salt substitutes with a composition like the ones used in the study or using salt-free seasonings to add more flavor to food instead, experts said.

The authors acknowledged that more research is needed to confirm whether salt substitution of the study’s kind is safe for patients “sensitive to micronutrient manipulation,” including those sensitive to potassium — such as people with renal deficiency, they said.

Food with less salt may taste boring at first, but your tastebuds can adjust within just a couple of weeks, Freeman said, so give yourself time to adjust.

“It’s also important to remember that reducing sodium intake is just one way to reduce cardiovascular risk without medication,” Albarqouni said. “Things like diet changes, stopping smoking and increasing movement can also have an impact. Salt substitutes are not a holy grail to eliminating cardiovascular disease, but are one piece of the puzzle that can help.”

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With dieting, the conventional wisdom says a person needs to be in calorie-deficit mode to lose weight.

If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight; if you eat fewer calories, you lose weight.

But is that view really right? Doesn’t the kind of food you consume (keto, low-fat, vegan, etc.) and how often you eat (time-restricted eating versus six small meals) matter, too?

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Many studies have shown the conventional wisdom — calories in/calories out — is mostly true.

“It is not the only thing, but it is the main thing. And it’s mostly diet, not exercise, because exercising makes you hungrier and you eat more calories,” Christopher Gardner, the Rehnborg Farquhar professor of medicine at Stanford University, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the podcast Chasing Life recently.

Gardner, who is also the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, has spent decades studying nutrition and food patterns.

He was the senior author of a November 2023 study published in the journal JAMA that looked at the cardiometabolic effects of a healthy omnivorous diet versus a healthy vegan diet in identical twins, which was made into the 2024 Netflix limited series You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

Gardner said a very methodical and comprehensive analysis of approximately 20 different diets was published jointly by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society in 2013.

“And at the end of the day, they said, bottom line is on every one of these diets, people lose weight when there’s a calorie deficit. That was one of the main conclusions, and it was sort of as simple as that.”

But Gardner will be the first to say that there are many important nuances — such as the calorie deficit needed to lose a pound only grows as time on a diet progresses.

“People’s bodies react to that (deficit), and they become more metabolically efficient,” he said. That’s why people’s weight loss starts to plateau.

“So the longer you do this and the more weight you lose, the more discouraging it becomes, because it actually takes more effort to lose the next pound, which is psychologically demoralising for some people.”

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There’s another nuance to diets (based on his own research and that of others): Within each type of diet — keto, vegan, low-fat, etc. — some people will lose weight, and others will gain.

“The difference between the diets was just a few pounds. But the difference within each diet was 60 pounds (about 27 kilos),” he said, discussing his 2017 DietFITS study, noting somebody gained 10 or 15 pounds (about 4-6 kilos) while another lost around 50 (about 22 kilos). “There’s this huge range of variation.”

So, what’s the secret to successful weight loss? According to Gardner, there are two aspects.

“So, kind of the key to this calorie deficit is it’s stopping your meal soon enough to not overeat and having a long enough space till the next meal, so you’re not making up for that calorie deficit in the next few hours,” he said.

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He said he now believes a large part of weight loss success comes down to satiation, noting that what leaves people full can vary greatly.

“I often ask people in some of my talks, ‘Would you be more full and for longer on steel-cut oats with nuts and berries or with cheesy eggs?’ … I often get half the audience saying one (thing) and half the audience saying the other.”

What can you do to maximize your changes of losing weight and keeping it off? Here are Gardner’s top five tips.

Cut back on low-quality carbs and added sugars

Wean yourself off what Gardner calls “crappy carbs.”

“For most people decreasing or eliminating as much added sugar and refined grains will be the biggest bang for your buck,” he said via email, adding that the average American tends to get more than 40 per cent of calories from low-quality carbs and sugars.

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But replace those carbs wisely

You can’t just eliminate all those calories from low-quality carbs without replacing at least some of them.

“Shift to adding foods rich in fiber,” Gardner said, listing items such as beans/legumes (which he thinks Americans don’t get enough of), vegetables, whole intact grains and fruits.

In addition to fiber, add “sources of unsaturated fat (such as) avocados, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, fatty fish, whole fat yogurt.”

Stop before you’re stuffed

Practice mindful eating. Pay attention to what you are eating and how you are feeling.

“Experiment with satiety/satiation. Try the Hara Hachi Bu principle of eating until you are 80 percent full, then stopping,” Gardner recommended, referring to the Okinawan practice of putting down your fork when you are slightly full rather than completely full.

In essence, it’s an easy way of restricting calories because it allows your body and brain to register how much you have eaten.

(It takes a moment for your brain to get the message from your belly that you have eaten enough.)

Change your mindset

Your food choices must be sustainable over the long run whether you pick a diet low in fat, low in carbs or high in protein or choose to follow a Mediterranean, vegan, keto or Paleo diet.

“Don’t think of this as a ‘diet’ that you are going ‘on’ (and) that you will go ‘off’ when you are done,” Gardner said in an email.

“It needs to be a dietary approach you can follow FOREVER for the benefits to last.”

For that approach to work, he said, you need to feel satiated, not deprived and hungry all the time.

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Show yourself some compassion

Acknowledge it’s not easy to change eating habits to lose weight.

“Be kind to yourself and patient,” Gardner said.

“Most people struggle with this. If you beat yourself up psychologically, for setbacks it can be even harder the next time you make an effort.”

Find joy in what you eat

Gardner had one final bonus tip: “You need to find joy and pleasure with what you are eating,” he said. “Allow yourself that for long-term success.”

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We have known for some time that certain foods can have a big impact on how we feel on a day-to-day basis.

While some foods like dark chocolate or coffee may instantly give us an energy hit, we now understand that our general mood is influenced much more powerfully by our daily food patterns. Different nutrients work together to influence the health of the gut and the production of the key neurotransmitters that directly impact mood and mental health.

So, as we move into the cooler months, here are some key foods to focus on, and some to avoid if your goal is to keep your mood and mental health on track.

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Seafood

Containing some of the highest amounts of omega 3 fats of any fresh food, bumping up your intake of oily fish including Atlantic salmon, sardines (if you like them) and tuna is a must if your goal is to optimise your mood.

Numerous studies show that individuals who consume high amounts of the special fats, DHA and EPA, found in most oily fish are less likely to suffer from mood disturbance. These specific fats are known to help regulate the neurotransmitters that regulate mood.

While salmon is especially rich in these special fats, all seafood is a smart dietary addition through the winter months, offering a range of essential nutrients including Vitamin D as well as small amounts of Omega-3 fat.

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Nuts and seeds

It has been known for some time that including a handful of nutrient rich nuts and seeds in the diet each day adds protein, good fats, selenium and Vitamin E to the diet.

Specifically, when it comes to mood, nuts are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is involved in the production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone.

Seeds and some nuts including walnuts and pepitas are also some of the richest natural sources of the plant-based form of Omega-3 fat.

Bananas

Bananas are especially rich in the B group vitamin, Vitamin B6, with a single banana offering almost 1/3 of your entire daily recommended intake of Vitamin B6 – a nutrient that is involved in the production of a number of neurotransmitters, including serotonin which is involved in mood regulation.

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There is also growing research to show that supplementing with Vitamin B6 may help to improve the symptoms of anxiety and low mood, which is even more reason to include a banana a day in your diet, especially at this time of year.

Fermented foods

As our understanding of nutrition grows, it becomes increasingly clear that the health of our gut plays a significant role on our overall health and well-being.

This means that nourishing our gut with the right types of dietary fibre, as well as feeding it with live cultures to keep our bacterial balance healthy, is one of the most powerful ways we can help to support immune function, mental health and well-being.

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This means that a daily serve of fermented foods, such as kefir, yoghurts with probiotics or supplementary probiotic foods are an easy, yet powerful way to support optimal mood as well as digestive function.

And to avoid at all costs

While there are a handful of good mood superfoods, it is important to remember that it is not only about adding certain foods to our diet, but also minimising our intake of the foods associated with poorer mood.

Specifically, there is a strong relationship between a high intake of ultra-processed foods, like fried and fast food, processed snacks, biscuits, cakes, pastry and soft drink, and an increased risk of depression.

Ultra processed food also increases systematic inflammation in the body and, as such, the less we consume in general the better.

It is best to enjoy processed treats and takeaway food at most a couple of times each week, as opposed to multiple serves per day.

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What time do you find yourself sitting down to a meal at night? Maybe you try and eat as early as possible, and sit down with the family around 6/630?

Or, maybe you find that you eat out often, and dinner could be enjoyed anytime between 6 and 9pm?

Or, maybe you are the one of many who find that after you finish work, get home, go to the gym or get the kids sorted, you may not eat your final meal of the day until 8pm or later?

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While it is not uncommon in Europe to enjoy dinner late into the evening, culturally this framework that encourages a siesta and a later start to the day is very different to the way in which we live here in Australia, and indeed for many of us, we may be eating dinner far too late, and ultimately derailing our appetite and even our weight.

Long gone are the days in which we enjoy breakfast at 7, lunch and 12 and dinner was 6pm sharp. Longer working hours, commutes and jam-packed lives mean that despite our best efforts, we often find ourselves eating dinner much later than we would like.

The issue with later dinners

There are a number of issues associated with eating a larger meal later in the evening. From a digestive perspective, ideally the body needs at least 12 hours overnight without food to support gut health and a healthy microbiome.

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The later we eat, the less likely it is that we create this overnight fast, which also supports physical digestive comfort as we sleep.

In turn, we are also less likely to wake up hungry the following day, which tends to fuel the cycle of eating later and later into the day, which is contra to natural circadian rhythm in which we are programmed to rest, repair and store at night, and burn during the day.

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From a weight control perspective, eating later is associated with weight gain over time. Indeed if we sat down to a relatively light supper at 8 or 9pm, of a soup or salad, there would be no issue but far more common is for us to snack throughout the late afternoon, whilst still sitting down to a relatively large meal, which often also includes alcohol and dessert style treats.

Consuming a relatively high number of calories later in the day is more likely to contribute to a calorie surplus overall and weight gain over time.

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Should I eat dinner at lunchtime?

From a metabolic perspective, there are a number of benefits associated with eating a larger meal in the day. Not only do you shift calorie intake forward, supporting weight control, but you will likely find that you feel fuller and more satisfied throughout the afternoon, and as such less likely to snack on ultra-processed snacks and sweet foods before dinner.

The issue with this recommendation is that it is simply not possible for all of us to eat a larger meal during the day.

Another solution?

While it may not be possible to sit down to a full dinner meal during the day, nor may you feel like it, what may be possible is prioritising a hot lunch, and more substantial afternoon snack.

Here if you enjoy leftovers, a premade or frozen meal or even a soup along side your wrap or sandwich you will get 2-3 serves of vegetables, and a more satisfying meal than what is typically enjoyed at lunchtime.

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If you then follow this up with a protein rich snack at 4-5pm, such as a protein shake, yoghurt, crackers with tuna or a wrap, when you do sit down to your final meal, you will find you are not so ravenous and can keep your calorie intake much more controlled.

What to eat if dinner is routinely late?

As a general rule of thumb, the later the dinner, the lighter it should be, especially if the goal is weight control.

Think a vegetable rich meal with a controlled serve of lean protein – salad with fish or chicken, a bowl of soup or a smaller portion of the evening meal, and save the rest for lunch the next day. Not only will a lighter meal at night help to prevent indigestion, but it will help to ensure you wake up for breakfast the next day, hungry.

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Are you a tea or a coffee drinker? Maybe you like both? For some us, our morning brew is the highlight of the day, while for others there is a constant flow of tea or coffee just to get through the day.

While tea and coffee themselves are low-calorie liquids, things change a little when we enjoy them with milk, and also sugar, which sees the calorie and carbohydrate content increase significantly.

So, if you tend to enjoy a few more warm beverages than a single morning tea or coffee, here are the signs your tea or coffee habit maybe undoing your diet

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In their most simple forms, there is nothing wrong with tea or coffee. Low in calories, a source of caffeine (coffee more than tea), specifically coffee has been shown to have positive effects on blood flow and blood pressure, while tea, black and green tea in particular are rich sources of the polyphenol antioxidants related to a number of cell health benefits.

Rather, it is how we enjoy our tea and coffee that potentially impacts calorie and weight control.

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How much milk?

Adding milk to tea or coffee doesn’t impact the nutritional quality to too great an extent, and indeed if you enjoyed a coffee or tea with added milk a couple of times each day there would be no cause for concern.

Rather, it is the jumbo-sized coffees with loads of milk, or when you sip on tea with milk for more of the day than not.

In the case of milk-based coffee – latte, cappuccino, flat white – you are adding a significant number of calories and sugars to the diet, which ultimately need to be counted as food. Or, in the case of enjoying endless cups of tea with milk, failing to give the body a complete break from consuming calories in between meals.

Basically, sipping on a milk-based beverage over several hours tells the body that you are eating all day, and can result in fat storage in the liver.

Are you adding sugars?

It is not only adding milk to your tea or coffee that has metabolic consequences, adding sugar, honey or syrup too impacts glucose control, by telling the body’s cells you have consumed carbohydrate, which in turn will result in the release of insulin from the pancreas.

When this happens multiple times each day after an extra cup of tea or coffee with milk it will be impacting glucose control, even at small levels.

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Is it negatively impacting your nutrition?

For the big tea and coffee fans, drinking several or more cups each day it is important to know that a high intake of phytates found in tea and coffee can inhibit the absorption of nutrients including iron.

This means that to support optimal nutrient absorption you are best to avoid drinking tea or coffee for at least 2 hours after a meal, especially if you have a history of low iron levels.

The take home message

There is nothing wrong with enjoying tea and / or coffee in moderation, rather it comes down to how you drink it. If you are happy to enjoy it black without milk or sugar, you can enjoy it freely, or to the extent that the caffeine content causes no ill effects.

If you do prefer your hot beverages with milk, keep in mind that it does impact glucose regulation and as such is best included with a meal or snack, rather than in between. And, if you do add sugar or syrups to your favourite brew, it is time to wean off as it is not good for your glucose levels, appetite regulation or weight long term.

Author Susie Burrell is a leading Australian dietitian and nutritionist, founder of Shape Me, co-host of The Nutrition Couch podcast and prominent media spokesperson, with regular appearances in both print and television media commenting on all areas of diet, weight loss and nutrition.

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Who doesn’t love a snack? Something to break up the afternoon, or a sweet treat after a tough day?

Or, because smart snacking is one of the best ways to keep you from becoming ravenous in between a meal and binge eating everything you can find?

While many of us love a snack, less frequently do we get our snack balance right, filling up on highly refined carbs and sugars rather than the foods that will keep us full and satisfied.

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The key to smart snacking is to get the right mix of foods, so that you not only create a filling mini meal that will keep you satisfied for several hours, but one that will also offer your body the key nutrients it needs to be at its best.‌

Where we go wrong with our snacks‌

When you think of the word ‘snack’, which foods spring to mind? Most likely it is something in a packet, that has a base of processed carbohydrates – crackers, chips, snack bars, biscuits.

These are foods that may appeal to the desire for something sweet or salty, but which are digested relatively quickly, leaving us feeling unsatisfied and looking for more food.

A well-balanced snack, on the other hand, has a very different nutrient mix.‌

Start with fresh food‌

One of the most common ways in which we get our snack balance wrong is that we focus on processed, packaged foods rather than fresh options.

When creating a satisfying snack, the best thing you can do is begin with a whole, fibre-rich fruit or vegetable option.

Think chopped-up raw veges, a soup, a punnet of berries or some chopped, whole fruit that will offer much dietary fibre, and whole food bulk to help keep you full and satisfied.‌

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Then, add in the protein‌

As a nutrient, protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrate and as such, protein rich foods such as cottage cheese, yoghurt, tuna, salmon, eggs and protein-based shakes and bars are smart snack choices as they are both nutrient rich, and highly satisfying.

As a general rule of thumb, protein rich snacks will offer 10-20g of protein per serve, and again, less processed types of protein that come from whole foods like eggs or dairy are better choices than more processed forms of protein that come in bars, or other snacks, like chips, that have protein added.‌

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What are some of the best snack choices?‌

Simply combining a protein rich food with some fresh food will create perfect snack balance. Think Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts with fresh fruit, crackers with cheese and vegetables or tuna with cut up vegetables.

Here you have a perfect snack combo, in a mini meal that will keep you full for at least another couple of hours, as opposed to few rice crackers or snack bar that will see you looking for food again very quickly.

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Maybe you get your hit from your morning coffee or maybe you are more of a constant tea drinker.

Or, if hot beverages are not your thing, maybe it’s a cola or energy drink that gives you your hit.

While caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant, individuals can have vastly different tolerance levels, which makes blanket recommendations on how much we should have difficult.

But if you think you are probably having too much, here are some signs it may be time to cut back.

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One the biggest issues when considering your own caffeine intake is determining how much you are actually getting.

With the growing coffee culture in Australia which sees a large milk-based coffee offer upwards of 200mg of caffeine per serve the norm, plenty of us are getting more than we realise.

For the average person, aiming to keep caffeine consumption below 400-500mg per day is considered ‘safe’ and not linked to the unwanted side effects of a racing heart rate, insomnia, restlessness, irritability, dizziness and blurred vision.

In food and drink amounts, this is the equivaling of a coffee or two, a couple of cups of tea, or an energy drink.

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Caffeine also slips into the diet via some diet soft drinks, and also chocolate, dark chocolate in particular, which can offer upwards of 40mg per 30g serve.

You suffer from energy regulation issues

For some individuals who have a high caffeine tolerance, they are able to down several shots of coffee a day and not notice.

But for those who find they feel completely tired and lethargic and hour or two after consuming caffeine, the effects of caffeine may be exacerbating glucose regulation issues and actually making you feel worse.

For this reason, you may be best to wean down your amounts over time to help reduce the glucose highs and lows that are underpinning your energy.

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You cannot concentrate

You may find energy is no issue after your double shot Latte, but when it comes to actually sitting and getting anything done, you are so overly stimulated you cannot concentrate.

If you find it difficult to keep still, read and produce anything of quality for a couple of hours after your caffeine hit, it may be time to reduce the dose.

You cannot get to sleep easily

This may be especially relevant to those who love some chocolate, dark chocolate in particular after dinner.

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If you know you are tired, yet struggle to get to sleep when you do get into bed, it may be time to pay a little more attention to the timing of your caffeine each day, and what you are enjoying for dessert.

Caffeine has an average half-life of five hours, which means if you are sensitive and have had a tea or coffee mid to late afternoon, or some dark chocolate after dinner, it may be impacting your sleep more than you realise.

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You are constantly looking for your next hit

You may find that you start your day with an espresso, followed by a piccolo mid-morning.

Then a cup of tea or two after lunch, a diet soft drink mid-afternoon then some chocolate to fuel you through the afternoon, finding that you need an energy pick me up every couple of hours.

The issue with relying on the stimulatory effects of caffeine in this way is that you are constantly impacting blood glucose control with the foods and drinks you are choosing, and as such linking your caffeine to your meals rather than in-between meal pick me up with aid glucose, and even weight control long term.

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From white to brown, wholegrain, rye, wholemeal: we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the bread available on the shelves.

One on hand, this is great as it caters to everyone’s preferences and taste buds. But on the other hand, it can make it harder to know which loaf is best for you – and buying bread shouldn’t be a challenging task.

One type that has gained a not-so-great reputation is the white variety, with many “nutrition professionals” recommending switching to brown bread instead.

But is there any truth to the idea that brown bread is healthier? Let’s find out.

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The nutritional facts

Kicking things off with the facts, let’s compare the nutritional value of white vs brown bread. A medium slice of brown bread has:

• Calories: 74

• Carbohydrates: 15.1 grams

• Protein: 2.9 grams

• Fat: 0.7 grams

• Fiber: 1.2 grams

A medium slice of white bread, on the other hand, has:

• Calories: 98

• Carbohydrates: 18.7 grams

• Protein: 3.7 grams

• Fat: 0.8 grams

• Fiber: 0.9 grams

• Sugar: 1.2 grams

So is one healthier than the other?

We can see that brown bread and white bread have pretty similar nutritional profiles. However, the manufacturing process for making these breads isn’t the same.

Naturally, both require some human intervention, but white bread uses a lot of extra processing to achieve a perfectly fluffy and buttery soft texture. This means two things:

1. The grain from whole grains is removed to create refined flour. In this process, a lot of the nutritional goodness that we get from whole wheat or brown bread, such as fibre, vitamins and minerals, is eliminated.

2. White bread typically has extra preservatives and sugar, as a way to improve the taste and extend the shelf life. As a result, it usually has a higher glycemic index, meaning it spikes blood sugar levels faster.

Having said that, there is a place for both white bread and brown bread in your diet. Remember, there’s no such thing as ‘bad foods’. It’s all a matter of listening to your body, making mindful choices and eating a balanced, nourishing diet. 

Which type of bread is better for weight loss? 

When it comes to weight loss, carbs have long been demonised – and wrongly so. Again, no such thing as ‘bad foods.’

“All kinds of bread can definitely be included as part of a healthy diet, and when the end goal is weight loss, there are just a few considerations to keep in mind,” Amelia Bandera, a dietitian at Juniper, tells 9Honey.

First, you want to look at how much fibre your chosen bread contains.

“Fibre not only promotes healthy bowel movements, but it’s an important nutrient that helps keep us fuller for longer, meaning we can have smaller portions and feel more satisfied – helping to reduce overall calories,” Bandera explains.

“Grainy breads will typically be higher in fibre than white breads, but you can find white breads that are fortified with more fibre.”

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Additionally, you want to opt for bread with high protein content.

“Like fibre, protein helps you feel fuller more quickly and for longer – making it a great nutrient to stabilise appetite,” she says. “Protein is also essential for maintaining and building lean muscle which is helpful for maintaining weight loss success. 

“Ideally, we should be aiming for ~30g of protein per main meal, so if you’re having toast or a sandwich, looking for a higher protein bread will help boost this goal.”

“Grainy bread can have up to 4g per slice, but there are also high-protein breads available that have up to 10g per slice!”

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If there was a list of popular buzz words in the supermarket over the past couple of years, protein would be pretty high up there.

What was once a single section dedicated to protein powder and an occasional bar, is now a protein-based option in literally every core food including ice-cream, bread, wraps, milk, plant-based milk, crackers and chips.

But the question is, are all protein-enriched foods healthy?

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones.

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Protein bread

Protein-based bread is an interesting food, as some varieties are made with a base of soy protein or even fibrous vegetables like bamboo, while others are simply a dense mix of seeds and wholegrains with a lot less wheat flour to create a lower-carb bread.

The less-processed varieties of protein bread, or the varieties with a relatively short ingredient list of recognisable ingredients are ‘healthy’, but their higher fat content overall means that they are not low in calories. 

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Protein wraps

Unlike protein bread, protein wraps are a slightly different story, made with a long list of refined and processed ingredients and creating a food that offers very little nutritionally other than a whack of protein, usually from soy protein and wheat gluten.

When it comes to wraps, you are much better to stick to a small, wholegrain variety than a more processed ‘protein’ rich version. 

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Protein ice cream

Protein ice cream is a tricky one, as there are large differences in the nutritional profiles of the brands available. Some are made with a base of concentrated milk, leaving the natural sugars in, and others use sweeteners and other low-calorie ingredients to create an ice cream-like taste and consistency.

While a protein-based ice-cream may sound healthier, the reality is we don’t really need to get protein from a dessert. And unless you are trying to gain lean muscle mass, you are better off enjoying a small amount of real ice cream occasionally than thinking a protein ice-cream is necessarily ‘healthier’. 

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Protein chips

When you start to see the word protein added to packets of food that never would usually contain a lot of protein, like chips and snack food, then it is time to be a little cautious.

While these products may use concentrated proteins like soy to boost the small amount of protein that may be naturally present, ultimately it creates a more processed version of a food that would not typically be adding good quality protein to the diet.

In addition, many of these protein-rich snacks are extremely high in calories, making them more of a meal, than a snack. 

Protein milks

Dairy milk naturally contains 8-10g of good quality protein per serve, so increasing it slightly with a more concentrated blend is only helpful if you actually need more protein in your diet.

In the case of protein-enriched plant-based milks such as almond and oat, while it does up your protein intake, the type of protein added is processed and not comparable in quality to naturally occurring dairy milk.

For this reason, you may be better to enjoy an egg with your almond milk latte than think that the higher protein almond milk is the same nutritionally as regular milk.

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On the list of ‘healthy’ breakfast foods we all have in our heads, surely a nice fruit smoothie is high up on the list.

Packed with fruit and nutrients, plus protein powder if you choose to add it, smoothies make sense for a ‘good-for-you’ breakfast on the go.

But if you’re not careful, smoothies could help contribute to weight gain.

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UK nutritionist Angela Clucas says when we’re blending up our food, it can be harder to stick to the right number of calories we should be consuming for weight loss or maintenance.

“It’s really easy to blend and drink far more than you would eat,” Clucas told Business Insider. To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, where you’re burning more calories than you eat.

Clucas warns that while smoothies are great for athletes and those trying to gain weight or consume a lot of calories, the average person can get blinded by the drink’s “health halo”.

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So what’s the golden rule for creating smoothies that are still good for you – without being too calorie-dense?

Lay out all your ingredients on a plate before you blend them, so you can visualise exactly what you’ll be consuming, and compare it to a normal-sized meal.

“If it’s half a large tub of yogurt, a banana, an apple, half a pineapple and a big spoonful of peanut butter and you think, ‘Oh, God no, I’d be stuffed by eating that,’ then don’t drink it,” Clucas said.

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However, if you’re not a fan of eating fruits and veggies, and smoothies are the only way to get them into your diet, that’s better than not having them at all.

Blending them is definitely better than juicing them, Clucas added. “If you want to blend loads of vegetables and drink that because you don’t really like vegetables, great,” she said. “Don’t juice them because you’ll lose the fibre.”

Not only does fibre help you feel full, but it’s also been linked to good digestive and gut health.

The key to making a good smoothie is to ensure it has a good balance of protein, fat, and fibre, otherwise you might find yourself hungry again within an hour. 

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