With so many different opinions on which foods are good and bad for you, it can be very difficult to decide what you should actually eat if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. What makes this even more difficult is when stores advertise food as good for you when it’s actually quite the opposite. To help you sort fact from fiction, this list reveals 19 supposedly “healthy” foods that can actually be unhealthy.
Store-bought Granola
While many people see granola as healthy, and it is often marketed as such, many varieties are actually loaded with sugar and artificial additives. Some also contain a significant amount of unhealthy fats, which can contribute to high cholesterol levels. For this reason, you should always check the label to know what you’re buying.
Store-bought Smoothies
Smoothies are full of fruits and vegetables, so you’d think they should be pretty universally healthy. But in reality, as noted by the BHF, a lot of store-bought smoothies are surprisingly high in sugar and calories, contributing to unwanted weight gain and blood sugar spikes. Some also contain added syrups, preservatives, and flavorings, further decreasing their nutritional value.
Vegetable Chips
While most vegetable chips are made from vegetables, this doesn’t automatically make them healthy. They’re commonly covered in salt and cooked in unhealthy oils, meaning they can sometimes be just as bad for you as regular chips. Vegetable chips also don’t contain nearly as many vitamins or minerals as raw vegetables.
Gluten-free Packaged Foods
It’s quite common for people to assume that packaged food is healthier simply because it’s labeled as “gluten-free.” However, this is far from the case. A lot of packaged foods are just as high in sugar, fats, preservatives, and other unhealthy additives that can have adverse health effects.
Flavored Non-dairy Milk
While plant-based foods can be healthier than their traditional counterparts, this doesn’t mean they’re all healthy. Flavored non-dairy milk can contain high amounts of sugar, flavorings, and preservatives. That’s why you should always check the label and enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Diet Sodas
Some people assume that diet sodas are much healthier because they’re low in calories, but this is far from the case. They often compensate for the lack of sugar and calories by using artificial sweeteners that can be just as bad for the body, increasing your risk of diabetes 2 and heart disease.
Low-fat Yogurt
Similarly, it’s common for shoppers to think that low-fat yogurt should always be a healthy alternative compared to its full-fat counterpart. However, in reality, sugars and artificial sweeteners are often added to make up for the lack of flavor, which can make it equally as unhealthy.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are especially popular among people looking to increase their protein intake in a quick, convenient, and healthy way. But unfortunately, a lot of these bars are high in sugar, calories, and artificial ingredients, significantly reducing their nutritional value and potentially contributing to adverse health outcomes.
Bottled Salad Dressings
As most of us know, salads are a great option for losing weight and eating healthier. However, it’s still important to make sure you don’t spoil your efforts by indulging in unnecessary and unhealthy toppings and dressings. Some bottled salad dressings can be extremely high in calories, fats, sodium, and sugar.
Canned Soups
Soup is usually considered a healthy food, especially when it’s packed full of vegetables. But canned and store-bought soups are often also full of sodium, preservatives, and artificial flavors, meaning it could be risky for some people to consume them regularly. Check the label before buying and make sure you’re sticking within your daily recommended sodium intake.
Fruit Juice
As healthy as fruit juice might sound, many brands contain a lot more sugar than you might expect. If you consume too much, you could be putting yourself at risk of insulin resistance, fatty liver, and type 2 diabetes. It also doesn’t contain the fiber that whole fruit does, meaning the sugar is absorbed faster.
Instant Oatmeal
As noted by Healthline, oatmeal is a very healthy breakfast option that’s full of fiber and antioxidants, and great for your digestive health. But unfortunately, a lot of instant oatmeal options aren’t so healthy. Flavored kinds can be high in sugar or contain unwanted preservatives and artificial flavors.
Bran Muffins
Although bran muffins are a good source of fiber, they’re also often full of added sugar and unhealthy fats, significantly detracting from their nutritional value. You should also make sure to check how many calories are in your bran muffins, as they can be deceptively calorific.
Rice Cakes
Rice cakes may seem like they should be low in calories and fairly healthy, but they can actually be quite high in sugar, sodium, and other unhealthy seasonings. If you’re on a diet or want to improve your health, it’s a good idea to check the label before buying.
Pre-made Smoothie Bowls
Like store-bought smoothies, pre-made smoothie bowls can be incredibly high in sugar and calories and contain all sorts of unhealthy toppings. In fact, some are so high in sugar that they exceed your daily recommended intake. This is made worse by the fact that the portion sizes are often very large.
Sushi Rolls
While sushi can certainly be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, a lot of Western-style rolls are very high in calories, low in fresh fish, and high in refined carbs, which can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Sushi is also often high in sodium and can have a high glycemic index.
Frozen Diet Meals
As much as we’d hope that diet meals would always be healthy, this is sadly not the case. While it may be low in calories, it’s also typically low in nutrients and can be high in sodium and preservatives. What’s more, because of the small portion sizes, you may be more tempted to snack later on.
Fat-free Snacks
Similarly, although fat-free snacks may contain no fat, they tend to make up for this by adding more sugar or artificial additives to make them more flavorful. This can cause you to gain unwanted weight if you consume them regularly, as well as put you at risk of blood sugar spikes.
Caesar Salads
Just because something has salad in its name, doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthy. In fact, according to CNBC, certain Caesar salads can be even higher in calories than fast food burgers. That’s because the dressing and toppings can be very high in fat and sugar, as well as sodium.
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