HOLY MACKEREL- LOOK AT ALL THE SUGAR!

Fruit Smoothies

When you take fruit plus low-fat frozen yogurt and a blender, you’re guaranteed a healthy dessert, or even a fiber-rich breakfast, right? Well, it’s not as simple as that. Smoothies like Orange Julius’s small Tropical flavor, which has 350 calories and 7 fat grams, often serve up a lot of sugar (49 grams) and not a lot of fiber (4 grams). You’re better of getting full fiber benefits by eating whole fruits, or fruit purees, without any added sugar.

Cole Slaw

Cabbage by itself has only 20 calories per cup. Cole slaw, on the other hand, adds dubious amounts of fatty mayonnaise, and maybe even buttermilk and yogurt depending on the recipe, which contribute about 3 fat grams and 90-100 calories per cup. Still crave it? Try a reduced fat mayo like Hellmann’s reduced fat mayo which has 25 calories and 1 fat gram per tablespoon — just don’t go overboard on the topping. And, be wary of restaurant-style cole slaw which will cost you 180 calories and 10 fat grams, plus 18 grams of sugar (or about half the daily recommended amount of sugar).

Coconut

This treat may be the epitome of tropical summertime, but it shouldn’t be confused with its light and sweet counterpart, the pineapple. Where a cup of pineapple contains 78 calories and less than 1 gram of fat, a slice of raw coconut has 15 fat grams and 160 calories. If you buy the shredded kind, a cup contains 33 fat grams and 466 calories.

Cool Whip

While certainly not the most decadent of dessert toppings, regular Cool Whip does serve 1.5 fat grams and 25 calories for a two-tablespoon serving. Aside from water, it includes questionable ingredients like hydrogenated vegetable oil a known trans-fat — and high fructose corn syrup — which is a major source of excess calories, says the American Dietetic Association (ADA). If you have to have it, try the fat-free kind for 15 calories per serving.

Long Island Iced Tea

It’s not be as bad as some summer cocktails, but do you really want to drink 500 calories, or, the equivalent of two to three slices of pizza? Long Island iced tea includes tequila, rum, vodka, triple sec, and gin — and for every 1-oz shot of each, you’re adding anywhere from 70-100 calories. Plus, mixing in sugary syrups and soda means more diet troubles.