In recent decades, we’ve been exposed to countless studies confirming or debunking the latest fads in healthy eating - what’s considered healthy one month seems to be a cancer-causing culprit the next. Despite our best efforts to make health-conscious choices, there are some foods that are part of our regular diets, which can actually be causing us more harm than good.
Here are some popular offerings that actually detrimental to your overall wellness. You’ll be surprised to learn those “healthy” foods aren’t really so.
Bottled Salad Dressing
Everyone knows that eating a salad is a healthy alternative to junk meals, right? Perhaps not. One of the worst things you can do to a medley of fresh, nutritious vegetables is drown them in bottled dressing. Even many fat-free or reduced fat dressings are loaded with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors or coloring.
What’s the Alternative?
Skip the bottled dressing and mix your own homemade ranch dressing, or opt for a few tablespoons of balsamic and extra virgin olive oil mixed with your favorite fresh or dried herbs to give your salad a healthy punch of flavor that won’t tack on the calories or leave you with an unwanted serving of sugars.
Canned Tomato Sauce
When you think about canned tomato sauce, you probable think about the best in savory Italian dishes - from spaghetti and meatballs to pasta alla vodka. What you likely aren’t picturing, however, is the amount of sugar that’s been added to your canned sauce to give it that sweet edge that makes the meal please the palate.
What’s the Alternative?
If you’re buying canned sauce, check your labels. Look for low sugar, low sodium sauces, or make your own by flash-steaming tomatoes and mixing them with a blend of fresh herbs, like oregano and basil, sautéed onions or garlic. You can also opt to buy pureed tomatoes with no added ingredients to better manage flavor and avoid hidden ingredients.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are marketed as the ultimate blend of hydration, electrolytes, and vitamins that our bodies need to get through a rigorous workout. What could be the problem with that? Well, sports drinks were designed by scientists looking to address the deficiencies faced by athletes after intense physical activity, who were facing dehydration and glycogen depletion. Because of this, sports drinks are loaded with electrolytes and sugar. For example, one bottle of Gatorade contains over 30 grams of sugar, which is more than the American Heart Association’s recommended daily intake of 25 grams of added sugars.
What’s the Alternative?
Unless you’ve just spent an hour at the gym, stick to drinking water. If you want to add some flavor and vitamin power, infuse a pitcher of water with slices of lemon, lime, or orange for a burst of flavor and vitamin C.
Agave Nectar
Agave has been touted by health food brands as a healthy, “sugar-free” alternative sweetener. It is often marketed as a better alternative to sugar because of its naturally low glycemic index. However, the health risks associated with high sugar intake have less to do with their glycemic index and more to do with their high levels of fructose, which can lead to problems with fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes). While regular sugar contains around 50 percent fructose, agave contains around 90 percent fructose, making it potentially worse for you than refined sugar.
What’s the Alternative?
Ideally, skipping as many processed foods as possible is the best alternative to worrying about whether a processed product has been sweetened with sugar vs. agave. However, check your ingredient labels to get a sense of what your total sugar intake is, regardless of what the sweetener is.
Margarine
There has been a debate raging for decades about the benefits of butter vs. margarine. However, the most recent studies have shown that margarine, which is created with highly processed plant-based oils, is still loaded with trans fats (or saturated hydrogenated oils). In other words, you’re still at risk for an increase in bad cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
What’s the Alternative?
Can’t convince yourself that butter is the better spread? Skip the debate and use mashed avocado or spiced extra virgin olive oil as a healthier spread or dip. By blending in your favorite mix of spices, you’re skipping the calories and adding a punch of flavor to any dish.
Gluten-Free Foods
Gluten-free has become a fad phrase among the health-conscious. Almost one third of the US population claims an interest in cutting back on gluten or going gluten-free. As a result, our favorite food manufacturers have kept up with the times and offered their own line of gluten-free products, branded as “health foods” or “healthy snacks.”
The biggest issue with this marketing is that these “health foods” aren’t healthy at all. Instead of being made with a gluten grain, they are made with other products like potato starch or tapioca, which are typically highly refined and can spike blood sugar in the same way processed wheat can.
What’s the Alternative?
Some foods are naturally gluten-free, like meats and vegetables. However, doing your homework before embarking on a gluten-free diet is key. In most cases, products that are marketed as “gluten-free” on their packaging may be bad for you.
By taking small steps and incorporating minor changes into your lifestyle, you can slowly work toward a clean eating diet, without shocking your system. This approach not only means you’ll be more likely to stick with the changes, but it will allow less willing family members time to adjust to new tastes and textures as well. It also gives you an opportunity to explore which principles of clean eating suit your lifestyle and your family’s needs, without the strong desire to immediately embrace an entirely different style of eating.