List of few Health foods which are well packed and marketed, “Unhealthy foods”. Unhealthy food is one of the important reasons for gaining weight and for other serious health conditions. While shopping always remember to read food labels. Shop for more veggies and whole foods. With increase in consumption of veggies and whole foods you will see the change in your health and energy levels. Practice Mindfulness, be aware of what you put in your mouth, listen to your body, aware of the flavours, quantity and enjoy what you eat.
Some of these foods listed below are considered a healthy choice, which I think otherwise.
GRANOLA
Granola- Granola is a breakfast cereal similar to muesli, but it’s usually coated in some form of sugar such as honey to give it a crunchy. Granola is filling and nutritious. We use the word “granola” to describe healthy choice, it’s ironic that this cereal is one of the least healthy ways to start your day. It has too much sugar and very little fiber. I am sure you expect your breakfast to be opposite of that. Granola seems like a healthy choice with ingredients oats, chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit. But the sugar levels and portion sizes you should keep a check on. Read the nutrition labels and choose the brand with minimal sugar and portion control is very important.
Nut Butters
Nut Butters – Nut butters are healthy but for the same volume, there are fewer calories in nuts versus Nut butters. For eg. three tablespoons of peanuts weighs about 1 28 grams and contains about 162 calories. If you consumed 3 tablespoons of peanut butter , the weight would be 48 grams and have about 287 calories. Many nut butters (even ones that claim to be “natural”) have added sugar or trans fat. Remember the most important thing when you shop for your nut butter is that it should contain only 1 ingredient NUTS.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit – Dried fruits include raisins, dates, prunes , figs, apricots and peaches. Fruits such as mango, pineapple and berries are also available, but these tend to be dried with added sugar. Many dried fruits are coated with sugar or salt or sometimes sulfites. Sulfites are used as a preservative in many food products to prevent them from spoiling. one of the most common food allergens.
Salad Dressing
Salad Dressing- Bottled dressings are full of saturated fat, high calories, sodium, added sugar and preservatives, you are actually undoing the benefits of salad, that’s why one should always avoid the ready salad dressings from store. Make your own simple dressing, when in doubt mix olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Simple and Tasty.
Skim Milk/Low-fat Milk
Skim Milk/Low-fat Milk – Less flavour and whole lot of sugar. Full fat dairy products are linked to lower rate of diabetes, and no link between full fat dairy and heart disease. Skim Milk/Low-fat Milk is low in saturated fat studies have shown that it raises bad cholesterol and high risk of heart disease. Skim Milk/Low-fat Milk sometimes causes skin irritations because of hormones, sugars or whey protein in it.
Smoothies
Smoothies- Smoothies are good for you, if it is made with natural products like fruits(don’t forget to use most of the fruit skin) and vegetables. But most of the times there are unnecessary additives, protein powders, some add sweet yogurts, sweetened fruits, jams, ice-cream, then it ends up being a high calorie drink. Make your smoothies at home with natural ingredients or if you are buying your smoothie read the entire list of ingredients. believe me nothing can beat the healthy home made version.
Baked Chips / Veggie Chips
Baked Chips / Veggie Chips- Baked chips are not always healthier than deep-fried chips. Baked chips one word comes to my mind is more sodium, may have less fat than the fried chips, but they’re not healthy. They are marketed as “HEALTHY CHOICE” and consume more coz they are healthier but end up with high intake of salt. It also contains highest sources acrylamides. This cancer-causing chemical forms when high-carb foods (like potatoes) are heated to high temperatures. The FDA found that baked potato chips contain about three times more acrylamides than traditional fried chips.
Veggie Chips- Veggie chips isn’t a substitute for fresh, frozen or even canned vegetables. Veggie chips are not healthier than regular potato chips. Veggie chips are highly processed with no or very low nutritional value.
Couscous
Couscous- A refined grain with no fiber. Generally couscous is considered a whole-grain, actually it’s just little balls of semolina. It’s white pasta with some seriously good marketing.
Energy Bars
Energy Bars- All dressed Up Junk!! Granola bars are a huge part of many people’s diets including children’s lunches or after workout snack. Healthy ingredients within granola bars such as fruits, oats and even seeds and grains, we consume these bars considering them as healthy foods that are good for us. But the hidden fats and sugars within these bars make them just like unhealthy cookies. Actually you are consuming enormous amounts of daily calories in just one bar.
Yogurt
Yogurt- Yogurt is a very healthy food. But the sugar, artificial colours and artificial flavourings added too many yogurts can make them more like junk food. While yogurt is marketed as a superfood for weight loss and gut health, it’s not quite the cure-all you might imagine. Some yogurts contain more sugar in one serving than the daily requirement. Margarine
Margarine – Margarine was considered a healthy alternative to butter, but it’s worse. A tablespoon of margarine can contain upwards of 2 grams of trans fat, increasing your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. If you are using margarine for cooking, frying or simply heating it in general, you are increasing the likelihood of oxidising these extremely sensitive fatty acids. However, even if you’re not heating margarine, due to the heating treatment in the manufacturing process, the damage may already be done. To improve your health, try real butter and avoid margarine with trans fat. Always read nutrition facts carefully and limit products that contain trans fat. Sports drinks
Sports drinks- Sports drinks were designed with athletes in mind. They contain high levels of sugar and sodium which have proven to be detrimental to children especially when they consume a large amount of these drinks. These sports drinks are a big part of athletics and big business around the globe. Many people believe that these drinks are the magic elixir to improve exercise performance, even if you are not an athlete. Absolutely not to be confused with potentially harmful energy drinks are mixture of water, sugar and electrolytes like sodium and potassium which can be useful for athletes in many cases. It’s important to stay hydrated, especially when working out, but it’s better stick to plain water. Agave nectar
Agave nectar- Agave nectar syrup has up to 92% fructose(sugar 50% and corn syrup 55%), making it high-fructose corn syrup in terms of it’s negative impact on your body. One of the popular natural sweeteners is agave nectar, which is also called agave syrup. Fact that this has somehow been branded as a healthy sweetener is a testament to the craft of marketing. The problem with agave is that it’s no better than regular sugar. In fact, it’s much worse. When consumed the Agave Nectar in excess can cause severe Metabolic problems.
Processed Breakfast Cereals
Processed Breakfast Cereals- The whole grain or low fat version the way it’s marketed could be misleading. And when you look at the ingredients common words in the list is artificial chemicals, sugar and refined grains. Can you imagine starting your day with sugary breakfast cereal and soon you’ll see spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. If you eat too often, then it can lead to weight gain and other health issues, diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s important to always review product packaging to confirm what you’re actually putting in your body and whether it’s healthy for you. Truly healthy foods are whole, single-ingredient foods. Their health benefits speak for them. Real food doesn’t even need an ingredients list, because real food is the ingredient.
Look for a short ingredient list full of words you actually know and can pronounce.
The need to maintain a well balanced diet can be sometimes confusing, when “healthy” is printed in bold letters.
Let me know your thoughts after reading my blog!!
