8 “Healthy” Foods That Are Actually Bad For You

There is definitely some food item that you eat regularly, thinking it’s really good for you or is a healthy alternative for something. That might not be true at all. Believe it or not, food names followed by the words fat-free, gluten-free, and organic, might still not be healthy. Take a pizza for instance. It could be gluten-free, organic, and whatnot and still be high in fat and calories.

Here are a few foods that you might swear by, but they’re not good for you at all!

Whole Wheat Bread
Yogurt
Energy Bars
Dried Fruit
Baked Chips
Soy Milk
Margarine
Energy Drinks

Whole Wheat Bread

The healthy food you were hoping for is probably not whole-wheat bread. There is high fructose corn syrup and molasses commonly found in bread, notably “honey whole wheat” loaves. Moreover, whole wheat is just ground into a finer flour that raises your blood sugar levels just as much as white bread.

Yogurt

Since yogurt is one of the few foods naturally high in probiotics, the so-called beneficial bacteria that safeguard your gut flora, it has earned a spot in the hall of fame of health foods. However, not all yogurt is healthy, and frozen yogurt doesn’t really vary from ice cream in any significant way. In addition to being heavy in sugar, it is frequently topped with harmful ingredients like gummy bears and crushed cookie bits. Additionally, flavored yogurts—particularly those marketed toward children—often contain a lot of added sugar.

Energy Bars

Most energy bars, especially those covered in chocolate, have the same amount of sugar, calories, and fat as a typical candy bar. Despite the fact that they contain components like brown rice syrup and additional fiber, they are only convenient sources of calories.

A sugar-filled energy bar is no less than straight-up chocolate. (Source- Unsplash)

Dried Fruit

The dried fruit you’ve been munching on might be loading your diet with sugar. In addition to being preserved with sulfites, one of the most frequent food allergies, many commercially produced dried fruits are coated with additional sugar.

These little sugar-filled treats are just as harmful as candy. (Source- Unsplash)

Baked Chips

Although baked chips have less fat than their deep-fried brethren, they are nevertheless not very healthy. Because baked chips are touted as a healthy alternative and frequently include extra sodium to make up for the lack of fat, you might just persuade yourself that eating more of them isn’t a huge concern.

Chips are unhealthy food, fried or baked. (Source- Unsplash)

Soy Milk

Your favorite flavor of soy milk isn’t doing you any good. Soy milk is frequently quite sweetened in addition to being an endocrine disruptor that may cause havoc in people with hormonal problems. A cup of chocolate soy milk contains 15 grams of sugar on average, while the original flavor only has 7 grams.

Margarine

I think we all know this one. Although margarine used to be praised as a healthier alternative to butter, it’s actually worse for you. About 2 grams of trans fat can be found per tablespoon of margarine, raising your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.

Just eat butter instead. (Source- Pixabay)

Energy Drinks

If you’re chugging these by the can, you have to stop. Seriously, do something about it. A regular can of energy drink may contain the same amount of sugar as a soft drink of the same quantity. Plus that amount of caffeine can never do anyone any good.

A natural fruit juice is much better (Source- Unsplash)

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that just because a food is marketed as “healthy”, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. It’s crucial to do your own research, read labels, and understand the ingredients in the food you’re eating. While some “healthy” foods can be a great addition to a balanced diet, others can be surprisingly unhealthy and do more harm than good. Always strive to make informed decisions and choose whole, minimally processed foods as much as possible. Your body will thank you in the long run.