It’s obvious to all of us which foods are healthy for us and which ones are not…well, not always. Let me explain. Just because we think something is good for us, it’s not always the case. For instance, you have heard about “natural” and “organic” foods and products. They should be healthy for us, right? Well, it’s time to check the label. Here’s what I fell for…
My Recent Realization
I tend to purchase natural and hormone free meats so I can avoid the hormones. Recently I found some 100% natural angus beef that was easy to cook and tasted great, until I checked the label. It turns out that just 4 oz of this meat contained 17 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat (the bad kind of fat), and it even had trans fat in it. But it gets worse! 1, 4 oz. patty had 250 calories of which 150 calories came from fat. 60% of the calories came from fat! Pretty disgusting in my opinion. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all about consuming fat in my diet, but I just don’t want to consume high amounts all at one time, especially saturated and trans fat. But I have to admit, that wasn’t the only thing I’ve been tricked on lately.
I eat dried cranberries at least 3 or 4 times a week. My wife pointed out that the first ingredient in my seemingly natural dried fruit, was added sugar. I never saw that coming. There are a lot of surprises in your pantry though. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Surprisingly Bad for you Foods.
Top 10 Suprisingly “Bad for You” Foods
10. Blue Foods - M&Ms, slushies, icing, etc… Do you know what the blue dye is? It turns out that either Blue Dye #1 or Blue Dye #2 is used in your food. Blue Dye #1 comes from coal tar or synthetic oil. Blue Dye #2 is used to color your blue jeans.
9. Smoothies – I won’t list specific smoothies because there are many different places and types, but you can easily consume 1,000 calories and tons of sugar in some places. Best to ask for nutrition information before ordering.
8. Chipotle Chicken Burrito - Chicken, lettuce, and rice can’t be that bad, right? Actually, you could end up with a 1,040 calorie meal 16 1/2 grams of saturated fat and 2,500 mg of sodium. Cut out the cheese and sour cream and you still have 810 calories and 2,300 mg of sodium.
7. Popcorn - Some of the popcorn that may be in your pantry may have as much as 11 grams of fat and 7 grams of trans fat in a Snack Size container. Not all popcorn is bad, but I still hear from people who think all popcorn is good for them.
6. Canned Soup - One can of soup can sometimes contain enough sodium to equal your entire daily limit. If you have high blood pressure, you better be careful.
5. Yogurt Cups - Not all of them are bad, but many are. If your yogurt contains corn syrup, it’s time to switch yogurts.
4. Reduced Fat Peanut Butter - The fat is removed and they add sugar instead. Stick to a natural peanut butter. Yes, the kind with the oil floating on top. Sounds unhealthy, but it’s actually better for you.
3. Canned Beans - Not all beans of course, because they can be healthy. Take a look at Boston Baked Beans for instance. They are loaded with corn syrup. I know they are easier to make and we are all restricted on time, just take a look at the label before you feed it to the family.
2. Fruit Juice - Fruit is good for you and some juice can be ok, but there is one problem. Fruit juice is basically fruit, without the fiber (which is healthy for you). If you have a choice, pick up the fruit.
1. Diet Soda - Sure it’s low in calories and gives you a kick start for the day, but the caffeine dehydrates you and the aspartame can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, depression, insomnia, tinnitus, and possibly cancer.
Are you surprised by this? We all have things to learn about nutrition, which is why I am hosting a nutrition seminar Tuesday night.
Weighting to Downsize
Tuesday, June 30th 7-8 PM
Seven Meadows Residents Club
23610 Seven Meadows Parkway
Katy , TX 77494
Register Now
There is a $10 fee to cover our expenses for this event.
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About Jason Hodge
Good point. I hadn’t thought about it quite that way.