You want to eat the healthiest foods as often as you can right? It takes a concentrated effort to plan meals, and also apply foods that provide the highest ratio of nutrients to calories. The task is made even more difficult when there are imposter foods that are advertised to be healthy, but really aren’t. These are 6 “healthy” foods that will trick you into thinking they are good for you.
1 – Frozen Dinners
In the frozen food section you will find two types of dinners. There are the ones that are clearly unhealthy and aren’t ashamed to say it, like Hungry Man, for instance. Then there are the frozen dinners that try to trick you with the names. There have names like Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, and Eating Right. If you don’t do your research you would probably think that those are healthy options when you don’t feel like cooking.
Companies will take advantage of people by marketing foods with words like “healthy”, “lean”, and “right choice”. Don’t believe that things are healthy just because of a name. Find out what is in your foods that are pre-packaged. Another trick is that these options tend to have less calories than other options. The bad part is that through processing they add refined grains, additives, and sugar.
Do your research before buying foods like this. Chances are when you find out what’s really in it, you won’t want to spend your money on it. If you’re feeling lazy just tell one of your friends or family to cook. Pay them back with a meal on another night when you are more up for it.
2 – Fat Free Dressing & Miracle Whip
Be careful when you are buying fat free dressings. Often times the producer of the food will take away the fat and just add high fructose corn syrup or a different ingredient. You have to realize that when something is taken away, another substance will be replacing it. You need fats in your diet. Instead of looking for fat free, just make sure the fats come in the form of olive oil or another healthy oil. That is a much better option than any kind of syrup that would replace it.
Miracle whip has been considered a healthier version of Mayo. That is because it has less fat. In recent years the media has cause fat to petrify people. Again, you have to realize that your body needs fats. Mayo contains more fats because one of the main ingredients is eggs. Eggs contain very healthy fats. Miracle whip gets rid of those fats and replaces it with cheap refined sugar.
Don’t get scared of the higher fat level in foods. Instead, ask yourself where the fat is coming from. Most of the time if there is no fat or no sugar there is a chemical or other unhealthy additive that is preserving the taste.
3 – Canned Fruit
Chances are if the fruit is floating in juice or syrup its bad for you. The fluid that the fruit is bathing in usually has an extremely high level of sugars. Additionally, most canned fruit is peeled which means that you won’t get any of the nutritious fiber. Even frozen fruit can sometimes have extra sugars added to preserve the taste.
The solution is to look at the ingredients on the bag or can of fruit that you are buying. It should say fruit and water. That’s it!!!
4 – Canned Soup And Vegetables
This is similar to the canned fruit except the problem is with salt. Most cans of soup contain upwards of 50% of the sodium that you should be consuming all day. Canned vegetables are also most likely soaking in a high sodium fluid. This is terrible, especially for people with high blood pressure.
The solution is to look for an option with low sodium, or no salt. Many companies offer this now because of more health awareness. If you can’t find one then go to the fresh produce section to get supplies for your own homemade soup.
5 – Fruit Yogurt
Yogurt is an extremely nutritious product that is high in protein and calcium. It also contains probiotics which help keep your digestive system healthy. It can also prevent constipation.
The problem is that plain yogurt has a bitter taste, so not many people like it by itself. Companies load it with flavor (sugar) and pretend that it is filled with healthy fruit. Take a look at the ingredients. In most yogurts you will find that the second most abundant ingredient is sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
The solution is to buy plain yogurt and to flavor it yourself. It’s easy to add real fruit like blueberries or strawberries which will make it much more palatable. A table spoon of honey is also a tasty sweetener.
Whole Grain Bread
Whole wheat bread and whole grain bread are two different things. 100% whole wheat bread is made from whole grains that contain the fiber and vitamin rich shell and germ. Whole grain bread is usually just enriched white flour that contains some seeds. Companies seem to always find a way to add simple sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and enriched flour into breads.
Always make sure your bread is made from 100% whole wheat. Look at the ingredients and try to choose a bread that doesn’t contain and syrups or sugars.
Always be aware of the foods that you are buying. Don’t be fooled by advertisements or names of products that hint at being healthy. Look at the nutrition facts AND the ingredients. Consider these 6 “healthy” foods that will trick you. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find healthier options. Share this article on facebook if you know some friends that are being fooled by these foods. If you are wondering about any other foods just contact me and I will get right back to you.
About Adam Pegg
