5 Junk Foods You Thought Were Healthy

5 Junk Foods You Thought Were Healthy

It is easy to be misled by packaging in grocery stores that boast “fat-free,” “whole wheat,” “organic,” and other buzzwords we associate with being healthy. Often, foods that have one of those healthy food labels got there by compromising the rest of the product. There are a lot of foods that we assume are good for us, but when we look a little deeper at the ingredients and nutrition facts, we find they are actually junk.

Junk Food #1: Coconut Water

The trendy and health conscious have gone coco-nuts for coconut water in recent years. The drink claims superior hydration, plus electrolytes and potassium – not to mention an incredible price tag! The problem with coconut water is that alongside the increased potassium is seriously increased sugar content. The nutritional claims of coconut water have been severely over-hyped, to the point of a lawsuit against popular brand Vita Coco.

While a coconut water every once in a while is still a better choice than the standard, electrolyte-infused sports drink, it carries with it increased calorie and sugar intake while having few proven benefits. Your body and your wallet are better off just drinking plain ol’ H2O.

Junk Food #2: Egg Whites

While egg whites are not really bad for you when you throw out your yolks, you’re tossing a lot of nutrients out with them. Eggs got a bit of a bad rep when research done on rabbits showed increased cholesterol and a link between high cholesterol and heart disease. Since that study done by Nikolaj Anitschkow research done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has refuted the findings, leading dietitians and nutrition experts to encourage dieters and heart-healthy eaters to go for the yolk. Now that we know that the saturated fats that once demonized eggs are not actually linked to heart disease, we can reap the benefits that egg yolks provide, including the aforementioned saturated fats, which is necessary for hormone production and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Not only that, but egg yolks are also a great source of vitamins A and B.

Junk Food #3: Turkey Bacon

Turkey has been built-up as the low-fat alternative to its red meat counterparts, but that does not necessarily make it a healthy choice. While slightly lower in calories, a 2 ounce serving of turkey blows the recommended daily allotment of 1,500 milligrams of sodium out of the water. The other problem with turkey bacon is biological. Turkeys do not have a large enough belly to make bacon slices from, so meat processors are used to grind up both light and dark meat and then the mixture made to look and taste more like bacon with a number of processed additives and dyes.

Junk Food #4: Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

Peanut butter, like most foods that use nuts, is high in fat, so many are inclined to grab the reduced-fat tub on their grocery store run, however, the regular stuff is actually better for you. Not only does reduced-fat peanut butter have the same amount of calories as the full-fat alternative but the reduced-fat option also contains less of the monosaturated fats that are actually heart-healthy. Additionally, once the process to remove the fat is complete, something is needed to fill the gap and maintain the thick and creamy texture. Companies replace the fat with sugars and refined carbohydrates, creating a nutritional profile that is less than ideal.

Junk Food #5: Veggie Pasta

Veggie-everything seems to be taking over the aisles at the local grocery stores, but don’t be fooled by the labels. “Veggie” pasta very rarely contains actual vegetables, but rather powdered vegetable substitutes. It also lacks the fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that real vegetables provide. When veggie pasta is made, it typically uses the white flour that has had the health-conscious switching to the nutty, whole-wheat bread and crackers for years now. You are better off opting for a whole-grain pasta, or better yet, making your own veggie pasta with options like spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Even the best of us can be overwhelmed by the increasing amount of nutrition information that is out there in the world. The important thing to remember is to take a deeper look when you see the over-hyped health food labels that seem too good to be true. Some foods that seem healthy are overly processed and actually just junk food. When in doubt, don’t be ashamed to compare the nutrition facts! Even the savviest of product packagers can’t hide the facts from someone who’s willing to look for them.