Sorry to tell you this, but healthy food can be unhealthy. Well – let’s explain this in more detail:
Microwave popcorn
Popcorn is normally seen as a healthy snack, but microwave popcorn is something else. It is high in sodium, and there is chemical diacetyl in it. It is better to make your own popcorn, either on the stove or take a few plain kernels in a brown paper bag and then pop your own. Either way, then you can control the flavoring, which is in most cases the problem.
Light salad dressings
The ingredients in a light salad dressing is like a chemical experiment. But seriously, it is loaded with preservatives and other additives, but also sodium and sugar or sweeteners. A healthier choice would be to use extra virgin olive oil, or hemp seed oil and some balsamic vinegar.
Trail mix
Nuts are seen as a healthy snack, but this is unsalted nuts and unsweetened dried fruit, which is limited in terms of how much. Dried fruit can be very high in sugars; therefore, you should limit your portion size when you are eating dried fruit.
The issue with most trail mixes are that they are loaded with salt, contain chocolate chips and extra sugars. In fact, one handful can contain around more than 300 calories.
Granola
The ingredients of granola should be healthy right. It contains all the healthy foods, such as nuts, rolled oats, and dried fruits. But read the label then you can see sugar, so much sugar added to the granola. In fact, a bowl of granola could contain around 500 or even more calories, and that is without even adding milk or yogurt.
It is best to read the label and to avoid brands that are sugar coated and go for ones that are low in sugar. You could always add some honey or fruits like berries to make your granola sweetener. And most importantly, limit your portions.
Flavored fat-free yogurt
Just since it says fat-free, it does not mean that the food item will be healthy. Flavored fat-free yogurt is a good example of just that. These type of yogurts can contain to up to 15 grams of sugar in its 6-ounce serving.
Rather go for fat-free Greek yogurt, and then what you do is add some berries or other fruit, or even some raw honey to sweeten your yogurt. You should also be very careful when buying “Greek yogurt” – since many mass producers sell “Greek Style Yogurt” which in fact has nothing to do with Greek yogurt at all, except that it has been produced to look just like the real deal.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks are marketed rather well, and they make promises that it will pump up your energy levels, and give you the energy to do your workout like never before. It is a drink that is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and caffeine, so it should be healthy, right? No. These are not a health drink, as there are too much ingredients like caffeine that could cause harm to your system.
It is better to drink water. Add some lemon, or ginger, or mint leaves or even cucumber to your water to add it some flavor.
Low-fat muffins
Low-fat muffins although made in such a way that they contain less fat than full-fat muffins, but it does not mean these muffins are healthy. As manufacturers take fat out to make them low fat, they add something else to make up for the lack of taste. The problem is that is normally extra sugar or artificial sweeteners that are added to add more taste.
Gluten-free products
Going gluten-free might a bit hipster, but there is some health benefits if not benefiting people that are gluten intolerant. But some gluten-free products are healthy, by no means does the label “gluten-free” parallel to health. If it has packaged or highly processed, then gluten or no gluten in the ingredient list, it is not as healthy as other whole foods you could be eating. The best gluten-free foods are not products at all. It is best to eat vegetables and fruits, or some nuts instead.
Frozen diet dinners
They might be convenient, and since they are pre-portioned they might seem as a good why to keep a check on your calories, but frozen diet dinners are a bit problematic. These meals lack nutrient values. They are loaded with preservatives and sodium. More so, they lack veggies.
Rather make your own, by cooking a lot and then freeze them, and take them out when you need them, than buying frozen diet dinners.
Canned Soups
Canned soups are an easy meal for either lunch or dinner, and good idea for winter times, but even the reduced-sodium and low-fat version are not as healthy as they seem. These soup cans have more than 400 milligrams of sodium per cup. High sodium levels could raise your blood pressure, lead to bloating, and more so can make you feel sluggish.
