Gotta love food marketers. They got slapped down a couple of years ago for calling things "Lite" when there was nothing light, low calorie or low fat, about them. Coming soon, "phat phree".
Even without creative spelling there are a few things out there that food marketers want us to think are "healthy", but may be no better - and in some cases, worse - than regular foods.
Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD and the Nutrition Director or
Prevention Magazine, wrote a list of 5 Pseudo-Healthy Foods—and 5 That Are Healthier Than You Think. The piece was
posted on MSN Health & Fitness and here's a rundown of what she said:
The 5 Pseudo-Healthy Foods:
1 - Diet Soda
According to Sass, "studies show that diet drinkers actually weigh more than regular soda drinkers." The reason is the diet drink can throw off your body's appetite regulation, or make you think, because you're drinking diet, it's ok to eat high calorie foods.
2 - Pretzels
This one threw me. Pretzels are fat free. And they're better for you than fried chips. So why did they make Sass's list? They're made with refined white flour that's void of nutrition and pack a serious carb punch. One 15-ounce bag or pretzels is equal to
24 slices of white bread.
3 - Spinach Wrap
Rarely made of actual spinach. Usually made from spinach powder, white flour and food coloring. Has about 170 calories, not counting the fillings stuffed inside.
4 - Blueberry Scone
Each harmless looking little scone hides over 400 calories, and over half the fat you should have in an entire day.
5 - Vitamin Water
Along with the vitamins, it packs over 200 calories per bottle.
The 5 Foods That are Healthier Than You Think
1 - Dried Fruit
Buy unsweetened and you get the same nutrients as fresh fruit, just with most of the water removed.
2 - Frozen Veggies
According to Sass, "a recent study found that the vitamin C content of fresh broccoli plummeted 56 percent in seven days, but dipped just 10 percent in a year's time when frozen..." And they found that some nutrients actually increased after freezing.
3 - Bananas
They can be high in calories, but they're loaded with nutrients and have no fat, cholesterol or sodium.
4 - White Potatoes
Not the carb-monster you think. A baseball sized spud packs a resistant starch that can actually help you burn fat. It's also got vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium. Feel free to be a meat and potatoes man again.
5 - Juice
A cup of juice still counts as a serving of fruit, the sugar is natural, not added, and some are loaded with anti-oxidants. The highest of those are
pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, black cherry juice, açaí juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, and apple juice.
Read the full article here.