Some of the so-called "healthy foods" that people often talk about actually contain more or less unhealthy factors. They hide excessive amounts of sugar and fat, and unknowingly make people consume a lot of calories.
Let's take a look at the truth behind these "healthy foods"! By gaining in-depth knowledge about the true nature of these dietary fads, you will know what you should and shouldn't eat.
Ten seemingly healthy but unhealthy foods
Fruit yogurt leaves you wanting more
When trying to lose weight, replacing a regular meal with yogurt containing various fruit bits and probiotics sounds like a good idea. The marketing of these yogurts often uses a lot of nutritional terms such as "organic," "probiotics," or "all-natural," making you think they are healthy, and you can eat several boxes without feeling guilty.
In reality, these yogurts contain a large amount of sugar and various unhealthy additives. A 200g box of fruit yogurt can contain over 200 calories.
Nutrition experts still recommend using natural foods as meal replacements when trying to lose weight or when there is no time for a proper meal, such as plain yogurt with fruit, or eggs, vegetables, and a few slices of whole wheat bread. Compared to fruit yogurt, these alternatives are more nutritious and lower in calories.
Sweetened cereal with too much sugar
Oatmeal is originally a truly healthy food, but now people are getting too fancy with it.
For example, the popular sweetened cereals these days are made by processing oatmeal with maple syrup or honey, and adding nuts and dried fruits. This seemingly healthy food combination is actually full of fat and sugar, and if you carefully calculate, it is very high in calories, so it should be consumed in moderation.
Dried fruit sugar-coated bombs
Dried fruits are rich in concentrated vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but you must be careful with the amount you consume! During the production of these dried fruits, additional sugar is added for better taste, resulting in calories more than double that of fresh fruits.
Take blueberry dried fruits, a well-known healthy snack, for example. Every 50g of blueberry dried fruits contains over 160 calories, while the same weight of fresh blueberries only has 29 calories.
Be wary of excessive salt in sushi
From a health perspective, sushi is considered perfect - the protein-rich seafood (usually with healthy fatty acids like those found in salmon and tuna) paired with seaweed, vegetables, and a small amount of rice. Traditional sushi does ensure nutrition and health.
But modern sushi is not as healthy anymore. There are more varieties now, such as tempura rolls, which are not only deep-fried but also contain mayonnaise and cream cheese. It is worth noting that the soy sauce used to dip sushi contains excessive sodium. So, it is best to eat sushi with fresh vegetable brown rice rolls without dipping sauce.
Vegetable salad calorie bombs
Various vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and various fresh fruits are essential ingredients in salads, and they do contain rich vitamins and minerals.
However, under the disguise of healthy vegetables, salad dressings, cheese, and fried croutons are hiding many unhealthy factors. For example, a fully-loaded Caesar salad can contain up to 800 calories.
Therefore, when preparing your vegetable salad, it is better to use grilled chicken breast and balsamic vinegar instead of high-fat and high-calorie ingredients like salad dressings, cheese, and croutons.
Fried fish hiding high fat content
Fish is often touted as a delicious and low-calorie healthy food, and even the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week.
Eating fish is not wrong, but pay attention to the cooking methods. Once fish is deep-fried and paired with various high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar sauces, it becomes unrelated to healthy eating.
The best way to prepare fish is steaming.
Hidden sugar in fruit juice
Drinking 100% freshly squeezed fruit juice sounds healthy, and many people believe it can be a substitute for fresh fruits. However, although freshly squeezed fruit juice has the good taste of fruits and some vitamins, the dietary fiber in the pulp, especially in fruits with edible skin, is lost. Moreover, many freshly squeezed fruit juices add sugar for better taste, making them even less healthy. So, whether it is drinking fruit juice or eating dried fruits, eating fresh fruits directly is healthier.
If you choose fruit juice drinks, it is even worse. Some fruit juice drinks contain only about 10% pure fruit juice and are mostly a mixture of coloring, sugar, or sweeteners.
High-fat content in whole grain cookies
The whole grain cookies sold in supermarkets claim to have a large amount of dietary fiber, making them appear to be healthy foods. However, in order to improve taste, these cookies contain excessive amounts of sugar and fat!
The same goes for whole wheat muffins purchased from some bakeries. If you want to eat healthy whole grains, it is better to make them yourself.
Vitamin drinks with considerable sugar content
Although these drinks seem to combine two healthy nutrients (vitamins and water) directly, using vitamin drinks as the main source of hydration is not a good choice.
First, the proportion of vitamins in vitamin drinks may not necessarily be suitable for the body's needs.
Second, these drinks often contain considerable amounts of sugar to enhance taste.
Third, do not think that vitamin water can replace fruits and vegetables. The dietary fiber contained in vegetables cannot be replaced by vitamin water.
If you want to maintain healthy eating habits, it is better to give up all kinds of packaged beverages, including vitamin water and fruit juice drinks.
On the path of healthy eating, be especially cautious of these unhealthy foods disguised as healthy ones.
