The "health food" craze has been getting more and more attention in the past few years and it feels like everywhere you turn there's another addition to the grocery store that has new "health food" isles full of veggie chips, flax and chia-seed granola, dark chocolate "acai" bars and protein bars for miles. But are these seemingly healthy foods really all that good for us? I'm going to list my top ten sneaky foods that are typically associated with being "health foods" that might surprise you with how they stack up compared to your usual go-to snacks.
10. Yogurt
While yogurt can be a great source of protein and gut-healthy microflora, keep in mind that not all yogurt is created equal and can contain excess amounts of sugar (some as much to 14 plus grams per serving!) While some of the sugar comes fruit sugar-also referred to as fructose- typically if the yogurt has fruit in it, that's still a lot of sugar in one little serving of yogurt. The the FDA is slowly working to get "added sugars" on to food labels to better inform consumers to show much added sugar a food item contains, until then look for any sugar-derivatives on the ingredients list to make sure that the yogurt you want to eat is the healthier kind. Another thing to consider is that "low-fat" does not always mean "healthier." In many cases, when fat is taken from dairy, more sugar is actually added to the product to make it taste better. My advice? Look for a plain Greek yogurt which will have higher protein contain and add in your own fresh fruits with honey or maple syrup to your desired sweetness!
9. Granola
Now just because you found it the health isle does not always mean it is the best choice for a healthy snack. While many granola brands seem to get your attention with phrases like "energy" and "fiber", keep in mind that many granola brans contain a large amount of nuts and seeds which are great sources of healthy fats-but in small amounts. Many granola brands have added sugar and salt to make the granola sweet and salty but these extra added ingredients might be doing more harm than good if you're looking for a healthy snack on the go. The serving size of a typical granola is only about 1/4 cup maximum which really is not very much at all. Make you flip over the bag to check out those nutrition facts and ingredient list before purchasing. Like I always say, homemade is always the best way to go about ensuring you are getting the most out of your nutrition!
8. Bottled Juice/Smoothies
With all those fruits, veggies and added protein how could these innocent on-the-go beverages be so bad? If you were to take a look at the ingredient list, you might see words like "fruit puree" as opposed to fruit "juice", what's the difference? Juice, especially cold-pressed, has not been altered in any and still contains many of the vitamins and nutrients that the fruit or vegetable originally had. On the contrary, juice still lacks the fiber that whole fruits and vegetables contain, which help you stay full and satiated. Because these juices are pureed, they are more like blended fruit pulp with additional ingredients and preservatives so that the juice-or smoothie rather, won't go bad. Another shocking thing about these beverages is that while fruit naturally contains high amounts of natural sugars, many of these brands have beverages that contain "evaporated cane juice" which you guessed it-is another fancy term for sugar that is just less processed. In a Odwalla brand "Mango Tango" there more sugar than a single serving of Coca Cola! My tip? Skip the processed juice and look for juices that say "cold-pressed" and grab a whole apple or bag of baby carrots to snack on to help keep you full!
7. Processed Meats
While turkey is a great source of lean protein and is fairly convenient, processed and packaged meats can contain high amounts of unwanted sodium. In fact, many brands have 2 oz servings that can contain up to 1/3 of the recommended daily value! Your best bet would be to go to the deli and as for fresh-carved turkey breast or chicken. My go to is buying frozen and unseasoned chicken breasts that I can thaw over night and bake in large batches! (TIP: If the package does not say 'breast', your turkey can contain other parts of turkey that have been processed into one large lump of meat)
6. Gluten-Free snacks
To me it feels like I can't go anywhere without seeing items in the grocery store labeled in big, bright letters as "gluten-free" and I'll be honest with you-it's gotten quite out of hand. From gluten-free crackers to gluten-free peanut butter (I mean, come on...really?) this new found health-craze has been getting consumers attention all over the world and the problem is that many people simply don't know why gluten is so "scary" and why the health market is using it to rev up sales. Background: what is gluten? Gluten is a composite of storage proteins (prolamins and glutelins) that are bound together in the endosperm of wheat, barely, rye and oats. What does it do if you eat it? Nothing. IF you don't have Celiac Disease which is a very serious condition that make about 200,000 cases per year.(About 1/133 people) and can cause painful stomach issues due to a lack of villi on the small intestine. Unsure if you have it? Get a simple test at the doctor and they can tell you whether or not you may have Celiac and they can recommend the healthiest food-options for you. For those of you who claim "gluten intolerance", studies have actually shown that about 1% of the US population actually has gluten-intolerance. Now that you know a little more about gluten, back to the snacks. Many of these products are actually no better for you than the regular gluten-containing products. The chips, popcorn, and cookies can still contains high amounts of salt, fats, and sugars that you might want to avoid in excess. The best thing you can do if you're looking for getting some extra fiber and grains in, stick to "whole grain" products like bread, brown rice, rolled oats and pasta!
5. Low-fat Peanut Butter
This goes against everything that nuts are supposed to provide for our bodies: fat! Nuts provide some of the best kinds of healthy fats and if a product like peanut butter is reducing the one thing its supposed to contain, how we expect that the product should be consumed? Peanut butter has a lot of controversy so I'll lay down the simple "healthy tips" about nut butters so that you get a better idea of what is healthy and what is not. Low-fat peanut butter not only contains the same amount of calories as regular peanut butter and contain less heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but also contains more refined carbs (aka sugars) that spike blood sugar levels so in turn you are simply substituting fat for sugar. My tip? A healthy peanut butter should have ONE ingredient: peanuts. If you are looking in to added peanut flavor to smoothies and other dishes while trying to cut out fat from your diet, try a powder-peanut butter brand like PB FIT which can cut back on calories and still contain a decent amount of protein without adding too much of anything else.
4. Sports Drinks
We've all seen the commercials...The super fit athlete dripping with sweat after a vigorous workout who walks over the bench to quench his or her thirst with a bright, colorful sports drink. The one thing almost everyone associates with sports drinks is that they help "replenish your electrolytes", which is true-to an extent. These drinks contain a small amount of added salts (aka electrolytes) that your body naturally looses through sweat during physical activity. A 12 ounce bottle of Gatorade "Thirst Quencher" contains 21 grams of sugar- and because a regular size bottle is about 32 ounces, you're actually consuming 56 whopping grams of sugar if you drink the entire thing! But here's something to consider, those athletes promoting Gatorade are doing intense physical activity-like, way more intense than a 30 minute treadmill or pilates workout kind of intense. These athletes are working out for hours a day training for something they literally make their living off of, so if you by chance aren't a full-time professional athlete, I would advise sticking to just water and a lightly salty snack post workout to replenish your lost salts.
3. Pretzels
These crunchy snacks have been thought of as a healthy and salty treat but these crunch snacks are actually pretty much absent of any real nutritional value and one serving can contain up to 1/4 of a day's worth of sodium! With pretzels being so small and in most cases are in packages that contain more than one serving, it can be easy to get carried away with eating more than intended. If you're looking for a light snack try some plain air-popped popcorn with herbs and spices like cinnamon or smoked paprika added in to keep the sodium content light but still add a little more flavor.
2. Dried Fruit
While fruit seems like a no-brainer choice for a healthful snack, it really does matter how the fruit is prepared, or rather, not prepared at all. Fresh fruit holds a variety of vitamins and fiber in their whole and untouched form. The issue with many pre-packaged and dried fruits is that sugar is added to the dried fruit to keep it fresh longer and make the fruit even sweeter than it naturally-this is because many fruits actually loose their sweetness when the juice is removed and become more tart. Have you ever tried plain dried fruit with no added sugar? Pick some up next time you are at the store and you will notice that the tart taste might surprise you. Some dried fruit packages can contain up to 70 grams of sugar per serving! A common misconception about a popular snack like banana chips is that they are healthier than other options but in reality, banana chips are typically baked with oil and in just 13 banana chips, you can consume about 10 grams of saturated fat-equaling to about 48% of your daily value! You're better off eating some fresh-made chocolate chip cookies. If you are craving fruit, opt out for a serving of fresh fruit or my personal favorite, a fresh fruit salad with a drizzle of honey and slivered almonds.
1.Protein Bars
Protein bars might just be the most misleading of these said "health foods." While protein bars on the outside might seem like a get addition to a meal maybe lacking in protein or perhaps a snack to keep you full, you might want to reconsider some other choices. Not all protein bars are bad, however, many of these bars contain just as much sugar as candy bars and contain more simple carbohydrates than actual grams of protein! A good tip I like to use is to see if the number of carbs is higher than the number of protein on the back, if protein is less than the carbohydrates, you aren't really benefiting from the protein in the bar. Another thing to keep in mind is that unless you are an athlete who is trying to repair and build muscle at a frequent rate, the average healthy person does not need as much protein as you might think. The Daily Recommended Intake (or DRI) suggests that you consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and the United States, many of us are actually consuming far more protein than we really need to, which can be very difficult for our kidneys to process. Protein is something that all human-beings need, regardless of whether or not it be meat OR plant based (Yes, you can be perfectly healthy consuming BOTH but that's for another blog) but it's always a good idea to make sure that you are staying within the DRI based on your specific requirements. Check out the link below for the "best" and "worst" nutrition/protein bars on the market!
Hopefully my top 10 list of secretly unhealthy "health" foods gave you a little bit more perspective on the "Health Craze Era" that just happens to be the world we live in. While these foods might not be the healthiest options compared to other foods, everything really is OK in moderation and can be enjoyed even more with proper nutritional education and background. Sometimes it can be difficult to decipher what are facts and what is "misleading information" from media in the health world. If you question something, always do extensive research before jumping to the conclusion that something is true just because "so and so" said so. I personally believe that there are no such things as "bad" foods but rather that some foods should be prioritized over others in regards to nutritional value and overall health. Like I always say, a happy body makes for a happier you!
Below I have also attached a link for the most updated DRI guidelines for anyone who might be curious as to how much or how little of something they should consume in a given day. Why? Because knowledge is power!
Dietary Guidelines: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/
Thanks for the read and keep snacking!
-Courtney Rayppy
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