There are definitely many foods that fall into the “healthy” category, and many that are definitely considered “unhealthy.” But there are also unhealthy foods that somehow make their way into the healthy food category, misleading people and making them think that they are eating the right way when they really aren’t.
What are the unhealthiest health foods that actually have no business in that category in the first place? Keep reading to learn about a few of them.
“Fat Free” and “Low Fat” Foods
Any processed food that has a label stating it is “low fat” or “fat free” should be avoided. While experts used to think that saturated fat was bad for you, it turns out that new research is proving that saturated fats aren’t all that bad for you after all. Plus, most of the time, there are loads of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients in “low fat” and “fat free” foods in an effort to compensate for the flavor that is lost when fat is removed. A diet high in sugar can be very harmful to your overall health, so it is best to just stick with naturally low fat foods instead.
Fruit Juices
Juicing and making smoothies at home from whole ingredients is definitely better than purchasing juice from the supermarket. Put simply, fruit juice is basically nothing more than liquid sugar, so it should only be consumed in moderation, and it certainly should not be considered a health food. In fact, experts feel that juice is one of the unhealthiest health foods out there, especially when you consider how many juices are sold that contain not only sugar, but artificial ingredients and preservatives too. As mentioned above, stick with juicing at home and making smoothies that contain fiber.
Agave Nectar
Want to avoid high fructose corn syrup because you have read about how bad it is for your health? Then you might be convinced that you should switch to agave nectar. Think again. Agave nectar is actually one of the unhealthiest health foods because it is worse than sugar. This is because sugar is roughly 50% fructose, and high fructose corn syrup is roughly 55% fructose, but agave nectar is anywhere from 70-90% fructose. Just stick with regular sugar but limit your consumption.
Now that you have a clearer picture of what is really considered health food and what isn’t, you can start making smarter choices every time you head to the grocery store.