Food, who doesn't love it right? While I was reading up on what's going on in this world right now, I came across a food article explaining that most of the "healthy" foods we are shown, aren't actually that healthy at all. I am shocked at the results and will definitely have to rearrange my grocery list.
10. Protein Bars
This one shocked me the most. While we were all thinking, "Hey, I can skip lunch and just pack a protein bar. That'll fill me up." we should've been saying, "Wow, check that sugar content. In my cart, I usually have some Luna Bars, and Nature Valley bars. After my research, Luna bars showcase the"12 grams of protein" but what they don't tell you (or what you don't look at) is the 13-15 grams of sugar they contain. That right there outweighs the protein content making the bar pointless to your health. Nature Valley bars say "hey we have 10 grams of protein" but they don't show the 190 calories, 12 grams of fat and filler foods.
9. Wheat Bread
I was always told that white bread is more unhealthy for you than wheat bread, but that might not always be the case. A single slice of generic white bread contains 1 gram of fat, 100 calories, 35 mg of potassium, 15 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. Seems fine right? A single slice of generic wheat bread has 70 calories, 1 gram of fat, 115 mg of sodium, 35 mg of potassium, 12 grams of carbs, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams sugar, 2 grams protein. They're really not that different - depending on what you put on them. If the wheat bread isn't "100% whole wheat" then it's probably white bread with wheat flour mixed in, causing you to get a sugar high and crash like you would with candy. Crazy, huh?
8. Any Kind of Wrap - That's NOT Lettuce
I know a few people, including myself that prefer wraps over sandwiches. It cuts the carbs right? Wrong. Tortillas themselves have roughly 400-800 calories not to mention all of the ingredients you put in the tortilla under the amazing sauces. Stick to lettuce wraps and save your gut some trouble.
7. Smoothies
Unless they taste like they came straight from the ground, dirt and all, they are not helping you in any way shape or form. Average smoothies from bagged frozen fruits have around 11-12 grams of sugar. With the sugar content being so much higher than anything else in the bag, it proves that you're just getting a sugar high, you're not feeling energized from anything beneficial. Comparing "low-fat yogurts" like FAGE and Dannon, FAGE wins. Dannon's "fat-free" yogurt contains 80 calories, 9 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein. FAGE contains only 100 calories, but 8 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein. Be sure to compare two different kinds of yogurts before grabbing your 'got-to'.
6. Light Salad Dressings
I'm super guilty of grabbing the "low calorie" "low fat" dressings off the shelves but I'm not really giving myself anything different if I were to grab the regular stuff. Between the amount of preservatives, sodium and sugars that are added to the 'light' salad dressing to keep their shelf-life longer, you're better off using a type of vinaigrette. or having no dressing at all.
5. Veggie Burgers
No meat is not the most healthy thing for you, but replacing meat burger with a veggie burger is no better. Veggie burgers are typically held together by butter or some type of oil, allowing them to last three or four meals - how gross is that? I thought I was picking the healthy one of the two, but in reality, they're almost the same but with different ingredients.
4. Turkey Bacon
Though it is a 'healthier' alternative to pork bacon, turkey bacon is loaded with artificial colors, sodium, and nitrates being known for leaving the consumers with higher risks of digestive cancers.
3. Quaker Oatmeal
I am super guilty of using these little packets to start my day. Yes the brown sugar oatmeal is amazing, and fills you up, but little did I know the little packet contains 12 grams of sugar. I'm not sure if any of us really want to start our day on a sugar high - certainly not me! Make sure your oatmeal is flavor-free if you want to stay on the "healthy" train.
2. Margarine Vs. Butter
Lots of people believe that margarine is a healthier substitute to butter, but it's not. In a single tablespoon of this stuff, you could consume 2 grams of fat - making your future heart hate you. Stick with butter, it'll decrease your risk of heart-failure, and high cholesterol.
1. Fruit Juice
After reading about this on http://www.eatthis.com/unhealthiest-foods-on-the-p... I have decided to stop drinking fruit juice. The unhealthy part (high-fructose corn syrup & fiber-free fruit) you're really just drinking sugar.
