Not So Healthy "Health" Foods
Foods that Spike Your Blood Sugar and Boost Fat Storage
By Marie Spano, MS, RD
"Eat chips, be healthy." That's the implication anyway, thanks to a newly approved claim on food products, which says "replacing saturated fat with similar amounts of unsaturated fats may reduce the risk of heart disease."
In January, Frito-Lay submitted a notification to apply the claim to foods with a total unsaturated fat content of 80 percent or more of total fat. This means that this claim can appear on salad dressings, sauces, dips, and even crackers and chips.
Is this sending the wrong message?
It's no wonder picking the right foods can be so darn confusing! Foods you may think are off limits are either fortified with vitamins and minerals or have claims on their packaging making them appear more healthy.
In fact, seemingly healthy foods aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Here are ten foods that are perfect examples of foods that are posing as healthy choices (while they're anything but):
 1. Trail Mix
 Some trail mixes are chockfull of candy, added sodium, and partially hydrogenated oils. For those of us who need to beef up our calorie intake, thanks to the nuts and seeds, trail mix is a great way to add calories while obtaining healthy fats. But, take a close look at the ingredients list for the trail mix you're choosing.
While some are comprised of only healthy nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, others are chockfull of candy (with high amounts of sugar), added sodium (which isn't really bad unless you have high blood pressure and don't mind a little temporary water retention), and partially hydrogenated oils (which you want to avoid completely!).
Take Harmony Premium Trail Mix® for example. It contains partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, candy coated lentils, and oddly enough, wax. Not exactly a healthy choice any way you look at it.
Another product that looks to be healthy on the outside is Slim Fast Optima Chewy Granola Bar, Trail Mix® (Fruit & Nut) bars. However, the first ingredient in this product is corn syrup, and if you look down the line, you'll also find high fructose corn syrup, fructose, and honey. These bars have four different types of sugar in them to account for a total of 15 grams of sugar per bar. They also contain partially hydrogenated palm oil. The box says each bar provides up to four hours of hunger control. However, a bowl of ice cream can also control hunger thanks to all the fat it provides (which is slow to digest), but that doesn't make it a healthy choice!
Keep in mind, ingredients on any food or beverage are listed in descending order of weight (from most to least), and therefore, the first few ingredients should not include added sugars if you are concerned about your sugar intake, blood sugar levels, weight, bodyfat composition, energy levels, or overall health. That probably covers just about anyone reading this article...
2. Granola
 There are many healthy granola cereals and granola bars available. However, you can also find brands that are really no better than candy bars. There are many healthy granola cereals and granola bars available (especially if you shop in health-food stores). However, you can also find brands that are really just candy bars with some granola mixed in. They may contain Butterfinger pieces, M&M's, Snickers, or other candy bits. Sure, they taste great, but they certainly don't do much for your waistline or to stabilize your blood sugar levels. And, even those that haven't succumbed to adding candy bits still may contain partially hydrogenated oils and as much sugar as a typical candy bar.
For example, one 1.05-oz pouch of Kellogg's new Granola Munch'ems® contains 130 calories, 35% fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and nine grams of sugar. Munch'ems are sweetened with sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup and contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil.
Likewise, Slim Fast Optima Chewy Granola Meal Bars, Chocolate Chip, aren't exactly a wise choice either. The first ingredient is corn syrup, followed by milk chocolate-flavored coating, which contains sugar and partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Though Slim Fast added a few good fibers (inulin and guar gum), this bar contains 3.5 grams of saturated fat (trans fat content isn't listed), 15 grams of sugar, and 220 calories.
3. Cereal Bars and Energy Bars
Cereal bars are akin to many of the granola bars out there. Many list white flour and sugar within the first few ingredients. One very tasty cereal bar that has been around for years is Kellogg's Nutri·Grain® bars. The name sounds healthy, and they certainly are a bargain compared to most protein bars on the market. However, each one lists high fructose corn syrup and sugar as the first two ingredients, followed closely by corn syrup, fructose, and high fructose corn syrup. Down the list you'll find partially hydrogenated oils and yet more sugar in the form of honey. These bars contain 13 grams of sugar per 140 calories. That's over four teaspoons worth of sugar.
 If you are going to choose a cereal bar, look for one that does not list partially hydrogenated oils among its ingredients. Kellogg's Special K® bars are just 90 calories (though they are also small, weighing in at just 22 grams) yet contain seven grams of sugar, less than one gram of fiber, and partially hydrogenated oils. Don't be fooled by the portion size as it might take two or even three of these bars to satisfy your hunger.
If you are going to choose a cereal bar, look for one that does not list partially hydrogenated oils among its ingredients, contains some fiber, and is low in sugar. Or, opt for a handful of healthy high-fiber cereal instead.
Energy bars, aka nutrition bars, might also be loaded with sugar and fat. The purpose of an energy bar is that it provides a good source of portable nutrition. However, here again, you need to be careful about which one you choose. There are more nutrition/energy bars on the market than it is possible to name, so instead of identifying culprits in this article, we are going to insist that you take a close look at your favorite bar.
The first few ingredients shouldn't include sugar or white flour, and there should be no hydrogenated oils whatsoever. Instead, a good bar should contain a fair amount of protein (aim for at least six grams per 100 calories) and little sugar. (Click here to read the full PDF article of Paul Crane's review of popular nutrition bars from the last printed issue of Real SOLUTIONS.)
4. Dried Fruit
 Many dried fruits contain added sugar and oils. Dried fruit is a great addition to many healthy trail mixes, and when cooked in oatmeal, it adds a nice sweet taste to this mild-flavored food. However, you should be aware of which dried fruit you are choosing. Many, especially cherries and cranberries, typically contain sugar to decrease the otherwise tart taste. Some have added oils as well.
Melissa's Dried Cranberries list sucrose as their first ingredient. That means this product contains more sugar than cranberries! They also contain partially hydrogenated sunflower oil. Yet Melissa's website states their "dried cranberries offer a wholesome, low-calorie snack." Ummm...?
New England Cranberry Fruit Sweetened Dried Wild Blueberries contain high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated cottonseed/soybean oil. Deerfield Farms Fruit Bites contain several fruits as well as partially hydrogenated soybean oil and cottonseed oils.
There are also several brands of yogurt-covered dried fruit. Unfortunately, the yogurt covering in these is not the same as the healthy stuff you eat with a spoon. Yogurt coatings contain sugar and partially hydrogenated oils, which makes yogurt-covered anything not a good choice. (Yes, that includes the yogurt-coated clusters in All Bran cereal).
If you love dried fruit, opt for the kind in the health-food section of your major grocery store or go to a health-food store. These stores are more likely to carry something without hydrogenated oils and some that are at least lower in sugar than those listed above.
5. Banana Chips
Banana chips look like dehydrated fruit, but unfortunately, they also contain some type of oil and oftentimes added sugar as well. In the dehydrated form, this healthy fruit is laden with fat and sugar in every handful. Opt for a real banana instead.
6. Nuts & Seeds
 Many mixed nuts also have added oils, some of which are partially hydrogenated. We all need healthy fat in our diets. Fat is essential for hormone production and absorption and transportation of fat-soluble vitamins. Plus, it cushions and protects organs and is part of our cell membranes. Nuts and seeds provide a good bit of monounsaturated fat. However, be sure to pick up packets or canisters that only contain nuts and salt (again, as long as you don't have to worry about high blood pressure or water retention).
Many of the packets you may pick up in a gas station, for instance, also have added oils, some of which are partially hydrogenated. Other nut products, such as Planters Trail Mix®, Honey Nut Medley, may indicate that they contain no trans fat, but this only means they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving. And, who eats just one serving? Especially when the serving size is just four tablespoons! This product contains partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, several types of sugar, and 160 calories, and 10 grams of sugar in each tiny serving. Other products also throw in a hefty serving of MSG (monosodium glutamate)—another ingredient you'll want to avoid if health is important to you.
7. Peanut Butter
 Once again, a healthy food can be made anything but healthy thanks to the addition of sugar and bad fats. Like nuts, peanut butter itself is very healthy. Especially when you opt for freshly ground peanut butter (peanuts only). However, some companies add partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (which isn't necessary). Skippy's Roasted Honey Nut Super Chunk Peanut Butter® contains honey (per the name) as well as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and three partially hydrogenated oils! Once again, a healthy food is made anything but healthy thanks to the addition of sugar and bad fats.
8. Veggie Chips
For those who aren't so fond of vegetables, eating veggies in the form of chips sounds great. Not surprisingly, however, it turns out plain vegetables are still much better for you. Veggie chips contain more than just dehydrated veggies—they also contain oil (sometimes partially hydrogenated and sometimes just regular canola oil), which increases the total calorie intake and total fat. And, like most chips, eating just one serving isn't realistic. It's easy to tell how many servings of vegetables are on your plate when you sit down to dinner, but chips are often eaten right out of the bag while we are doing something mindless like watching TV or driving down the road.
Don't fool yourself into thinking you can eat all the veggie chips you want or replace good old vegetables with chips. You'll get more calories and fat than you bargained for (and fewer nutrients).
9. Chai Tea
Next to water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Luckily, it is full of antioxidant compounds, and epidemiological and clinical trials are starting to link tea's health benefits to a lower risk of certain diseases. However, just like the jacked-up specialty coffee drinks, certain kinds of tea drinks have added sugar and fat and are loaded with calories.
Chai tea, for instance, contains a sweetener and milk. You can make chai that is low calorie by adding skim milk and an artificial sweetener or stevia; however, most chai teas you buy ready to drink as well as those from specialty tea shops contain whole milk (or cream) and regular sugar. Opt for plain green tea instead.
10. Trans-Free Foods
The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005) does not indicate a safe level of consumption of trans fats but instead tells us to reduce our intake of trans fats. Therefore, you should aim to eliminate these foods from your diet.
Per U.S. FDA labeling requirements, trans fats are listed on the nutrition label under Saturated Fats. However, if a product contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving and makes no health claims about fat, fatty acids, or cholesterol, trans fats do not need to be listed on the nutrition label. Instead, a footnote should appear on the product indicating that it is "not a significant source of trans fat." And, a food product that contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving can also list 0 g under trans fat on the Nutrition Facts panel—even if it contains partially hydrogenated oil (which might also be listed as "shortening"). Therefore, take into account the serving size on the container and how much you are actually consuming.
For instance, if you use creamer in your coffee, one tablespoon is often listed as the serving size. Many coffee creamers contain partially hydrogenated oil yet may list that they are "trans fat free." So if you use two tablespoons in your coffee, how much trans fats are you getting? Oftentimes, there is no clear way to tell. But, it is safe to assume that the product contains just under 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and, therefore, if you consume twice the serving size, you are probably getting about one gram of trans fats.
For some of these products, you may consume many times the serving size. Take butter sprinkles. The serving size is one teaspoon, yet five teaspoons or more may seem more realistic to flavor a medium-sized baked potato and steamed broccoli.
In addition to listing a product as "trans fat free," restaurants also try to make their products appear more healthy by indicating that their food is fried in oil, not shortening or partially hydrogenated oil.
In Conclusion
Before you pick up a packaged food or eat out in a restaurant, think about what you are actually getting. For packaged foods, take a good look at the ingredient list. Pretty packaging and smart marketing can fool even a wise consumer into thinking a product is healthy when it really isn't.
While the bulk of your diet should consist of whole foods (veggies, fruits, eggs, lean meat and poultry, fish, etc.), sometimes processed foods come in handy, save us time, and keep our hunger pangs at bay. And, these foods can fit into a healthy diet (unless you have a physique competition just a few weeks away) if you choose wisely and are vigilant over food labels.
It may take some time at first to learn which foods to avoid. But with the suggestions in this article, before you know it, you'll know exactly which foods to reach for to ensure your healthy diet is in fact healthy!
Fill out the no-obligation form below to TAKE your free issue of the printed version of Real SOLUTIONS Magazine now! Still not sure? Click here to listen to a special audio welcome from our editor, Stephen Adele. |
