The 'healthy' foods you should avoid if you're trying to lose weight

Your daily smoothie might not be as healthy as you think. Photo / Getty Images

We all know the key to a healthy weight is a combination of a balanced diet and enough exercise.

But those "diets" are often full of supposedly healthy foods, which one expert claims you should be avoiding if you're trying to lose weight, reports The Sun.

Australian dietitian Susie Burrell says we often go for "healthy" foods with lower calorie and fat content - but the amount of sugar in each serving means we're actually consuming more than we should.

Here's five foods to avoid if you're trying to drop a few kilos.

1. Smoothies

They're meant to be the epitome of health and wellness - but the amount of sugar in a single smoothie could actually be more than your daily allowance.

And while you may have thought the sugars in fruit smoothies are the healthy kind and better than processed sugars, Burrell says one smoothie could actually have from 60 to 80g of sugar.

"While the individual ingredients used to make a typical smoothie – milk, yoghurt, fruit, honey, nuts and seeds – are all healthy, nutrient-rich foods, when they are blended into a massive drink, your typical cafe or juice bar smoothie is far from a healthy, balanced choice."

So if you want to lose weight, try making a smaller smoothie with fewer ingredients.

2. Brown rice

Many of us will reach for brown rice instead of white for a healthier dinner, but as the calories are more concentrated, it's easy to have too much of it.

Burrell says one cup of brown rice is nearly 40g of carbs - that's three or four slices of good quality bread.

Think about how much rice is packed into a box of sushi or alongside a stir-fry and how much you actually eat in one sitting.

The solution is decreasing your portion size. Burrell suggests that half a cup of cooked brown rice is enough for one, and you can bulk out your meal by adding extra veg.

3. Dips

Dips like hummus or pesto can spice up a boring meal by adding some flavour, but while they look healthy, it's once again easy to have too much of a good thing.

Burrell says dips like hummus can have up to 200 calories per half a cup.

And that's before you add the chips or crackers you're using to shovel that delicious hummus into your mouth.

Burrell suggests checking the labels and using just a few tablespoons per serving.

Fresh fruit is usually a better option than dried fruit when it comes to healthy snacking. Photo / Getty Images

4. Dried fruit

Dried fruit appears in countless "health" foods from muesli bars to protein balls, but it's important to remember that it's full of both calories and concentrated sugars.

So if you still want to satisfy your sweet tooth, Burrell recommends opting for some fresh fruit instead as it's harder to over-eat.

One piece of fruit has around 15-20g of sugar. A small packet of dried fruit is about the same, but it's easier to eat more of.

"This means that healthier baked goods or protein treats based on dried fruit are not always low in sugars and in general you will be better off choosing fresh fruits that have a much higher water content to keep your sugar and calorie intake controlled," Burrell says.

5. Crackers and low-fat chips

Countless healthy alternatives to potato chips have popped up recently, from crackers to lentil chips to air-popped snacks.

But just because they're low in calories, it doesn't mean they're healthier, Burrell warns.

Low-nutrient snacks can be energy-dense, making it easy to over-eat them.

If you're craving something crunchy, try plain unsalted popcorn and leave the flavoured snacks in the cupboard for a special occasion rather than your daily go-to.