YIKES…some foods aren’t so healthy after all.
In the 1973 Woody Allen comedy Sleeper, Woody wakes up 200 years in the future and learns that a lot of things have changed, including that certain foods that were once thought unhealthy are now considered nutritious, including cream pie, hot fudge and anything deep-fried.
Going in the opposite direction, it may be that some of the foods we’ve thought were healthy – and, in fact, have stocked up on for an emergency or put in our bug-out bags – might not be all that good for us. And no, I’m not referring to cotton candy and hot dogs. For example, a nice bowl of war soup is something mom would give us when we came in from the cold, but it turns out some soups have way too much sodium.
Fox news recently released an article on their website, 10 Foods that Sound Healthy but Aren’t. Some of the items on this list will surprise you!
Here are the 10 foods that nutrition expert and registered dietitian Katherine Brooking claims are not as healthy as most people think:
- Prepared salads. Tuna, chicken and shrimp salads can have too many fats and calories due to a high mayonnaise content.
- Multi-grain and wheat breads. If these breads are made with refined grains instead of heart-healthy whole grains, they won’t provide as much nutrition.
- Reduced-fat peanut butter. Because regular peanut butter is a source of good monounsaturated fats, it’s at least as good for you as reduced-fat peanut butter, which often contains more sugar.
- Energy bars. Some of these bars are filled with high-fructose corn syrup, added sugar and artery-clogging saturated fat.
- Bran muffins. Small muffins aren’t bad for you, but the Buick-sized muffins found in many coffee shops are another story. Some have too much sodium.
- Smoothies. Again, it’s about serving sizes, which in some chain stores can reach 500 calories. Adding ice cream or sherbet doesn’t help.
- Packaged turkey. The recommendation here is to find a brand that has less than 350 milligrams of sodium per two-ounce serving.
- Fat-free foods. Don’t just assume that a food or beverage is good for you because it’s fat free. Check the nutrition labels.
- Restaurant baked potatoes. This is a healthy choice until you add 10 pounds of butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits.
- Sports drinks. Great for when you lose electrolytes in an intense workout, their high sugar content is not so good for casual drinking.
How about you? What foods or beverages did you once think were healthy before learning better? And what about ones you discovered were healthy only after you’d already acquired a taste for them?
End of the day, & I now have time to answer your second question. 20+ years ago, a marriage ended, & with it, the expected menus. For the first time, I discovered salsas, & jalapenos, & I was HOOKED. I put salsa on the cheap mac-&-cheese we ate to get by & called it good. Tuna casserole got the same. I found myself drawn to the stuff, even planning meals around it, & then learned that it not only boosts your mood, but also your immune system. I have not been without it since, & have learned how to make my own. I don’t remember how I first stumbled onto salsas, but I do know that I had mentally dismissed them as junk food. But now I think a good salsa might just save your life!!
Jalapenos get added to scrambled eggs. They are amazing baked with a stuffing of ground meat & mushrooms & cheese. Green chilis enhance a great variety of foods, & they also purportedly help reduce pain. . I am not brave enough to try habaneros, but there are many varieties of chiles out there that will not only enhance what’s on your plate, but also enhance your health.
Eliminating virtually all processed foods & convenience foods has been a real eye-opener for me. It takes time & planning, but the improvement in how I feel is astonishing. I have become a label-reader, & if a product contains things I can’t pronounce, I don’t eat it. Healthy versions of some of the things on your list can be made in your own kitchen, & for less money. Greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%) easily replaces both mayo & sour cream in many recipes & adds protein. Everyone that reads your blog is on the internet, so we all have access to information & there are lots of sites that can help you learn about reworking recipes. Growing your own food is the best defense, but buying local, buying fresh, & buying organic are good, too. I make my own soups from scratch which is time consuming but so worth it, & having it to take for lunch has kept me away from “fast food” for years. Speaking for myself, I think the biggest issue was the time factor. I got addicted to convenience. Now I experiment fearlessly! The worst that can happen is that something won’t be as good as I hoped & will end up in the dog’s dish or the compost pile. More often, it is so delicious that I make it again & again. I confess that I have had a few lapses, but I felt sick afterward, so being lazy in the kitchen does not pay well. Lunch today: shrimp salad, made with whole grain pasta, Greek yogurt, fresh asparagus & red bell pepper, onion &obviously shrimp, & avocado slices on the side. Sound good? Sound healthy?
I think the ONLY way to get healthy food is to purchase some land if you dont already have some, get a part time job, spend 4 hours slaving for someone and another 8 slaving for yourself, growing your own food!