Be cautious of foods that appear healthy but may not be beneficial for your well-being.

Are you being fooled by foods promoted as “healthy” that turn out to be not so good for your health?  Some foods marketed as “healthy” can still be high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats.  To make informed choices one has to read labels and understand the nutritional content of foods. 

What are some examples of misleading “healthy” foods?

•      Plant-Based Meat:  These have been the rage but now seem to have lost their popularity.  Good thing as many of the plant-based meat products are not so good for your health.  I had a student that was so proud of switching from eating a regular hamburger to a plant-based hamburger and really thought that this was so much better for her health.  Was it?  McDonald’s tested the McPlant burger based on Beyond Meat but it ended in 2022 and never went nationwide.  Burger King offered Impossible Burgers in 2019 as the Impossible Whopper.   The Burger King website says the Impossible Whopper patty is made from “soy and potato protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil and heme”.
  

• These plant-based meats sound healthier than real meat but they are considered highly-processed foods and may be higher in salt and fat.  The Impossible Whopper has coconut oil which is not a heart healthy oil.  (See:  Skip the coconut oil )  According to Burger King website, the Impossible Whopper Sandwich provides 630 calories, with 310 calories from fat.  So, about 50% of the calories are fat calories.  It provides no cholesterol (cholesterol is only found in animal foods) but 1080 mg of sodium. 
• Even the former Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey,  wasn’t a big fan of plant-based meat.  “If you look at the ingredients, they are super highly processed foods.  I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy.  I think people thrive on eating whole foods.”

•  .   Turkey in a Spinach Wrap:  These sound so healthy but not really.  First the turkey is deli-turkey which means it is higher in salt unlike cooked turkey which is very low in sodium.  The wrap has only a little spinach and isn’t whole grain.  As dietitian Anna Taylor, R.D., LD notes, “Spinach wraps may look and sound healthier, but they contain only trace amounts of spinach and are typically made with refined grains  --- meaning no calorie or carb savings.  And no added fiber.”  For a healthier wrap, choose whole-grain wraps filled with veggies and some lean protein.  (See:  Fast food sandwiches to enjoy and those to skip)
• Granola or Protein Bars:  Everyone thinks these are a healthy snack and some bars are.  However, many have lots of added sugar, have chocolate coatings and not really a healthy choice.  Same with protein bars, some are better choices than others.  (See:  Are protein bars healthy? )
• Multigrain or Wheat Bread:  Most of my students were stumped by this one.  Multigrain means the bread contains many different grains but it doesn’t mean “whole grain”.  Wheat bread is usually white bread dyed brown and no healthier than white bread.  After all, most white bread is made from wheat flour.  Breads made from whole grains are better for health as they contain all the nutrients in the grain and fiber.  Some breads are made from refined grains and whole wheat.  My daughter likes this bread better as it isn’t so dry and tastes better to her.  She is getting some benefit of the whole wheat in this bread.  When choosing a multigrain bread, choose a bread with whole grains as the first ingredient. (See: Choose some healthy bread)   

• Sports Drinks:  Some people think sports drinks are for everyone and are a healthy option.  One of my students gave her three-year-old some Sports Drink every day.  He wasn’t in any sports.  In my class she learned this Sports Drink was high in added sugars, high in calories and had little nutritional value.  Athletes use sports drinks to replace electrolytes lost from sweat during exercise.  For people who aren’t exercising, these aren’t a healthy option. 
• Margarine:  For years, my husband and I chose margarine, especially the brands promoted as heart healthy.  Then I read the list of ingredients on the margarine we were using.  Full of additives so we decided to switch to real butter.  Butter can be hard to spread but we found Land O Lakes butter with canola oil which spreads easily and canola oil is heart healthy.  The list of ingredients is:  sweet cream, canola oil and salt.  Both of my daughters now use butter.  One uses Land O Lakes butter with olive oil and sea salt.  Easy to spread and tastes delicious. 

• Juice Drinks:  So many people are fooled by juice drinks.  Many think they are getting real juice when they are mostly buying colored sugar water.  Many of my students thought lemonade was juice, fruit punch was juice or Sunny D was 100% juice.  Neither lemonade or fruit punch are real juice but mostly sugar water.  A student recorded her well-known fruit punch drink as a serving of fruit.  I looked up the ingredients and there was actually no fruit or juice in this beverage.  It was just artificially flavored sugar water.  This student actually had no fruit or juice in her diet that day.  How do you know if you are drinking real juice?  Consumer Reports has a great article, Decoding Fruit Juice Labels.  Basically, look at the ingredients.  The only ingredient should be 100% fruit juice.  (Also see:  Are you drinking real juice or fake juice?)   

Conclusion:  So easy to be mislead by food labels and food claims.  Reading labels, understanding the nutrition terms used, and nutrient profile of foods helps in making informed choices.  As noted, some foods appear to be a healthy choice, but are not as nutritious as they appear.  Take some time this week to read the ingredient label on the foods and beverages you buy to see what is in the food and raise your awareness about choosing foods truly beneficial to your health.    

Sources:  burger , Skip the coconut oil , Whole Foods , notes , wrap , Fast food sandwiches to enjoy and those to skip, Are protein bars healthy? , Choose some healthy bread , Land O Lakes , Decoding Fruit Juice Labels , Are you drinking real juice or fake juice?   Image Sources:  Butter   , Orange juice , Bread , Unhealthy food