Nowadays, the desire to be ‘organic’ is growing everywhere, from clothing, beauty products and more especially, food. When walking into any grocery store, many labels on food products all claim it’s “organic,” “low-fat,” “no sugar added,” and “all natural.” However, a lot of these labels are false claims. If you take a closer look at the food, and what it contains, you’ll find that they aren’t as healthy as they claim to be.
Here are some of the most common foods that seem healthy but really aren’t:
Energy Bars
A lot of energy/protein bars have a lot of health claims, but their nutritional charts are more similar to candy bars than to healthy food. Some bars might have as much sugar as candy. Take a careful look at your energy bars by looking at the amount of sugar, calories and ingredients.
Diet Soda
Diet soda is not healthy at all, in fact it is equivalent to regular soda. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can trick your body into thinking that you’re eating real food which allows the high amounts of sugar being ingested to be turned into stored fat.
Instant Oatmeal
Single-serving packets of oatmeal (especially those that are flavoured) have a lot of added sugar, and thus too many unnecessary calories. For those who like oatmeal a lot, try the healthier alternative of steel-cut oats.
Bran Muffins
Bran itself is healthy, it is the outer layer of grains (like wheat, rice, and oats) that offers fiber, proteins and vitamins. But bran muffins can be unhealthy because most portions go over the limit of what you should be eating, and may contain more wheat flour than bran.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit may seem healthy, but sulfur dioxide is used to preserve the freshness, and added sugar is put to sweeten the flavor, making it similar to candy. However, it is considered a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibers….so long as you do not overeat.
Wraps
Wraps are considered lighter than buns and bread, but most restaurants and shops wrap your sandwich in a 12-inch wrap that defeats the purpose because it can contain twice the amount of calories of bread.
Pretzels
Pretzels may be fat-free but they don’t have any nutritional value. They are made with white flour which, once ingested, converts to sugar and spikes your blood sugar. This is why it is easy to finish off a whole bag of pretzels and still be hungry.
Skim Milk
The process to make milk low fat actually strips a lot of the factors that make whole milk healthy such as essential vitamins. Because of this, skim milk gets fortified with synthetic vitamins to replace the protein and calcium lost in the processing.
Flavoured Yogurt
Flavoured yogurt is actually packed with more sugar than you’d think. It’s why you likely still feel hungry even after having one cup. For a healthier option, switch to plain Greek yogurt, it’s more filling and has a dose of protein.
Granola
Store bought granola is considered to be a great addition to yogurt, milk or as a filling snack, but sugar and oil is usually added during the cooking process. Opt for brands that have a blend of oats, whole grains and other natural ingredients.
Fruit Cocktail
You would think a mix of fruits would be healthy, but if you buy them from a can or a little portable cup, chances are they are packaged in syrup, which is an unnecessary overload of sugar. Instead grab a pear, apple or peach instead – they are more nutritious.
This is considered surprising, but unfortunately, it’s true, whole wheat bread is not as healthy as you might think. A slice of regular whole wheat bread contains high fructose corn syrup and molasses.
Coconut Water
Coconut water actually contains a lot of sugar, almost comparable to a candy bar. Instead, opt out of coconut water and try regular water instead for better health.
Many acai bowls are really high in calories, and some use frozen yogurt as their base instead of whole fruit smoothies.
Chia Seeds
The use of chia seeds has been increasing in popularity nowadays as a healthy food staple. But these seeds can do more harm than good if it’s consumed too much. Eating too many chia seeds can irritate your digestive tract and can affect your blood sugar or heart medication.
