12 Unhealthy Foods You Thought Were Good For You

Companies know that people will pay extra for foods that they think are good for them, so some will advertise that their product is healthy while actually not talking about some not-so-nutritious content. You might have thought these foods were good for you, but be wary; they could actually contain a lot more sugar, salt, or other unhealthy additives than you would assume.

Sports Drinks

If there’s one thing that companies like Gatorade want you to know, it’s that their beverages are not only delicious, they’re healthy. Since they market almost exclusively to athletes, they don’t want you to know that each 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade contains nine teaspoons of sugar. Gatorade’s parent company, Pepsi, puts about the same amount sugar into each bottle of their flagship cola.

Frozen Yogurt

Compared to ice cream, frozen yogurt does have less saturated fat.  But when it comes to sugar and calories the two sweet treats aren’t that different.  And once you load up on sugary toppings like cookie dough pieces, Oreos, and chocolate syrup your frozen yogurt is just as bad as ice cream.

Dried Fruit

Eating fruit that has been dehydrated does not carry the same nutritional value as fresh fruit.  When fruit is dried it loses a lot of it’s healthy vitamins and minerals.  Then it is loaded with a bunch of unnecessary sugar to give it a sweet taste.  If you are craving fruit, go for the fresh stuff instead.

Prepared Salads

If you are trying to choose a healthy option while eating out, a salad usually isn’t your best bet.  Aside from the insanely large portion size, restaurant salads are packed with croutons, cheese, and an unnecessary amount of salad dressing.

Trail Mix

Anytime a company adds salt and candy to something, it’s safe to assume that it isn’t health food. The salt and sugar added to many trail mix bags are loaded with calories and extra grams of fat. A healthier alternative, once again, is to make it at home with your own ingredients.

Health Bars

Health bar companies like to boast about the all the nutrients they pack into each bar they package. The same companies tend to neglect mentioning all of the sugar and fat in the same bar. Despite the healthy-sounding name, a single Soyjoy Mango Coconut Fruit and Soy bar contains four grams of saturated fat and eleven grams of sugar.

Diet Soda

A dangerous trap that many people fall into is thinking that diet soda equals health food. While some diet sodas are better than others, Diet Coke is notoriously acidic. On a scale where battery acid has a pH level of 1 and water has a 7, Diet Coke has a pH of 3.28.

Cereal

Buying healthy cereal can be tough so it’s easy to look for a brand that you trust. When buying something like Trader Joe’s Banana Nut Clusters, you’re likely inclined to think that you’re buying health food. Unfortunately, this “healthy” cereal, like so many others, contains twelve grams of sugar in each serving.

Frozen Meals

Frozen dinners often trick buyers with healthy-souding names. For example, Lean Cuisine’s sesame chicken platter contains 650 milligrams of sodium which is more than a quarter of the daily recommended amount in one meal. Despite the name, it’s generally a good idea to avoid frozen dinners.

Prepared Smoothies

Sugar and serving size are, once again, to blame for this unhealthy health food. While fruit and ice alone are perfectly healthy, the addition of sugar and ice cream completely defeats the smoothie’s purpose. Homemade smoothies in smaller portions are a much healthier option.

Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

The words “reduced fat” are a surefire way to grab the attention of health-conscious shoppers. Unfortunately, as is the case with so many marketing schemes, just because it sounds healthy doesn’t make it so. Like many other reduced fat items, what reduced fat peanut butter lacks in fat, it makes up for with extra sugar to increase flavor.

Fruit Juices

Like many other foods striving to be healthy, the problem with fruit juices is the sugar. In fact, many commercial fruit juices have just as much sugar as soda. This is especially tricky since fruit juice seems like such a healthy alternative to other soft drinks.

Fat-Free Sweets

Fat-free sweets seem like a perfect balance between indulgence and diet. Unfortunately, fat-free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. Since many companies use fat as a flavor additive, they have to add extra sugar and sweetener to make up for the product’s taste loss.

Muffins

It’s easy to compare bran muffins to candy bars and point out the glaring nutritional differences, but it’s harder to accept that not all muffins are created equal. Many muffins at chain bakeries are not only loaded with sodium, but are also enormous in their serving size. Without moderation, muffins can be just as unhealthy as even the worst offenders in the junk food isle.

Processed Bread

While people generally know that white bread isn’t particularly healthy, they often don’t realize the extent of how unhealthy processed bread can really be. Not only do most processed breads lack substantial nutritional value, but the product can actually spike blood sugar levels. This is especially dangerous for people with diabetes.