Certain foods are touted as being healthy but aren't really very good for you. Which foods with a health halo should you be avoiding?
Food companies are geniuses when it comes to marketing, but don’t be fooled by certain foods that have been lauded as healthy — they are often empty calories masquerading as being nutritious options.
- Gluten-Free Foods
According to a recent national survey from Consumer Reports , 63% of US adults believe that a gluten-free diet will improve their health. And about one third said they buy gluten-free products or try to avoid gluten. Yet another study found that nearly 90% of those who think they are “sensitive” to gluten actually have no problem digesting it at all.
Unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, you probably don’t need to exclude gluten from your diet. What’s more, going gluten-free – when you don’t need to be – could be a diet disaster. Gluten-free foods often have more calories, fat, sodium, and added sugars. A study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics found that people following a gluten-free diet are often lacking in several nutrients including B-vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. Another study found that people who go on a gluten-free diet often wind up gaining weight.
Need another reason to avoid the gluten-free fad? They cost more than foods that contain it. That’s because gluten is necessary to provide the texture and taste many of us love and without it, manufacturers have to make up for it
2.Veggie Chips
Don’t let these masters of disguise fool you into thinking you are loading up on your veggies. These cleverly-cloaked “health foods” are nothing more than potato chips with some dehydrated vegetable powder added. To see exactly what “veggies” are in that misleading bag, scope out the ingredient list. Because ingredient lists are organized in descending order — meaning the top of the list contributes more to the actual food and there is less and less of each ingredient as you read down the list — you can get an idea of what the veggie chips are actually made of.
Additionally, when you compare the total calories, fat, and sodium of those veggie chips to regular ol’ potato chips, they might be surprisingly similar — if not higher.
- Dark Chocolate
You’ve probably heard that dark chocolate is good for your heart, and maybe even your brain. But really, it’s the flavanols in cocoa that offer the health benefits. The most recent research suggests that cocoa flavanols improve the health and flexibility of our arteries as we age and may help reduce your risk for heart disease. Other research suggests they may even help keep us sharp as we age. In one trial, people who consumed medium and high amounts of cocoa flavanols daily for 8 weeks scored better on attention and memory tests.
But, unfortunately, not all chocolate contains cocoa flavanols. Often they’re destroyed during the manufacturing process, so it’s hard to tell if you’re getting enough of them in your chocolate to give you a health boost.
To make sure you are, look for sources that guarantee the amount of cocoa flavanols (such as stick packs or capsule supplements) and can deliver a healthy boost without loading up on calories and fat.
4.Smoothies
Unless you whip up your own smoothies at home, the majority of smoothies you buy bottled or out of the house are masters of disguise — loaded with sugar and often lacking any actual fruit. Many use full-fat ice cream as the main ingredient, and the fruit flavor comes from sugary syrup — not real fruit pieces.
- Bottled Salad Dressings
A salad is a great way to get more veggies into your diet, but if you’re not careful, you may end up tossing hundreds of extra calories and more than a day’s worth of saturated fat onto your healthy greens if you opt for some bottled dressings.
Think that by skipping high calorie, creamy salad dressings (like ranch or blue cheese) and choosing oil-based varieties that you’ve made a healthy choice? Not so fast! While olive oil and other plant-based oil dressings may be better for you, some are loaded with added sugar and sodium. If you’re buying a packaged dressing, look for one with 110 calories or less, under 1.5 g saturated fat, 100 mg or less sodium, and no more than 4 g sugar per serving. For a simple and healthy dressing, skip store-bought mixes and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and lemon juice over your greens.