If you’ve been having any trouble reaching or maintaining your ideal weight, it my be because you’ve been stocking up on lots of foods you thought were healthy, but that can actually be quite bad for you. It’s in the interests of whoever produces a product to convince us that it’s good for us, so always bear that in mind before being taken in by any advertising. Here are 7 foods you thought were healthy but might not be.
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1. Salads
Top of the list of the foods you thought were healthy is the favourite go-to food of every dieter: the salad. When packed with plenty of dark green leaves and a variety of other veggies, salads can be very healthy and nutritious. Unfortunately, though, they can often by smothered in high-fat dressings that can take the calorie count higher than that of a double cheeseburger. Be wary about buying premade supermarket salad kits and salads in restaurants, and make it all yourself. That way, you know exactly what you’re eating.
2. Granola
Often seen as a healthy option for breakfast, granola can actually be a real nightmare for those watching their weight. Most brands have too much sugar and very little fiber, and just one cup can come in at around 600 calories!
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3. Vitamin and Sports Drinks
Vitamin drinks are nothing but a huge con. Often packed with sugar, as well as artificial sweetener, they generally have no nutritional value that you couldn’t get from taking a supplement (which would be a lot cheaper too!). As for sports drinks like Gatorade, these are designed for athletes who need to replace vital minerals lost during exercise. They’re also full of sugar and are unnecessary unless you’re a high-performance athlete.
4. Wraps
Wraps are one of the foods people think are a healthy option, and this may be one of the reasons why their popularity has skyrocketed over the last few years. Unfortunately, they can be quite calorific and have very little nutritional value, generally being made from refined grains. If you really enjoy wraps, choose a whole grain variety and cut down your portion, eating it with a side of salad.
5. Fat Free Foods
It’s hardly surprising that people are easily misled by foods labelled “fat free.” We all know that too much fat is bad for us, so surely fat free options are good for us? Sadly, it’s not that simple. Unfortunately fat is where the flavour is, so manufacturers compensate by filling things with sugar and salt instead.
6. Energy Bars
A lot of energy bars are marketed in a way that makes us think they’re healthy, when in many cases they’re little better than a chocolate bar. They’re often packed with sugar, white flour, and lots of other nasties. Choose a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit instead.
7. Smoothies
Smoothies are another of the foods you thought were healthy, and they have become really popular in recent years. They’re not integrally bad for you, if you use them in the right way. Making a smoothie at home with fruit and natural yoghurt for your breakfast a couple of times a week is great. Drinking them out of bottles every day and treating them just as a beverage is not. They are very sugary, and premade varieties often have lots of added sugar.
Luckily, if you really enjoy some of these foods you thought were healthy, you don’t have to cut them out of your diet completely. It’s more a case of being aware that they may not be as good as you thought they were, making more things from home, and accepting that some should be a treat rather than an everyday staple food. Were you surprised by any of these foods?
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