People are now becoming more health conscious than ever, especially cases of obesity on the rise. We’ve started revising our grocery lists and replacing the contents of our fridge. Thanks to those so—called “ experts” who have found exciting ways to revolutionize dieting by not limiting our choices to leafy greens. However, some of these diet fads are just that, fads – and we’ve fallen into the trap.
In fact, these people we call “ experts” are mostly composed of food manufacturers who want to make more money by labeling their products as“ healthy” . These days, “ healthy” has also branched out to“ natural” and “ smart” . Unfortunately, some of these foods are not really healthier as their manufacturers and all these fad dieters claim. Also, since we know that these foods are healthier than what we normally have, our tendency is to binge-eat.In one study conducted by Penn State in 2015, it was discovered that consumers eat more when the food is branded as a choice to be fit and healthy, and at the same time, they exercise less. Consequently, modifying your diet to make way for these diet-foods can add more calories, fat,and chemicals to your body, making you even unhealthier.
Do you want to know if any the food that you subscribe to are just pseudo-health diet food?Take a look at this list.
1.Multigrain Bread
Multigrain bread isn’t really fancy as it sounds. Yes, multigrain means it contains multiple grains. However, we don’t know the level of refinement. If the grains are refined, it has been processed to a great extent. As a result, fibers, minerals, and vitamins of the grain have been eliminated. What you’re left with are simple carbohydrates, which you ought to know should be avoided if you’re trying to lose weight. Breads with multiple grains are not at all bad,as long as their grains are still whole, making sure that the fibers and minerals are intact. Otherwise, it’s best to settle for whole grain breads like whole wheat or whole rye.
2. Juice and Smoothie
Juices and smoothies are stuffed with so much sugar, yes, including the green ones. While the ingredients are each filled with nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, juicing can remove all of the fiber, which will only leave you even hungrier. However, if you’re all convinced how much you want to include juices and smoothies in your diet, make sure that you check the ingredients first. A maximum of 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving should be enough. Also, include only one serving of fruit , and the rest should be vegetables, most preferably greens. This shouldn’t be hard to follow especially when you’re making your own.
3.Prepackaged Salad
Between chicken nuggets or a burger and a prepackaged salad, the latter is definitely the healthier option. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that you are making a wise choice. Prepackaged salads are now everywhere, and health conscious people are flocking in to get their dose of healthy meals. However, most of these salads are still high in calories, and you wouldn’t even know for sure because most of them don’t have labels. Add to that the croutons, cheese, and meats that all contain a lot of sodium. If you want to enjoy salads, it’s still best to make your own at home so at least you know what you’re putting into it. But if time is your enemy, and you are left with no choice but to buy a ready-to-eat one at an express counter, choose a pack with a nutrition label glued on to it.
4.Store-Bought Fruit-at-the-Bottom Yogurt
Yogurt is healthy and fruits are definitely healthy, so how does combining both become unhealthy? It’s because these yogurts that are available in the stores usually have sugary syrup of the fruits they contain such as strawberries and peaches. No wonder they taste so good! In fact, a regular 6-ounce fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt has 29 grams of carbohydrates and 24 grams of sugar. That is indeed quite a lot, and that is similar to consuming one candy bar. If you want to enjoy this combination, it’s still best to buy a plain, nonfat yogurt and add in fresh fruits. It only takes a couple of minutes to prepare one delicious breakfast or snack.
5. Veggie Chips
Veggie chips made out of real veggies are good snacking options. However, if they are actually potato chips disguised as veggie chips because of the powdered veggies sprinkled on them, then you’re making a big fool of yourself. Try looking at the ingredients label to check which is which. Ingredients should be listed based on content in descending order. The ones at the top are the major ingredients of the food, so if you see potatoes in there, it’s a red flag. In addition, also look at the calorie, fat, carb, and sodium contents to know whether you are making a good choice. As with any other food, homemade veggie chips are still preferable and are actually easy to make. You can slice sweet potatoes,beets, carrots thinly, drizzle them with a little olive oil, and put them in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they’re crispy. Herbs and spices can also make your chips more flavorful and tasty. 6. Gluten-Free Snacks Gluten-free sounds perfect for those who are on a diet. Or not. Usually, when gluten is removed from a food product, flavors and textures are also removed, since this is the one ingredient used to make tasty and chewy breads, cakes, and even pasta.Now, where’s the fun in food with no texture and flavor, right? Hence, food manufacturers usually fill them instead with sugars, fats, and other additives filled with chemicals. In the end, consuming them would do you more harm than good. If you’re really serious with following a healthy diet, educate yourself more.
7.Smart Cereals
Too often, we are easily lured by the Whole Grain Stamp, but really, the labels “ smart” and “ healthy” on our cereals don’t make much difference than those sugary choices we made when we were kids. If you are intent in choosing your food wisely, take a look at the nutritional labels at the back of your foods and not the front. Chances are, what you see highlighted in front of your cereals are just part of their marketing pitch. When looking at the back label, here are some guidelines: there should be less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and look out for bran in the ingredients. According to nutritional experts, fibers like wheat and oat bran are essential in reducing cholesterol, regulating blood sugar, and are effective antioxidants.
8. Protein Bars
A lot of protein bars in the healthy section actually contain plenty of sugar and less protein. Protein contents of these bars are also from questionable sources. Hence, choosing a protein bar pre or post-workout is just similar to picking up a candy bar with all the sugar, trans fats, and other undesirable fillers. Getting your protein in the form of whole foods like eggs, poultry, meat, fish, beans, and legumes are still more practical and most definitely richer in flavor.
9. Nut Butters
Peanut and almond butters are indeed heaven sent as they make eating exciting. However, aside from protein and health fats that they contain, more often than not, they are still packed with added sugars, trans fats, and other harmful fats that reduce good cholesterol and intensity bad cholesterol. When you buy them, make sure that the only ingredients are nuts. Even so, you still have to stop yourself and limit your intake to one tablespoon a day. Also take note that just a single tablespoon already contains 100 calories.
10. Quinoa Pasta
Don’t get us wrong. Quinoa is indeed healthy and makes a great major food.However, in the recent years, you may find quinoa pasta that is loaded with more corn flour and gluten-free flour that is cheapened. Hence, it contains just as much calories, more carbohydrates, and lesser protein than wheat pasta. Not all quinoa pasta is bad, that is why it’s necessary to take a look at the back of the box and look for just one keyword: quinoa flour.
