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.

30 comments:

  1. So true,so true!! We must always be on our guard. I do not like it when a restaurant claims a healthy dish in their- healthy choice section. then after asking and reading the ingredients, you see it is not a good choice! One should call them on it. I do! Guess that is way Eating out has because my least favorite thing to do,:-).

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  2. And I love protein bars.

    I think everything that is processed , even if it's fruit is not that healthy anymore. I think fresh is the way to go :)

    Take care Heidie!

    Beth

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  3. Ohhhhhhhhhhh I loved the Mulit Grain Tostitos. . . I never thougth to look.
    Ciao

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  4. Willy keeps coming back not for the health tips but for brain stimulation.

    10-4 Willy

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  5. i am sad now because i like fruit cocktail. Great call on the Tuna. i learn something new everytime i come here.

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  6. Peanut butter! My all time favorite utility food...goes great with anything. Apples, bananas, chocolate (of course)...I've even been known to use it as an alternative to mayo. Try it on your next turkey sandwich or use it as a dip for a grilled chicken breast...you'll love me for it!

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  7. Hmm..gotta cut down on the Tuna fish Mayo sandwiches now. And the fruit cocktail

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  8. This is interesting but is not good news. I like tuna fish but yea, the mayonnaise is what makes it so good and that is not healthy at all!

    The protein bars I get from Octane Cafe are very satisfying but expensive--$2.49 each! I used to buy them for every day but now only once in awhile since they raised the price.

    Good to know about the reduced fat peanut butter thing. I'll go back to the normal kind. I like to mix some in my oatmeal to perk it up.

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  9. why is it there are so many things to be cautious on the foods we intake? hehehe

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  10. Yes...the tuna is very deceiving. Half the time, if it's processed, watch out!

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  11. I work for Dannon and I really like your articles but the information about DanActive is not entirely correct. For anyone who's interested, we post summaries of the clinical studies about our product at:
    http://danactive.com/danactive_scientific.html

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  12. Ah your killing me Heidi. I must admit to the peanut butter thing and the granola bars (which I know arent healthy but I eat anyway). Oh well I guess ill have to spend the weekend in a bad mood...... Thanks a lot...... LOL kidding - great post.

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  13. Thanks a lot of these information, Heidi. Some of them I do eat :(

    Like, i do have granola bars sometimes when on trails :(, mixed with cashews and some dried fruits, some fresh fruits if the hike is not long and the they won't get spoiled.

    PS....starting today, my blogging has a new home, which is http://thejoysofsimplelife.blogspot.com/

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  14. I always buy the low fat peanut butter thinking it was healthier. I'm changing back now!

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  15. Hi Hedi i have a award for you at my site. Come check it out when you can. See ya

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  16. This is great tips for me, Because, because I love most of them, specially the No.1. :(

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  17. Wow! I sure learned a lot in this post! I had an idea about some of them but others I had no clue! Thanks for the info Heidi!

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  18. Good post Heidi!

    That's so true about peanut butter! A lot of people get scared about the fat in peanut butter, but it's actually the good fats your body needs. I try to get at least 1 TBSP of peanut butter everyday, along with about 1 oz. of almonds.

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  19. Health Nut:

    Great article and excellent advice. It's good to know what we're eating, but sometimes it's surprising to learn that the foods we thought were okay are, in fact, not healthy. Dieting and watching our diets is a full time job, and blogs like yours provide a quick reference to help us stay on track with a healthy lifestyle.

    Happy trails.

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  20. i hate it when my bubble gets burst! :) Better to find out now than to continue with the illusion that i'm being healthy. thanks for the heads-up, heidi.

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  21. Ohh... most of these foods are the ones that I love to eat. :(
    Thanks for these information, Heidi.

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  22. I love peanut butter and tuna w/ mayo. I know mayo is loaded with fats and calories so I try not to eat often. I also tried canned tuna w/ chopped white onions, a sprinkle of pepper and a little vinegar. It turned out yummy and it's great for toasts and crackers

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  23. I love tuna sandwich, I'll just eliminate the mayo!

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  24. This is all great advice. It has always cracked me up when people eat tunafish thinking they are going to lose weight and its slathered with mayo!!!

    Hope all is well!

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  25. It's misleading to layman like me because I tend to believe if it says 'cholesterol free' butter or 'cooking oil'. :(

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  26. hmmm...!!! health is a crucial issue for expected moms. Nice tips discussed & shared with all.

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  27. Good advice here! I bet lots of people still think that a granola bar is healthy, or reduced fat peanut butter is better, or even decaffeinated coffee is healthy!

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  28. ~sigh~
    you never cease to amaze me! Is anything sacred and safe to eat anymore?? I have seen countless baking recipes that say use applesauce as an alternative to oil.

    and the gym virtually pushes protein bars on you!
    Wow!

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  29. Mayo in moderation is not as awful as many people think, In truth its mostly eggs, vegetable oil, vinegar & salt, so it is naturally trans-fat free and its a good source of vitamin E and omega-3. I cut the fat by using just a bit mixed with Dijon mustard.

    Oh, and careful with tuna...too much can cause toxic levels of mercury to be stored in the body.

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