The 10 Worst Snack Foods for Weight Loss #LLTV


How Many Of These Worst Snack Foods Are You Eating?

In the last episode I covered the 8 worst breakfast foods, now it’s time to talk about the 10 worst snack foods for weight loss…how many of these are you eating?

Snacking: When Done Correctly…

…can keep your blood sugars balanced, keep you satieted until your next meal, keep you energized, and keep that fat burning hormonal switch turned on, 24 hours a day.

Snacking: When Done Incorrectly…

…can make you store more body fat, make you feel more hungry, and cause more energy crashes.

Most people snack on at least 600 calories a day and some more.

That’s 30% of your requirements if your goal is 2,000 calories a day. So you better make sure you’re snacking correctly.

But lets face it. Since we’re mostly bombarded with convenient, processed snack foods options, these 600 calories are typically made up of low quality, fattening ingredients that are taking us further away from our weight loss goals.

Watch Out For These 6 Fattening Snack Food Ingredients

These processed snack foods are essentially always comprised of 3-6 of the following fattening ingredients:
– Artificial flavors
– Processed vegetable oils
– Refined grains
– Refined sugars
– Salt
– and in some cases: processed dairy.

These 6 processed snack food ingredients are found in almost 70% of all foods consumed in the US diet.

Isn’t it interesting that almost 70% of the US population is also classified as overweight?

Before I share the worst snack foods…if you want to see the different types of snacks that Jessica and I eat every day, we share these on my 2nd YouTube channel called BradGouthroTV. This is where we post “day in the life” style daily vlogs showing you the foods we eat, our workouts, and the behind the scenes of how we Live Lean 365 days a year. Link to subscribe is here.

The 10 Worst Snack Foods for Weight Loss:

(in random order)

#1 Potato Chips, Pretzels, Popcorn:

Not only do these contain nasty vegetable oils, they’re also are loaded with salt, refined sugars, and artifical flavors. Bad for your heart, bad for causing more bloat/puffiness, and even worse when it makes you grab a sugary fruit juice or diet soda to “re-hydrate” you.

#2 Fruit Juice, Pre-packaged Fruit Smoothies, Soda, Diet Soda:

Lets start with pre-packaged fruit smoothies…just take a look at the sugar content on the label next time. In many cases it has more sugar than soda. Next, fruit juice. Since the fiber is removed, blood sugar spikes, fat storing insulin production increases, and then the body stores fat. Soda, same thing. Diet soda, even though it’s zero calories, the artificial sweeteners have been known to increase hunger, making you eat more, and actually slow metabolism. One step forward, three steps back.

#3 100 Calorie Snack Pack Crackers & Cookies:

Even though it’s portion controlled, the refined grains, refined sugars, salt, and vegetable oils won’t fill you up…it’ll actually just make you more hungry. It’ll also induce production of the fat storing hormone insulin to remove all the sugar from your blood stream. This hormonal environment creates a fat storing body, that burns sugar for energy, not your stored body fat.

#4 Trail Mix with Candy:

You know those versions with M&Ms and chocolate covered raisins? Yep, it’s just another sugar bomb in disguise, that also has a lot of salt, and in most cases vegetable oils. And lets be honest, how many of you actually eat a ¼ cup serving which is the recommended portion size, and then stop? Not many. This type of trail mix can quickly blow out your calorie requirements.

#5 “Fruit” Sweetened Yogurts:

You know those yogurts that have the “fruit” on the bottom? Yeah, in most cases that “fruit” flavoring is a sugar bomb in disguise. Some varieties have up to 30g of sugar in one serving, or in other words, the same amount of sugar as 3 chocolate chip cookies.

#6 Dried Fruit:

Sounds like a good option, and in most cases is better than the other refined snack foods. But sometimes the fruit is fried in vegetable oils, and the processing to dry out the fruit significantly increases the rate at which your body absorbs the sugar. This causes blood sugar spikes, and production of the fat storing hormone insulin. Stick with real fruit.

#7 Granola:

Granola is often thought of as a health food, but in most cases it’s just sugar, vegetable oils, and artificial sweeteners. Spikes blood sugar creating that fat storing body rather than a fat burning body.

#8 Dairy and Sugar Infused Coffee:

This is simply empty calories causing blood sugar spikes and more hunger. Go black, or add a natural sweentener like stevia, and make the calories count by adding coconut oil which will acutally give you sustained energy and make you feel full.

#9 Chocolate Bars or Chocolate Pudding:

Anytime you’re having a chocolate craving, avoid the refined sugars and artifical flavors found in chocolate bars and pudding. These induce more hunger and fat storing. Go for a couple squares of dark chocolate with a cocoa of 70% or higher.

#10 Fruit Cups:

The syrup that is used in most fruit cups are filled with nasty sugars. Stick with the real fruit.

Bottom Line:

The snacks you eat can make or break that calorie deficit you need to be in, in order to lose weight.

Snacks should…

…balance blood sugars, energize you, and keep you satiated until your next meal.

Snacks should NOT…

…spike and crash blood sugars and energy thus creating more hunger.

Keep Your Fat Burning Switch Turned ON!

Aim for snacks that keep the fat burning hormones switch turned on 24 hours a day like those found in my best selling Eat Clean, Live Lean Cookbook, with over 200 paleo approved fat burning meals and snacks that keep you burning your stored fat for energy not sugar. Go to to get that and don’t forget to pick up the 8 week meal plan as well.



Live Lean Cookbook iPad







Questions For You:

– Do you eat any of these 10 worst snack foods?

– If so, which ones?






21 responses to “The 10 Worst Snack Foods for Weight Loss #LLTV

  1. So I am good for the nuts with the candy next time. The problem is I don’t
    like really bitter dark choclate

  2. Yes. I tried your breakfast today, and I was full till 1pm. That’s unheard
    of for me. Usually I eat low fat,high fiber,high carb vegan, and… its not
    working fir me. I get hungry very quickly after eating. But oddly enough,
    low carb meals are very satisfying with very very interesting

  3. You state that we should eat ‘Real fruit’.. But is there anything called
    real fruit nowadays? Everything is processed, the tomato from the market
    does not taste the same as in the village. It’s not easy being healthy, it
    does not come cheap.

  4. Hey Brad, I have watched the majority of your videos and have been
    implementing the paleo diet approach you have talked about for the past two
    weeks. I am 6’4 285 and am trying to lean down to 255. I have been lifting
    heavy the past two weeks and doing cardio for 40 minutes after my workouts.
    The first week I post 5 pounds, but last week I actually gained 1 pound. I
    have been keeping my carbs under 100g, and I was wondering should I be
    doing something different to burn fat faster? And why do you think I gained
    weight while working out and eating nothing but protein and vegetables,
    cutting all bread,sugar, and processed foods out of my diet? Its just
    frustrating to work hard all week in the gym and gain a pound when I am
    trying to lean down. Any feedback would be great!

  5. Peanut butter and honey crisp apples. Totally addicted and was waiting for
    to name peanut butter. I held my breath each time you were about mention
    another bad snack. Felt like Selection of Tribute. LOL!

  6. Her brad just want to say I’ve been getting healthier the last couple of
    months and am seeing great results by eating better and working out smarter
    and your videos have helped a ton 🙂

  7. I don’t use any of these at all. Haven’t for a long time. Seems like
    common sense, but many people out there still aren’t educated enough yet.
    We just keep chippin’ away each day and hope others will follow. Keep up
    the great info Brad.

  8. Some people could say that all of this is kinda “Stupid” that is just food
    or something like that.
    But the reality is that people actually dont have an idea of how bad all
    of those thing are for the body.
    Its NOT just food, i being healthy!

    I just try to stay away from artificial flavors, the only source they are
    still in my diet is on Protein powder.
    Everything else : Check !

    I love your videos brad! so informative!

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