They look healthy, sound healthy and many food companies work hard to convince you they are healthy, but there are many foods that are anything but nutritious. These items are packed with fat, calories, added sugars and other artificial ingredients that are not needed by the body. If you are looking to get fit, you need to be wary of these bad foods that get a healthy rap. Check out some of the worst offenders below.
Protein bars
One thing you need to bear in mind is that just because it has protein does not mean that a protein bar is nutritious. As a matter of fact, most of the protein bars out there are no better than a bar of chocolate, which means they are full of saturated fats and sugar with very little protein. These bars cannot offer you any benefit other than the protein, which you can get from your diet as well. If you do want a healthy protein bar, look for one that comprises of whole ingredients that have not been broken down because they can provide nutrition beyond protein.
Veggie burgers
Sure, there are some veggie burgers that are healthy, but most are not because they are usually held together by lots of cheese, which means they are full of saturated fat. They can also come with lots of unhealthy oils and very few have real vegetables.
Frozen diet entrees
Low calorie frozen meals may sound healthy, but they do not really offer any such benefits, particularly for men. They are usually 300 calories, which is not enough to satiate anyone and you will still be left hungry, which can prompt you to snack. Moreover, these meals tend to be very high in sodium and do not have enough vegetables.
Gluten-free products
Even though some people cannot eat gluten due to medical reasons, many people eliminate this protein because they believe it is healthy to do so. But, you should remember that gluten-free foods are not good for weight management because they often have the same number of calories as their gluten-containing counterparts. In addition, they are also more expensive.
Veggie chips
These days, the snack aisle is full of pepper chips, carrot chips and spinach chips and most people assume they are healthy because of the vegetable content. However, in most cases, these chips still use potato as their base and then sprinkle a bit of tomato, spinach or pea powder for some color. This means there is not a lot of nutrition involved.
Multigrain pasta, bread or cereal
As compared to refined grains, whole grains are healthier because they have more minerals, fiber and vitamins. What about multigrain? This does not tell you anything about nutrition except for the fact that there is more than one type of grain used. It could mean refined wheat and corn flour may have been used together, which is not necessarily good for you. Unless the ingredients contain whole wheat, or whole corn, you are not going to get a lot of benefits.
