Mmmmmmm These Foods Sound Good And Healthy But Aren't

Don't you just hate when you are all proud of yourself, thinking how well you have eaten only to look at the label and discover that you actually could have just had the candy bar instead because the label didn't really coincide with your idea that this was healthy? That has to be right up there on my most frustrating things. I take food and trying (key word is trying) to be healthy very seriously so if I eat a something I didn't really want but thought was healthy and gave up the much coveted candy bar for-I get a little upset. I want to share with you a few foods that you might think are really good for you but in reality are not so you won't run into that problem.

Don't Be Fooled By These Food Frauds

**Tuna Fish Sandwich With Mayonnaise-The typical tuna fish sandwich found in a restaurant has about 700 calories and 43 grams of fat. Tuna fish has about 35 calories per ounce and is packed full of omega 3's but mayonnaise has 100 calories per tablespoon. Maybe better to try a low-fat cheese sandwich or Turkey with mustard.

**Multigrain Tostitos-A one-ounce (8 chips) serving of Multigrain Tostitos has more sugar (1 gram) than any of its “Four Wholesome Grains.” That is tricky advertising I think.

**Protein Bars-I am sure there are a few good ones out there but overall most are just glorified candy bars according to Ms. Zuckerbrot author of the F-Factor Diet. They are often high in calories, fat and do little to satisfy a persons hunger. This one really gets me. I can't tell you how many of these I have had in lieu of a nice piece of fruit or some berries thinking I was being so healthy.

**Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Pancakes-Now I have to admit that whenever I hear grain, whole wheat I instantly think-ooohhhhh, that must be good for me. Apparently not always because the box boasts that these pancakes are “Made with Whole Wheat and Whole Grain,” but they consist primarily of white flour. More here.

**Pretzels-Are you kidding me? I cannot tell you how many bags of pretzels I used to eat in college thinking I must be just about the healthiest girl in the place. Some people go under the misguided notion that pretzels are a healthy alternative to crisps. Certainly, one serving of pretzels contain one gram of fat compared to the 10 grams contained in the same serving of crisps. However, they basically have no nutritional value at all. In fact, any they did have, such as fibre, has been taken out in the process of making them. It explains why you never feel full eating them. More here.

**Granola Bars-While granola is made with whole oats that are high in fiber, the oats in granola bars are glued together with ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and barley malt -- all of which quickly raise blood sugar.

**DanActive Immunity Dairy Drink-This Dannon product claims to help “strengthen your body's defenses.” But the only study Dannon did to see if drinking DanActive kept people from getting sick found that it didn’t! More here.

**Fat-free, Sugar-Free Muffins- Regardless of whether a muffin is fat free or sugar free, they still usually have around 600 calories, according to Zuckerbrot from the F-Factor diet."It’s nothing but cake in disguise, especially these double chocolate chip-type muffins,” she said. “But even bran muffins, they’re very dense, very high in calories. The same thing goes for scones. People think that because they’re not sweet, they’re healthy. But scones are full of butter.Baked Beans-Beans are a great source of fiber and protein but most pre-made cans of baked beans are loaded with sugar. 1 cup of baked beans may contain up to 24 mg of sugar (about the same as an 8 oz can of soda).

**Fruit Cocktail Or Applesauce-I know they seem healthy because of the fruit but keep in mind that many are loaded with added sugar and heavy syrups. Eat some fresh fruit instead.

**Reduced Fat Peanut Butter-I must admit to really falling for this one. I love peanut butter and what could have been better but lower fat, right? Wrong. Real peanut butter that is made with plain peanuts is high in protein and fat but they are the healthy fats that your body needs. Reduced fat peanut butters are generally made with a bit of real peanut butter and then mixed with fillers like sugar. I recommend sticking with regular peanut butter,obviously.

I learned a lot doing this post and am glad to know these things so that I can avoid these pitfalls. I think it can be really hard sometimes to weed through all the food hype so hopefully this helps you on your journey to living a fit and healthy life.