5 “Healthy” Foods to Avoid — and What to Choose Instead
Have you ever been completely confused on whether a food was actually good for you or not? Maybe it was due to the overload of nutrition misinformation floating around or from the food company’s sneaky marketing with buzz words like “all natural” or “fat free.”
It’s easy to be fooled by these claims so I’m here to help you break through the noise. While you don’t need to ban these foods from your life entirely, there are much more nourishing and supportive choices you can make that are aligned to your health goals.
Here are 5 common, confusing “health” foods with some of my favorite options to go for instead.
1. Granola and Granola bars:
This is definitely a snack toted as healthy all around, but ingredients are key here! Grabbing bars that are full of processed oats, sugar, dried fruit, and preservatives quickly add up in sugar and empty calories — without protein and much fiber. This is why we are left feeling hungry and more cravings.
Instead, my grab-and-go Protein Bars are a great option (full recipe below). They come together in no time and are meal prep and freezer friendly! TIP: Make a double or triple batch to keep in your freezer—your future self will thank you!
2. Juice:
While whole fruit is nature’s candy, fruit juice isn’t much more nutritious than actual candy. First, the juicing process removes much of the natural fiber of the fruit so we lose all of the fiber’s valuable benefits like balancing blood sugar and supporting heart health.
Juices are already concentrated sugar due to the fiber being removed, and what’s more is that many also get loaded up with added sugar. When we have juice without the fiber and along with a bunch of added sugar, we end up with a rollercoaster of blood sugar spikes and energy crashes, which is the opposite of what we want for our energy, metabolism, mood, focus, etc. On the other hand, when we enjoy a piece of whole fruit, the inherent fiber (plus vitamins and minerals) helps slow the absorption of the natural sugar in the fruit, keeping our blood sugar balanced and energy levels stable.
So what should we go for instead?
If you are having the juice as part of a meal, the actual whole fruit is always best. It will keep you fuller for longer as well, and you benefit from all the natural goodness in the unaltered fruit.
If you are looking for a way to hydrate but are needing extra flavor - try infusing your water with real fruit. Berries, pineapple, and lemon are great in water! You can also freeze fruits inside of ice cube trays and add to your water bottle or glass!
3. Fruit Yogurt:
This is another tricky one as yogurt can be a nourishing breakfast and snack for your day. But, not all yogurts are created the same!
Many of these yogurts have labels touting “light” or “skinny” to give the idea of them being a healthier choice, but they often have alternative sugars added to them which are detrimental to our gut health and associated with chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.
It’s always a good idea to turn the package around and check out the label and ingredient list.
On the nutrition label you will see the amount/percent of added sugar under Total Carbohydrates. The Dietary Guidelines recommends no more than 10% of your total calories per day to come from added sugar. We really want to avoid foods that have added sugars, and are still much better off adding our own sweeteners/toppings of choice.
You can also check under “Ingredients”. Fun fact: the ingredients are listed in order of the largest amount used in the food. In other words, the first three ingredients are what make up the majority of the food. In the ingredient list, look for words ending in -OSE, like sucralose, fructose and also syrups. These are just a few of the 52 other ways of saying “sugar.” (food companies are trying to be sneaky, but we know better!)
So what’s the better option for yogurt?
Opt for a plain unsweetened yogurt (Greek is best as it has the most protein) and grab grass fed, organic if you can. Then, add your own whole fruits to (I always have a bag of organize frozen blueberries and raspberries on hand) and flavors to your preference, such as nuts, seeds, cinnamon, swirl in hemp hearts, a tsp of nut butter, and even a scoop of collagen powder for an added protein boost!
4. Sauces and condiments:
It might feel easy to overlook these because they are usually just “extras” to our meal, but every bit adds up. And you might be surprised with how sneaky they can be with added sugar and oils and high in sodium. Similar to the yogurts, added sugars are put into everything from tomato sauces, to condiments, to salad dressings. When it comes to sauces and dressings, your best bet is to make your own (my digital cookbook has lots of easy, versatile ideas) or check the nutrition label for ingredients. You can follow the same guidelines from above!
If you get store bought, here are some of my favorite brands with better ingredients.
Another great option is to rethink your condiments. We can lean away from the mayos and creamy sauces and instead add tons of flavor along with nutritional benefit with many of these condiment ideas.
Some of my favorite ideas: Try pesto on breads, pastas, and marinades for proteins. Guacamole is an awesome dip for veggies or on top of burgers rather than your traditional ketchup. Top your scrambled eggs with salsa. Use hummus in place of mayo on sandwiches. Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and hot sauce are also great to use in sauces or marinades and add amazing flavor!
5. Smoothies & smoothie bowls:
Similar to our fruit yogurt above, not all smoothies are created the same!
Many of the premade, store bought options are sneaky with what ingredients are used and can essentially be a sugar bomb. Additionally, they often don’t have protein, fiber, and healthy fats which will lead you to feeling unsatisfied and hungry not long after.
A much more supportive option is to make your own smoothie. That way you can add protein, fiber, healthy fats, and greens to be sure it’s giving you the nutrients you need.
My clients LOVE my smoothie cookbook filled with delicious and easy recipes along with my best tips to make the perfect smoothie and my go-to extras to boost them even more!
Did any of these surprise you?! Let me know in the comments!
If you are looking for more tips on healthy living, I’m always here to support you! Be sure to subscribe to our free Nursing Your Way to Wellness emails for all the latest in health and wellness, including my best tips and tricks, recipes, programs, exclusive savings and more!