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The day I gave birth, I wanted two things: a big ol’ glass of wine and a Jimmy John’s turkey sandwich, in that order. What can I say? Mama likes her vino.
Now that I can indulge in grown-up juice again (which is what my babysitter called her husband’s beer when I asked if I could have one), I want to make sure I make healthier choices when it comes to boozy beverages.
After all, I could use the calories I save by imbibing healthier alcoholic drinks on a late night Jimmy John’s craving and not feel (as) guilty in the morning!
Besides hoarding calories to supplement my borderline unhealthy turkey sandwich addiction, choosing healthier alcoholic drinks at the bar does have a lot of added health benefits.
Not sure if your go-to drink is healthy or not? I’ve got you, girl. Here’s what you need to know about making healthy drink choices for your next night out.

You mean alcohol isn’t one of the four food groups?

Sadly, no.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a well-balanced diet and enjoy a healthy alcoholic drink every now and then.
Christopher Hollingsworth, a physician with NYC Surgical Associates, tells HealthyWay: “Numerous studies have demonstrated that light to moderate alcohol intake significantly decreases the risk of heart disease relative to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers… But heavy drinking negates all of that and places you in a category where your risk is significantly higher than teetotalers for all of these health problems.”
So what is considered moderate alcohol consumption for most women?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average woman should have no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.
Drinking significantly more than that can be bad for your health. “Chronic alcohol intake above recommended levels can very quickly cause permanent damage to your heart, leading to abnormal heart rhythms and damage to the heart muscle that impairs its ability to function,” says Hollingsworth.
Yikes.
In addition to heart problems, your waistline might suffer the consequences of overindulging at happy hour.
As registered dietitian and nutritionist Vanessa Rissetto tells HealthyWay, “Alcohol prohibits weight loss, plain and simple. Alcohol has to be metabolized first before any other metabolic processes happen—so by the time your body gets hold of the food you ate, your liver is overworked and tired so everything gets stored as fat.”
Now that doesn’t mean you can’t meet friends for drinks every now and then, but Rissetto warns that “consumption of more than one drink per day can put you over the edge. Not to mention, most alcoholic beverages are high in calories.”

What ingredients make some boozy beverages unhealthy?

The main culprits that typically make alcoholic beverages so unhealthy are added mixers like soda and juice.
Laura Rose, nutrition coach and founder of Real Life Wellness, recommends staying away from mixed drinks because of the high sugar content. “A gin and tonic may seem harmless, but tonic water actually has a lot of sugar.”
Rose also warns against some domestic wines. “European wine tends to have higher standards as far as additives—things like mold, pesticides, dyes, etc. are more prevalent in a lot of common American wines. All this extra ‘stuff’—toxins, sugar, etc. are a lot harder on your system and give your body a lot more work to do to get rid of it all.”
How can you make healthy alcoholic drink choices?
In addition to sugary mixers, avoid cocktails that contain stimulating drinks like Red Bull. Not only are these drinks loaded with sugar, but they can trick your brain into drinking more than you should.
If you want to indulge in a glass of wine, naturopathic physician Katrina Wilhelm suggests getting an idea of what a serving size looks like first. “I encourage people to measure out portions at least at first to gain familiarity with what a 4 to 5 ounce pour looks like in your favorite wine glass. And if you’re pouring cocktails at home, definitely measure your alcohol—that way you know what you’re consuming and you get stylish barware at the same time.”
Thea Engst, and Lauren Vigdor, authors of the new book Drink Like a Bartender, tell their readers this: “If you’re looking to cut calories, not having a beer is an easy way to do so.” That’s because beer, even light beer, can be full of carbs and empty calories.
Goodbye, Bud Light Lime, I hardly knew ye.
So what should you order when the bartender looks your way?
Try these healthier alcoholic drinks at your next happy hour.

Did somebody say tequila?

This healthy alternative to a calorie- and sugar-laden margarita is delicious. Morgan Mandriota, a former bartender and current lifestyle blogger, tells HealthyWay, “Tequila is by far my go-to drink option when I go out. It’s healthy, natural, and plant based.”
Her favorite drink? Patron Silver with cucumber, lemon, and mint detox water.
Mandriota’s recipe is easy. All you need is Patron (or your tequila of choice), 2 small cucumbers, 1 lemon, 5–10 mint leaves, and a pitcher of water.
Simply chop up your cucumber, lemon, and mint, throw them in your water and let sit at least overnight (the detox water will get more concentrated the longer it sits). Then simply add tequila to taste (a serving is 1.5 ounces) and garnish with a couple of mint leaves.
If you want to order this drink at the bar, ask the bartender to muddle the cucumber, lemon, and mint (all ingredients most bars should have on hand) in a glass before adding water and a shot of top-shelf tequila.

Make it a Manhattan.

Engst and Vigdor say “We both lean towards Manhattans and Manhattan variations because those are straight spirit cocktails and won’t have a mystery ingredient in them. Manhattans are made with bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters so they’re very straightforward and hard to mess up.”
Although vermouth does have a high sugar content, there’s just a splash of it in a Manhattan, so they’re one of the healthier options when ordering a mixed drink.
To make your own Manhattan, mix 2 ounces rye whiskey (I recommend Knob Creek or Maker’s Mark) with 1 ounce vermouth and two splashes of Angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker over ice. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
When ordering out, make sure to let the bartender know what kind of liquor (bourbon or rye whiskey) you’d like. Also, a Manhattan is traditionally garnished with maraschino cherries. Instead, have them garnish with a much less sugary lemon or lime twist.

Lean & Mean Vodka Soda

Rocket Vodka founder Dariusz Paczuski says, “My wife Tricia came up with the Lean & Mean to not only keep the calories out, but also the sugars found in many cocktails that create those awful headaches and hangovers.”
Sometimes simple is just the way to go, and that’s exactly what the Lean & Mean is.
To make a Lean & Mean, you only need three ingredients: vodka, soda water, and a lime twist.
To make the Lean & Mean, start with one part vodka over ice and top with three parts soda. Garnish with the lime twist, and voila! A “lean and mean” take on a traditional vodka soda cocktail.

What’s brunch without a bloody mary?

I’ll be honest, you can have your brunch mimosas—give me a hearty bloody mary instead.
However, I hardly ever order my favorite brunch beverage when out because they’re usually made with high-calorie premade mixers. I love using this healthy bloody mary recipe, which calls for fresh tomatoes and lemons. I like to garnish mine with pickled okra or green beans.
If you do want to order a bloody mary for brunch, the best way to cut calories is to make it a virgin cocktail—leave out the vodka and you’ll easily save between 75 and 100 calories. Ask for extra celery too; it’s both a garnish and a filling snack!

Order a pint.

Typically high in calories, most of the time beer is off the table if you’re trying to make healthy alcoholic drink choices. There are a few exceptions. One of the better beers you can choose is Guinness. According to a study done by the University of Wisconsin, Guinness can even be good for you! And at 128 calories per 12 ounces, Guinness isn’t as heavy as some beers.
If you’re planning on having more than one, then these light beers can be a healthier alcoholic drink option. Try a Bud Select 55 or a Miller 64 instead. Both have fewer calories than most light beers (a typical 12 ounce pour of Bud Light comes in at 110 calories). Another added bonus is the low alcohol content of both beers, at around 2.8 percent.
If you’re out at the new craft brewery in town, though, you probably won’t be able to order one of these lighter options.
According to the website Beer of Tomorrow, if you know the alcohol by volume (ABV) of a beer, then you can ballpark a calorie count. Here’s how:
“The residual sugars in a beer can provide up to about 1/3 of the calories in a beer, but the difference between two brews with the same ABV, one with a very high final gravity [FG] and one that is more fully attenuated isn’t that significant. For example, a traditionally dry, highly attenuated style, such as a saison, might have an FG of around 1.010 whereas a sweet stout could finish at 1.020 (and imperial stouts can climb past 1.040). In the saison vs stout example let’s say that both beers are around 7% ABV; this would mean the saison would contain about 17 calories/ounce where the stout would contain around 20 calories/ounce.”

Made-to-Order Moscow Mule

“A Moscow mule with real ginger would help boost your immune system and decrease inflammation at the same time,” says Wilhelm. “Ginger ale is actually really great with both gin and vodka, so get some that’s as natural as possible and enjoy!”
If you’re making a Moscow mule at home, try this healthier version instead. I substitute Reed’s Ginger Brew for the diet ginger ale the recipe calls for. It contains loads of real ginger and is sweetened with stevia and honey instead of aspartame.
If you want to order a Moscow mule during happy hour, do ask the bartender if they can substitute diet ginger ale (or ginger beer) instead. It’s not ideal, but just like the occasional cocktail, a diet soda is okay every now and then.

Extra Iced Tea

When I was pregnant, the taste of plain water was more than my delicate palate could handle. I was always looking for a healthy way to spice up my drink choices, which is hard when you’re trying to limit caffeine and alcohol is off the table. Enter what I like to call “extra iced tea.”
You don’t even need a recipe. I simply brewed a few bags of my favorite decaffeinated Lady Grey tea (but any decaf black tea will do) in a quart of boiling water. While the bags were steeping, I added sliced oranges and blueberries. The fruit naturally flavors the tea so that you don’t even need sugar, although you can add a little honey for sweetness. Add an additional quart of cold water and serve over ice. I like to garnish with a mint sprig for panache.
It’s light and refreshing and perfect for hot summer days, but it can also be served hot when the weather is chilly.

Make it a mocktail.

Don’t feel like drinking? You can still go out and enjoy happy hour with friends with these delicious (and healthy) alternatives to alcoholic cocktails.
Self-described pumpkin spice enthusiast Blanche Joslin is also an aficionado of non-alcoholic beverages. Some of her favorites include a virgin mojito, which is simply Perrier (or any other sparkling water), muddled lime, and mint.
If you’re craving a tropical drink like a piña colada or a daiquiri but don’t want all the sugar and calories, Joslin suggests soda water with a splash of pineapple juice garnished with fresh fruit like oranges or cherries.
Not sure what you want to order from the bar?
Ask your friendly barkeep.
Bartenders usually have one or two drinks that are their specialty, and that includes nonalcoholic beverages as well.

You’re trying to be healthy while balancing work, life, and self-care. That alone can seem almost impossible. You probably squeeze in a trip to the gym before the heading out to work or manage five minutes of sleepy meditation as you lie in bed at the end of the day. Healthy eating, however, can be harder to manage because of your already-busy schedule. Salads aren’t easy to eat on the run, and sometimes you realize you’re starving and need to eat something STAT.
Enter protein bars. These snack bars have become popular with women who are on the go. Protein bars can be slipped in your purse and eaten anywhere, giving you a boost of energy and satisfying your hunger. They’re promoted as a healthy snack for people in a hurry, but unfortunately that isn’t always true.
“People think protein bars are healthy because they are almost always all marketed that way,” says Amanda Santucci, a certified nutritionist who writes at The Skinny Spice. She goes on to say that most healthy-looking protein bar ingredients are disguising their massive amounts of sugar.
Erin Akey, another certified nutritionist, agrees.
“The sad truth is that most protein bars are just glorified candy bars,” she says.
So how do you know whether your protein bar is a healthy snack or a candy bar in disguise? Read on so you can make an informed choice that’s in line with your health goals the next time you reach for a nutritious snack while you’re on the go.

What is protein and why is it important?

Protein is a macronutrient just like fat and carbohydrates are. Protein is found in every cell of your body and is particularly important for building and repairing tissue (such as muscle). Your body can store carbohydrates and fat but not protein, so it’s important to eat it throughout the day so that your body has enough. Protein can encourage fat burning and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
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The benefits of protein make it a popular snack choice for many people, although there has been some debate over just how much protein the average person needs. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion suggests that Americans get 10 to 25 percent of their daily calorie intake from protein. That leaves a pretty wide range, however. Another option for evaluating how much protein you need is to use a calculator like this one from the Department of Agriculture (or just multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 0.36).

When are protein bars a good option?

Protein is found in foods like meats, fish, and beans, none of which are particularly easy to eat on the go. If you need a healthy snack to take with you, protein bars can fill a void.
“I recommend protein bars to clients when I see they need something they can just carry in their purse and have as a snack, especially if their intake of protein tends to be low,” says Gabriella Vetere, a registered dietitian and certified specialist in obesity and weight management. “I think protein bars can be a good fit for most people.”
However, it’s important to remember that protein bars should be used as a snack, not as a meal replacement.
“Meals should be centered around a plate and contain lean protein, fruits, vegetables and high fiber starches,” Vetere says.
Protein bars contain only around 200 calories and do not have enough nutrients to be considered a meal, says Santucci.
“It can be unhealthy to begin replacing meals with protein bars, because you get so many more nutrients from real whole food, especially when it comes to veggies and fruits,” she says.
Still, if you’re in a pinch, eating a protein bar is better than skipping a meal. “If somebody is running late and has no time to eat a meal, it’s okay to grab a ‘clean’ protein bar rather than just skipping a meal,” Santucci says.
Pam Pinto, who owns Act Natural Health and Wellness, a health-focused store that offers nutritional consulting, says that she often sees customers who are confused on this point.
“I feel the big misunderstanding about protein bars is that they can replace a meal,” she says. “Customers think they are doing something healthy. What they don’t understand is that they are consuming a glorified candy bar. Granted the ingredients are whole food and contain fiber but there is still an energy rush from the fruit.”

Use these tips to choose a healthy protein bar.

Experts agree that protein bars can be a viable option for people who are trying to eat healthy on the fly. However, it’s important to know what to look for to ensure that your bar is providing you with valuable nutrition, not just a sugar rush.
No matter what kind of protein bar you choose, be realistic about what you’re getting.
“One of the biggest things people need to realize is that unless you are making them yourself at home, there will be some processing,” says certified nutritionist Akey.
“The goal is to find one with as little processing as possible and also one that is high in protein, low in sugar, and low in carbs not backed by fiber.”
To find healthier protein bar options, Akey recommends this trick: Head to the pharmacy section of whatever store you’re in.
“As a general rule of thumb in the grocery store, any protein bar being sold in the pharmacy is usually a better choice than one on the cereal aisle,” she says. “Truthfully I cannot think of one brand from the cereal aisle that is any better than a candy bar.”
Once you’re in the pharmacy area, there are certain things you’ll want to look for on the nutritional labels and ingredient lists. First of all, make sure that the bar you’re considering actually contains a solid serving of protein.
Lindsey Mathews, head certified nutritionist and trainer at IdealFit, a women’s fitness and nutrition company that also sells protein bars, recommends looking for a bar that has about 200 calories and equal grams of  carbohydrates and protein.
“It’s called a ‘protein bar’ for a reason, so check the macros and make sure there is a good amount of protein in it,” she says. “If the carbs are double the protein, then you’re looking at a glorified candy bar.”
In general, you want the bar to be providing protein as the main source of nutrition (and the main source of calories). For that to be the case, the bar needs about a 1:1 protein-to-carb ratio. A bar with between 12 and 20 grams of protein is usually a good option, says registered dietician Vetere.
If you’re trying to shed pounds, she recommends choosing a bar that is significantly lower in carbs.
“For people trying to lose weight, I would recommend a protein bar that is low in carbs and ideally [has] a larger proportion [of nutrients] coming from fat and protein,” she says.
One huge area of concern when it comes to protein bars is how much sugar they contain, so be sure to check the sugar content before you bite in. Vetere recommends keeping the carbohydrates (including sugar) under 30 grams per serving and avoiding bars that contain processed sugar.
“Make sure the sources do not come from high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, [or] cane sugar,” she says. The best choice is to opt for bars that are sweetened using fruit.

Get interested in the ingredients.

Looking at the nutritional label is a practice to begin understanding what’s in your protein bar. After doing that, however, it’s important to take things a bit further by looking at the ingredient list.
“My top tip for deciding on a protein bar is to remember that they are not always healthy, so be sure to thoroughly read the ingredients and make sure you know exactly what’s in it,” says Santucci.
Pinto, who owns the health food store, says she only stocks protein bars made with whole foods like dates, nuts, and seeds.
“Food is food and if you give the body what it needs, no matter if you are working out or want a healthy snack, the body is going to utilize the ingredients for energy production, taste, and satisfaction,” she says.
Pinto recommends looking at the source of protein—whether it is whey, soy, eggs, or something else—to better understand what you’re putting in your body. She also cautions that you should not be swayed by advertising that promises “natural” flavoring.
“The term ‘natural’ is not regulated by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] so it’s a free for all,” she says. “Most ‘natural’ flavors are made in a lab by the perfume industry, can come from animal sources, and can be MSG [monosodium glutamate] in disguise. So, usually I look for whole food ingredients such as fruits and nuts.”

The Best Bars on the Shelves

Choosing a healthy protein bar can be a lot of work, so we asked the experts to weigh in on their favorites. Here are their recommendations:

RXBAR

These bars are so clean that the ingredients are listed in bold type right on the front of their wrappers. When you only use a handful of recognizable ingredients, you’re able to do that.
RXBAR, according to the brand’s website, was founded in 2013 to “call B.S. on protein bars.”
“We couldn’t believe there wasn’t a more nutritious protein bar out there,” the company’s story reads. So, they set out to make one that’s left nutritionists raving.

LÄRABAR

LÄRABAR likes to keep it simple, making protein bars from fruit and nuts, flavored with other wholesome ingredients. They are vegan and also have organic options, and the dates in the bars will give you an all-natural energy boost.
“They encompasses all of the good things in a bar,” Pinto says.  

KiZe

KiZe bars promise to “fuel your best,” and with limited, all-natural ingredients, they’re a great option. KiZe has non-GMO and gluten-free options, so they are a great brand to try if you have dietary restrictions.

Quest Protein Bars

Quest bars contain very little sugar but boast healthy doses of protein and fiber. That makes them a favorite of Akey, the certified nutritionist.
“I love these for my clients,” she says. “This is a very nutritionally sound brand.”

IdealLean

These protein bars sold by IdealFit are designed specifically for women. They have 200 calories, more than 20 grams of protein, and half of your daily fiber requirement. They’re sweetened using monk fruit and stevia, which keeps their sugar content low and gives you an ideal on-the-go snack.

Other Healthy Snacking Options

If you can’t find a protein bar that fits your needs, it’s surprisingly easy to make your own protein bar-inspired snacks at home.
“Making your own at home is great because you know exactly what natural ingredients are in them as opposed to the disguised sugars in most store bought items,” says Santucci.
She suggests mixing nut butter with pumpkin or sunflower seeds, adding cinnamon (which may boost your metabolism), incorporating a high-quality protein powder, and sprinkling in oats and a few dark chocolate chips. Roll the concoction into little balls and store them in the fridge to grab when you’re in a hurry.
Other healthy high-protein snacks include hard-boiled eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, and hummus.
Whatever you choose to snack on—whether it’s a protein bar or something else—make sure you know what you’re putting in your body. Knowledge is power, and with a little extra attention to protein, you can keep yourself looking and feeling great.

You’re walking through the grocery store, mentally preparing your meals for the week. You’re probably focused on making sure that you and your family are getting enough fruits, vegetables, and dairy. You might pick up whole-grain snacks for fiber and low-fat protein to fuel you throughout the day. There’s an important dietary component that might not be very prominent on your radar, however: omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3s have a host of health benefits—and most people have heard of them before. But only about 2 percent of the population is getting the recommended amount of omega-3s in their diets. Our bodies can’t make these healthy fats, so we have to get all the omega-3s we need from the foods we eat.
Here’s why omega-3s are important to overall health, where you can find them, and why you definitely don’t want to bypass the fish counter next time you’re in the grocery store.

What are omega-3s?

When you hear the word “fat” you may think of foods that give you a little extra padding where you don’t want it. But the truth is that fats are an essential part of any healthy diet. Fats help keep your skin and hair healthy and they keep your body warm. Fats also help the body absorb vitamins D, E, A and K, since those vitamins dissolve in fat. Because fats have more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, they provide great fuel for your body.
Of course, not all fats are created equal. Your body can create most of the fat you need to keep things running smoothly, but there are other types, called essential fats, that your body needs to function but cannot make on its own. To keep healthy you need to eat foods containing these essential fats, including omega-3s.
“There are a few things humans can’t make unless supplemented by diet. One of them is omega-3s,” says naturopathic physician Ralph Esposito.
Omega-3s are so important because they help the membranes of your cells stay healthy. In turn that helps with communication between cells, Esposito says. Within a cell, omega-3s connect with receptors that control genetic function, helping to keep your cells healthy, which in turn keeps your organ systems running as they should. Finally, your body uses omega-3s to make hormones that affect a variety of bodily functions, from blood clotting to inflammation.

What are the health benefits of omega-3s?

As you can see, omega-3 fatty acids play a critical role in your body. By helping cells function more effectively, they keep all the systems within your body running at optimal performance. That results in some impressive health benefits for people who eat plenty of these fats.
The best-known benefits from omega-3 fatty acids relate to cardiovascular health. In 2003 the American Health Association released new recommendations about omega-3 intake, citing research that had shown that these fats can “significantly reduce” the risk of cardiovascular disease among people who were at risk. Additional research shows that omega-3s can reduce the likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease and also diminish the chances of having a non-fatal stroke. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women, it’s very important for women especially to get enough omega-3s in their diets.
That’s impressive, but it’s really just the beginning of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a diet rich in omega-3s can reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol. The fats have also been shown to improve outcomes for people with diabetes and a host of other conditions.
Another area in which the health benefits of omega-3s are well established is around reducing inflammation. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that consuming omega-3s can have “significant benefit, including decreased disease activity and a lowered use of anti-inflammatory drugs.” The study showed that people with arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and migraine headaches could all benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s. These fats are so good for fighting inflammation because of what happens when the body breaks them down.
“Omega-3s can also be metabolized into byproducts called eicosanoids that have a strong anti-inflammatory impact,” Esposito explains.
Omega-3s aren’t just great for your body. They can also have a real impact on mental health, especially for people who are at risk for depression or bipolar disorder. A study published in the journal Drugs found that diets rich in omega-3s can help people suffering from depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Another study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal found that omega-3s can help reduce and treat postpartum depression among breastfeeding mothers.

What are the different types of omega-3s?

Just like there are different types of fats, there are different types of omega-3 fatty acids, all of which have different health benefits and roles to play within the body. The three most common types of omega-3s are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Esposito says.
All omega-3s are important, but EPA and DHA are especially critical. These are known as long-chain fatty acids and are found in marine sources like fish, shellfish, and algae. These omega-3 fatty acids are already in the form that your body needs to use them, meaning that it will use all of the omega-3s that you eat. Fish oil supplements, which are widely hailed for their health benefits, contain both EPA and DHA.
ALA, on the other hand, is a short-chain fatty acid. This omega-3 is most readily found in plant-based foods including flaxseed, nuts, and oils. ALA has fewer proven health benefits than the other types of omega-3s, but research shows that your body can convert ALA to EPA or DHA. A significant amount of energy is spent to convert ALA, though, so the amount of omega-3s that your body can use is less than the amount that you’re eating. For example, if you eat 7 grams of ALA, your body might only be able to use 10 to 15 percent of that once the fatty acid has been converted.

What’s the ideal amount of omega-3s?

It’s easy to count your servings of fruits and vegetables or keep track of how much protein you’re getting throughout the day. But keeping tabs on how many servings of omega-3s you’ve had can be difficult. It turns out that most people know that they’re supposed to be eating omega-3s, but few are actually consuming the ideal amount.
Regan Bailey, associate professor of nutrition science at Purdue University in Indiana and co-founder of the Global Nutrition and Health Alliance, recently studied consumers’ knowledge about—and perception of—omega-3s. The results were not what you might expect.
“The most interesting findings with the omega-3 study were that most adults knew what omega-3s were, they knew how important they were for health, they knew the appropriate food sources, but they simply weren’t getting enough,” Bailey says. “In fact, 98 percent of adults who were not using dietary supplements did not have optimal omega-3 index readings.”
So what is the right amount of omega-3s? The American Heart Association recommends everyone eat two servings of fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel, trout, and sardines) each week. If you want to get a bit more technical, the National Institutes of Health recommends that adult women eat 1.2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (for men, the recommendation jumps to 1.6 grams). To put that in context, a 3-ounce serving of salmon has between 1 and 2 grams of omega-3s.

What are lesser-known sources of omega-3s?

If you’re good at math, you’re probably realizing that you don’t eat enough fish every week to cover your body’s omega-3 needs. In fact, unless you’re eating fish every day, the majority of your omega-3 consumption is probably going to come from other sources. For people who don’t like fish, it can be even trickier.
“For those who do not like fish, getting adequate amounts of omega-3s in your diet can seem like a challenge,” says family physician William Newsome, MD. “While seafood does give you the most ‘bang for your buck,’ there are other ways to get sufficient nutrition from non-fish sources.”
It’s important to keep in mind that non-marine sources have ALA, which is the less ideal type of omega-3. However, getting ALA is better than nothing, and there are a few different options for incorporating it into your diet. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are among the richest sources of omega-3s. The healthy fats can also be found in canola oil and walnuts, which are a particularly tasty source.
“Walnuts contain over 2,000 milligrams of omega-3s per cup,” Newsome says. “Walnuts also provide magnesium and selenium, other nutrients many people are deficient in, which help contribute to brain health.”

How do you know if you’re getting enough omega-3s?

Now you know that to aim for: about a gram of omega-3 fatty acids each day. Outside of keeping careful track of your diet, there are ways to know whether your body is getting enough omega-3s. Brittle nails, dry skin, eczema, and hair loss can all be signs that you don’t have enough healthy fats in your diet, Esposito says. There are also blood tests that your doctor can order that can determine whether you have enough of this type of fat.
“The Omega-3 Index is a standardized, safe, non-invasive test that provides a measure of omega-3s in red blood cells,” says Bailey. You doctor should be able to interpret results to let you know if you’re at an optimal level, she says. “Current research shows that a target index level of 8 percent and above supports optimal heart health.”
As always, if you’re concerned about something having to do with your health, it’s best to reach out to your doctor for an individualized answer.

Should you take omega-3 supplements?

Because it can be tricky to get omega-3s in your diet, some people opt to take omega-3 supplements, usually in the form of fish oil.
“While getting omega-3s via food is ideal, few of us can manage to get the suggested 1,200 mg daily via food,” says Arielle Levitan, a doctor of internal medicine and co-founder of Vous Vitamin. “Therefore a supplement can be helpful.”
Many people dislike the fishy aftertaste that supplements can have. To avoid this, Levitan suggests putting your supplements in the freezer.
Not everyone is convinced that fish oil supplements are healthy, however. One study found that taking fish oil supplements was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in some men. The experts who spoke with HealthyWay agreed that it’s important to get a high-quality fish oil supplement, preferably one that has been recommended by your doctor.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to make sure your fish oil is pharmaceutical grade and third-party tested, which makes sure there are no heavy metals or contaminants in the oil,” says Esposito.
Some types of fish are likely to contain mercury, which can be harmful if it is ingested in large quantities. In addition, unregulated fish oil supplements might contain potential allergens such as shellfish. Finally, it is important to use a company that manufactures, ships, and stores its fish oil in a temperature-controlled area, Esposito says, reasoning that “You wouldn’t leave raw fish out on a hot day,” so you wouldn’t want your fish oil capsules sitting out either.
Last but not least, to get the most benefit from your supplement, make sure that it contains both EPA and DHA.
Whether you have been conscious of your omega-3 consumption in the past or are just recently becoming aware of these important nutrients, it’s important to take the time to make sure that your body is getting exactly what it needs from the foods you eat.
“We all have opportunities to change the way we eat to reduce our risk of chronic disease and improve our health,” Bailey says. “It’s not enough to understand the importance of essential nutrients like omega-3s—you have to take action to understand your levels and modify your behavior to support a healthy lifestyle.”
Finding ways to incorporate more omega-3s in your diet might take some work initially, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Often marketed as Splenda, sucralose was approved for food manufacturers to use as a “non-nutritive sweetener” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999.
However, rumor has it that the artificial sweetener was discovered in a lab by scientists who were trying to create a brand new pesticide. Instead they stumbled on a chemical sugar alternative that’s aggressively marketed as an option that tastes like sugar without sugar’s sweet but inherent risks.

And if you’ve been scanning the ingredients on your average box of cookies lately, you’ve probably come across the word sucralose.
So is it a pesticide or a viable sugar alternative? And, more importantly, is it safe to eat something with sucralose in it or to feed it to your kids?
Here’s a look at what the experts say about sucralose’s side effects and whether sucralose is safe.

So what is sucralose?

According to sucralose’s creators, sucralose is made by taking sugar, removing hydrogen–oxygen groups from certain places on the sucrose molecule, and putting chlorine in their place.

Splenda’s official description explains that “this change makes the sucralose molecule much sweeter than sugar, but with none of the calories.” In other words, sucralose makes things taste sweet, but it doesn’t carry nearly the amount of nutrition (or calories) of more traditional sweeteners.
These days, the sugar substitute can be found in everything from soda to baked goods to frozen goodies, and because it’s heat stable—meaning it stays sweet even when brought to high temperatures—sucralose is often used in home cooking, too. In fact, it’s sold on its own in most American supermarkets for use by home cooks.

And when it comes to flavoring beverages and treats, sucralose offers a pretty big bang for your buck. It’s 600 times sweeter than traditional sugar but contains just a small percentage of the calories sugar does, says Sandra Arevalo, director of nutrition services and community outreach at the South Bronx Health Center in New York City.

The Anti-Sugar

Although it’s often dubbed a “low calorie” or “artificial” sweetener, the name sucralose can be confusing. If you took high school French, you might know that the French word for sugar is sucre—which sounds an awful lot like the root word in sucralose. And maybe you remember the original (and long since abandoned) Splenda tagline, “Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar”?
So sucralose just a souped up version of sugar, right? Not exactly.

The big difference between sucralose—or any artificial sweetener—and sugar is the nutritional value, says Lorena Drago, a registered dietitian, spokesperson for the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and founder of Hispanic Foodways, an organization that creates and disseminates culturally and ethnically oriented nutrition and [linkbuilder id=”2278″ text=”diabetes”]-education materials.
Sugar is what’s known as a nutritive sweetener because it has both calories and carbohydrates. One teaspoon of sugar, for example, has about 16 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates. A typical packet of sucralose contains just 1 gram of carbs, and little to no calories, making it a non-nutritive sweetner.

Why Sucralose Is Popular

The importance of the numbers and the allure of sucralose becomes extremely apparent when you look at how much sugar you’re really consuming every day. You don’t have to be dumping spoonfuls of the granulated white stuff into your coffee or sprinkling it on your cereal in the morning to be ingesting more sugar than you should.

In fact, sugars are in almost everything we eat, from pasta sauce to bread.
That’s why the 2015–2020 dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture focus not just on “sugar” consumption, but on the “added sugar” in our diets. The guidelines recommend consuming less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars.
For example, an adult consuming 1,800 calories daily shouldn’t be taking in more than 180 of those calories from added sugars, which means no more than 11 teaspoons per day. But those calories add up fast. A 12 ounce serving of regular (not diet) soda alone packs between 10 and 13 teaspoons.

And if you look at other guidelines, the situation seems even more grim. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume less than 6 teaspoons or 100 calories of added sugars per day.
It’s guidelines like these that have made sucralose (and other sweeteners) ever more popular, coupled with a growing awareness that consuming too much sugar has been linked to everything from an increased risk of heart disease to dementia.
In one survey performed in 2016, more than half of Americans admitted they’re wary of how the sugar they eat is affecting their waistlines, and 42 percent said they feel guiltier about eating sugar than they do carbs or fats. One in 10 Americans said they’ve even said farewell to sugar entirely.
If you’re hoping to join the ranks of the sugar-free, sucralose may be an option, although it’s wise to speak to your doctor or dietitian before opting to make any drastic dietary change.

And it’s important to note that doctors and healthcare providers themselves may be playing a role in the rise of sugar substitute use.
“The logic behind using artificial sweeteners in place of natural sugars is that they contain little or no calories, so they will help you to manage your weight and diabetes,” explains registered dietitian Evelyn Cheng of Eative Nutrition.
About 90 percent of carbohydrates we take in are converted by the body into blood glucose, which gives the body energy. Our blood glucose rises in response to the amount and type of carbs we take in. While the body has to work to process traditional sugars due to those calories and carbs, sucralose is passed through the body relatively unchanged, leaving without supplying the body with energy.
By substituting artificial sweeteners in place of sugar, you not only decrease your caloric intake, but can also minimize blood glucose spikes. That’s especially important for someone with diabetes who is trying to keep their glucose level on an even keel, and it can help also dieters, especially because glucose surges are tied to feelings of hunger.

If your glucose spikes, so does your sense that you need to eat, Arevalo explains, which can make dieting more difficult.
On the other hand, the experts are quick to caution that switching out sugar for sucralose is no panacea.
“Some human research shows that people who switch sugar for sucralose don’t tend to lose more weight or have lower risks of heart disease or diabetes,” says Travis King, a registered dietitian and nutrition coach from Seattle, Washington. “Just eating sucralose instead of sugar likely won’t make you healthy, and we don’t know exactly why yet but research is pointing in that direction.”

One study out of Israel, for example, asserts that sucralose affects the microbiome in our gut and can actually make us hold on to fat. The study was performed on mice rather than humans, and it looked at a variety of artificial sugars, not just sucralose. So any clear ruling from the scientific community on what the research means for how we ought to eat—or whether we should avoid sucralose in favor of our microbiomes—is yet to come.
Still, Drago sees one clear reason why switching to sucralose could be holding people back. “Many products that are prepared with non-nutritive sweeteners are often not nutritious and when eaten often displace nutritious alternatives,” she says. “In addition, sugar-free foods (e.g., cakes or cookies) are neither calorie- nor carbohydrate-free, as they contain flour, which will convert into blood glucose.”
Apparently there really is no such thing as a guilt-free brownie!

What else is out there?

Sucralose may get a lot of attention, in no small part because Splenda is now a household name, but it’s not the only sugar substitute out there.
Aspartame, saccharin, stevia, acesulfame potassium, advantame, and monk fruit extract are among the long list of artificial, processed, and refined sweeteners that also have FDA approval. They all ape the sweetening power of table sugar, they’re all low calorie, and they all show up in foods and drinks that can be found in your average grocery store.

What sets each apart is its unique chemical makeup and how it can be used. Aspartame, for example, is not heat stable and isn’t recommended for use in cooking. And it contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that people with phenylketonuria (PKU) can’t metabolize. Monk fruit extract, on the other hand, is one of a growing number of sugar substitutes derived from plants or fruit.
Sucralose is unique in that it’s the only one in the bunch that’s branded by Splenda, and it’s the only one formed via a process patented in the ’70s to replace the sugar molecules with chlorine.

Is sucralose safe?

Any time people find out something’s made in a lab, they’re bound to wonder whether it’s really safe to eat, and sucralose is no different, especially when words like “chlorine” are getting thrown around with “baking” and “coffee.”
Isn’t chlorine the stuff that turns your hair green in the swimming pool?
“Sucralose, like most non-sugar sweeteners, is somewhat controversial,” King says. “People have a hard time trusting strange chemical names.”

The chemical has been studied extensively, and opinions in the scientific community are mixed.
Although some studies point to issues in the microbiomes of mice guts, the FDA has concluded that “sucralose has been extensively studied and more than 110 safety studies were reviewed by FDA in approving the use of sucralose as a general purpose sweetener for food.”
Likewise, the American Cancer Society has come out in support of sucralose, noting, “There is no proof that these sweeteners, at the levels consumed in human diets, cause cancer.”
As for sucralose’s chlorine component, a certain amount of chlorine is used in drinking water, and some chlorine is allowed for food use by the FDA.

One thing to keep in mind? Just because it’s not “natural,” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad for you.
“A lot of research shows that sucralose is fairly safe in the amounts that people usually eat it, so even though it doesn’t magically cancel out sugar, it’s fine for most people to have in moderation,” King says. “The same goes for many alternative sweeteners: Most are very highly researched and safe in normal amounts.”
The FDA recommends sucralose intake be limited to 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight or your doctor or dietitian can help you assess just how much might be right for your daily meal plan. They can also help you determine where it might be appropriate to make a substitution and when it might be smarter to stick with regular old sugar.
“For example, I might put sucralose in my coffee sometimes when I’m not going to have a chance to brush my teeth, because sucralose doesn’t contribute to tooth decay, but when I bake I usually just use regular table sugar,” King notes.

What to Eat if You Want to Avoid Sucralose

If you’re still not sure you’re comfortable adding sucralose to your diet, there are alternatives to curbing a sugar addiction—and not just the artificial kind.

Scientists have found that sugar has an addictive quality, so you’ll want to check in with your doctor before making any changes, but Arevalo offers up these tips for kicking your sugar habit without adding in sucralose:

• If you have a sweet tooth, start by cutting down on sugar slowly. If you are currently putting 4 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of coffee, for example, cut down to 3 for a couple of weeks, then cut down to 2 and eventually to 1 teaspoon.
• Eat smaller portions of sugary foods and drinks and replace them with healthier sweet alternatives such as fruits and fruit-based drinks.
• When drinking soda or juice, add lots of ice to water your beverage down. Also consider diluting juices with water.
• Try seltzers or infused waters. When drinking iced tea, opt for homemade so you can control how much, if any, sweetener goes in.