When it comes down to choosing the right foods, you might think that
ones that are normally touted as "healthy" should be good for you.
Unfortunately, many foods have gotten this positive reputation, but could be a
sugar or fat calorie bomb in disguise, or they might be hazardous to your
health if eaten in excess. The good news is that we had a few dietitians weigh
in on a few misleading "superfoods," so you can better
manage your diet and portion control, keeping everything in balance.
Coconut
Water
"Sometimes referred to as nature's sports drink, coconut water is
superhigh in potassium, which is great for preventing cramps during VERY
strenuous workouts but lower in sodium than a typical sports drink, which you
also need to replenish during and after a prolonged workout,"
explains Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The
Protein-Packed Breakfast Club.
"The problem is that short of professional athletes and those
working out for several hours at a time, it's unnecessary and contains about
60-120 calories per 11-14 ounce bottle. Also, many people don't like the taste
so it's tough to consume enough to rehydrate properly. So for a regular workout
at the gym, stick with water," she says.
Rice
Cakes
"Often thought of as a super-low-calorie food for dieters, rice
cakes are sorely lacking in nutrition, fibre, and flavour. Since it takes a ton
of nut butter, jelly, hummus, or other toppings to make them taste better, the
calorie count can skyrocket quickly, especially since you need to eat several
to feel any satisfaction," says Harris-Pincus. "And the flavoured
varieties can pack a lot of sodium and sugar without any significant
nutritional benefit," she adds, so you'll need to be cautious when it
comes to labels, too.
Dried
Fruit
Not all dried fruit is created equal, and it takes some supermarket
sleuthing to figure out which ones are better choices. "Adding raisins or
other unsweetened dried fruits to oatmeal, yoghurt, or salads is a great way to
pump up the nutrition and fibre in your diet. However, make sure there is no
sugar added (with the exception of cranberries that are too tart to eat
plain)," says Harris-Pincus. "One brand of dried mango contains 160
calories and 32 grams of sugar in six slices (1.5 ounces)," she says.
Definitely read your labels here.
Granola
"For some reason granola cereal has always had a health halo around
it, but the problem is that not all varieties are healthy choices. There
are many brands that are packed with added sugar and are high in
calories," says Keri Gans,
MS, RDN, CDN. "Breakfast cereals, like granola, should instead
be high in fibre, which may lower cholesterol, help stabilise blood sugars, and
promote bowel regularity, not added sugar," she says.
Green
Juice
"Just because a juice promotes that it contains green veggies or
other colourful vegetables, it doesn't mean that the juice is actually
providing a single serving of veggies. If you read the nutrition facts label on
many brands, you may find that they actually contain zero percent of many
important nutrients, such as vitamin A or vitamin C, and only provide extra
calories," says Gans. "So read labels before buying, and look for a
brand that contains at least one serving of veggies, such as a 5.5-ounce can of
V8 Original vegetable juice, which provides 15 percent of the RDA of vitamin A
and 60 percent of vitamin C," she suggests.
Salmon
Take note: this is for farm-raised only, not wild-caught salmon, which
is totally good for you. "If you're eating farm-raised salmon, you may be
getting plenty of omega-3s but also more saturated fat than in
wild-caught," says Kelly R. Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. Here's the real issue
though: "Some farm-raised varieties are artificially dyed pink and others
have been found to have traces of antibiotics used to treat the fish in their
crowded conditions. According to the Environmental Working Group, imported farmed salmon is also
one of the top five foods with the worst environmental footprint," she
says. Be sure to check labels, and stay safe.
Bottled
Salad Dressing
"Don't get me wrong: some bottled salad dressings that don't
contain a ton of weird ingredients and aren't loaded with sugar are perfectly
OK. But others contain lots of weird ingredients, like high fructose corn
syrup, emulsifiers, and artificial colouring," says Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD.
"It's so easy to just whisk together oil and vinegar and have a salad
dressing from scratch. Don't mess up your healthy salad by dressing it with a
funky bottled salad dressing," she says.
Trail
Mix
"I don't really understand why trail mix is marketed as healthy
because it usually is just nuts with candy," says Rizzo. "Yes, if
you're spending the afternoon hiking, feel free to have the extra sugar. But
for people who eat this snack at their desk or on their couch, it's no better
than eating some candy with nuts on the side. In other words, it's full of
sugar and calories that you likely don't need in a snack," she says.
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