What foods did you think were healthy but actually aren't??

SamanthaAnnM

I think one of the biggest issues with trying to be healthy is that it's really hard to differentiate between what is healthy and what isn't without scrutinizing the nutrition label (and even then, you have to know what to look for). For example, I used to eat the Lean Cuisine paninis a lot in high school thinking they were healthy and they tasted pretty good too. UM, no. They are pretty low calorie for a sandwich, I'll give them that, but it has tons of chemicals and refined wheat and sodium! Ugh! Way to sacrifice general health for a low calorie food Anyone have any others?

SafioraLinnea

I don't think there really is anything I can think of that I thought was healthy but isn't because I was raised by a nurse who was pretty stickler towards the fruits/veggies/whole grains/lean meat concept from the start. For me, the biggest shock was just how many calories are in xyz item and the concept of portion control. I seriously had no idea.

hemlock2010

Fage yogurt. 16 grams of sugar. Nuff said.

basschick

Orange juice...technically not a food, but oh well.

mkalinski333

I always thought that when going out to eat, salads were a healthy option. While they can be healthier than most other options, many restaurants put cheese, bacon, fried chicken, and other unhealthy toppings which ruin the salad and that doesn't even include the dressing and portion size! I try to eat out less in order to solve those problems but I was still surprised to discover how unhealthy the seemingly healthy option of a salad was!

SamanthaAnnM

^^^ That's another one I found out! Fat-free yogurt, despite having lower calories, has a ton more sugar! But they don't tell you about that part, haha. So frustrating.

kmm7309

Pudding (it boasts calcium!)
Diet soda (no calories must mean healthy, right?)
Eggplant Lasagna (better than meat lasagna, but not by much)
Anything that said low fat/low sugar/low sodium/etc... but I've learned that these things are still processed in different ways.

lauraniwa

I was pretty upset when my dentist told me raisins were bad for my teeth ('cause they're sticky). Not sure if it counts.

kmm7309

I always thought that when going out to eat, salads were a healthy option. While they can be healthier than most other options, many restaurants put cheese, bacon, fried chicken, and other unhealthy toppings which ruin the salad and that doesn't even include the dressing and portion size! I try to eat out less in order to solve those problems but I was still surprised to discover how unhealthy the seemingly healthy option of a salad was!

Amen! I read an article about the unhealthiest salads in major food chains... one clocked in at over 1000 calories!

tsh0ck

there are no unhealthy foods.

sc1572

Orange juice...technically not a food, but oh well.

^YEP. And my issue was a lot of restaurants...salads for 1,000 cals? NO thank you!

KodAkuraMacKyen

Haven't Been thrilled with the new studies and findings of soy. Used to drink soy milk a lot more than I do now.

stagegoddess

smoothies. too many of the chain stores add frozen yogurt and sherbert. its better if you get the all fruit smoothies but ugh. you just drink the calories way too fast and hundreds and hundreds of calories that you would enjoy more and eat less of it you just had the fresh fruit. that being said, i live in a huge agricultural area in so cal with road side stands everywhere--but still! i do get the wheatgrass shots at smoothie stores though

Kalynx

pretty sad about reading why meat is better for you not well done.

also the hydronated oil consumption is 400+ % and the use of actual real butter is down 60+% in the last 100 years ago and the sugar consumption has doubled (at least).......yet some peoples idea of 'diet' food contains tons of all of that listed.

these new books i have to read are very interesting and informative but they're making me very sad lol

BioQueen

Peanut butter... not the natural kind. Everyone says that peanut butter is a good source of protein, but I have always over-eaten it (comfort food), but the natural kind is what's best and only in moderation... bummer.

Anyaaaa11

Pretty much any (most) types of granola bars!

Way to much sugar, carbs.. Barely any nutrients & protein.

marvelscale

bagels

I used to eat whole ones with plenty of "light" cream cheese on both sides

julialla

Raisins, I always thought that they were a great, low cal snack. But I'd eat them by huge handfuls. One day I was reading, and learned that raisins are helpful in promoting weight gain, haven't touched a raisin since!

jesusHchris

Pretty much any (most) types of granola bars!

Way to much sugar, carbs.. Barely any nutrients & protein.

Yeah, this one. Also, most deli meant. What a travesty! I have found some healthy ones at the local Whole Foods, though.

marvelscale

Raisins, I always thought that they were a great, low cal snack. But I'd eat them by huge handfuls. One day I was reading, and learned that raisins are helpful in promoting weight gain, haven't touched a raisin since!

Raisins aren't bad as long as you eat them in moderation; they're one of my sources of potassium if I need some more.

My_Own_Hero

Dried fruit...so much sugar!

NikkiSixGuns

Since my first criteria for determining if a food is healthy or not is its calorie count, I'd include several items on my list. These shocked me when I first started getting educated about how much I really need to eat: granola, pasta, dried fruit, peanut butter, grapes, "fruit on the bottom" yogurt, and most breads.

Not that these foods are bad for you, just shocked me how loaded they can be.

Feisty_Red

twinkles...:blushing:

EDesq

Fage yogurt. 16 grams of sugar. Nuff said.

See, here's the thing with foods with natural recurring sugars...they are not added or refined, so take fruit (fructose a natural sugar) or milk (lactose a natural sugar)...so you decide. Take O.J, well, when you take the juice away from the fruit, you have a big problem, the sugar is natural but it takes 4-5 oranges to make a cup (8oz) of juice. Is that "normal" , I say no, so it is also about the balance.

A LOT of healthy foods won't stay that way if you OVER EAT them>>>Fruit is Healthy but if you eat 4,5,6 oranges a day, or a pound of grapes - problem, Nuts Very healthy but if you eat more than 1-2 oz - Trouble, Sweet Potatoes Very Healthy eat 1 medium max., Name it, if you over do it, it becomes bad for you. Heck, I LOVE Home Grown tomatoes, so I pulled some off the vine and rinsed them off and ate one with a little salt...Man was it good! So I go get another one, My Sister says, "You sure you want to do that, these are NOT the tomatoes out of the store." I say, yeah, I got this...so I eat another tomato, and 20 minutes later I break out all over itching from the acid. TOO MUCH...a Great food, low cal, vitamins up the wazoo, but you gotta know when to say when, before it is no longer healthy for you.

halhix

Haven't Been thrilled with the new studies and findings of soy. Used to drink soy milk a lot more than I do now.

Same here. I'm soy intolerant now and the stuff is in everything.

TheRealParisLove

White rice, cheerios, deli luncheon meat (ugh, the sodium!), skim milk.

Foods that I thought were bad, but are actually ok or good:

Nuts and nut butters, eggs (especially the yolks), coffee, butter and bacon.

skywa

dairy, and most breads.

i use to live on the stuff. now i avoid it like the plague.

rusialeelee

burrito wraps for sure. Just the wrap is ~600cal. RIDICULOUS!

sz8soon

I'd have to second, third, or whatever were at now the salads from restaurants! Most of them are awful-almost 1000 calories.

volume77

Fruit

fruitful9

Caesar Salads