Things disguised as healthy...

[marshmallowmamma]

A light hearted post but what are some things that are portrayed as healthy but aren't really ? My list is as follows...

Flavoured water
Most yoghurts
Yoghurt coated raisins
Most cereals
Fruit juices

Obviously we need to live a little but give us some that yiu think are purely just marketed to reel us in

Is beet juice healthy?

I know juices generally aren't but I keep hearing lately how a small glass of beet juice can lower systolic blood pressure by a significant amount - apparently cooking or fermenting beetroot means it has less effect so juice is better.

While I will eat small amount and beetroot and beetroot leaves in pre-packed salads can't see me eating loads of raw beetroot and I was think might give the juice a go.

I'm now wonder if it's another marketing thing.

I think its fruit juices that are meant to be frowned upon due to high sugar content and low fiber.

I think its fruit juices that are meant to be frowned upon due to high sugar content and low fiber.

That's good to know - we both have a parents on blood pressure tablets so may well be worth -as we get older- trying.

The issue is that a lot of people have been conditioned to view healthy foods as low calorie, when that's only part of the story. Generally though anything labelled as low fat is best to avoid, ideally anything processed but let's be honest most of us are busy and it's not overly achievable!

It's not "anything" processed. Things like tofu, cheese and salt are processed and are nutritious as part of a balanced diet.

Highly processed food are things like white bread, cakes, pastries, doughnuts, margarine, sweets, ready meals, most breakfast cereals. Things with an ingredient list as long as your arm or several "Why is that even in there?" ingredients are highly processed. It's ok to eat them at a minimal level but they shouldn't form the main basis of your diet.

Granola
Vegan food that is processed (where branding is pushing the 'plant based' vibe)

I hate anything called "plant based", especially on menus.
I'm an omnivore so if I'm eating veggie/vegan food it's because it sounds good, "plant based", tells me nothing about it, what's in it or what it might taste like.
I also don't eat fake meats since I have no reason to.

All full of sweeteners, I’d prefer full sugar.

Sugar is still sugar even if it's fructose.

I don't touch sweeteners and check everything they might be in.
I'm really intolerant to them and they don't taste very nice.

Absolutely the biggest problem to the health via dietary habits of this nation is the fundamental lack of critical thinking and basic understanding of nutrition.
This thread proves it.

I still think smoothies are healthier than chocolate or cake because of all the vitamins and anti inflammatory properties. Also no saturated fat.

Most health bars
All cereals ( confectionary really ! )
Yogurts
“healthy” crisps …more salt for flavour

When eating whole banana or apple, our digestive system taking time to extract that sugar from the flesh of fruit, but by blending in we are giving all tht sugar straight away causing spike of insulin.

Things that are gluten free, my daughter has ceoliac and no choice but lots of the food tastes bland so they add sugars and all sorts of crap

Can someone explain why all the healthy/lose weight advisors (not SW) tell you to eat full fat yoghurt rather than fat-free? Is it really better for you?

When I was pregnant I couldn’t tolerate anything with sweeteners in. I vomited straight away, every time.
Made me think it was my body’s way of telling me not to put that shite in it!

A friend said to me anything in a packet or processed in some way is likely to be less ‘healthy’ than eating a whole food. It’s a good rule! Having a whole bit of fruit gives you all the roughage that you lack in a smoothie. Plus you could consume huge amounts of fruit in a smoothie or fruit juice and not feel full, whereas a couple of bits of whole fruit are much more filling.

I have often seen vegetarianism presented as automatically both healthy and a way to lose weight. It seems to me just as easy to have an unhealthy and/or weight-gain diet as a vegetarian as it is an omnivore.

No thanks - Diet Coke all the way for me, can’t stand the stick ‘real thing’. Sometimes the diet things are better than the original

WeightWatchers don’t !!!

Yes. The full fat/non diet versions of anything are better for you

With the exception of coke/diet coke because both are terrible in their own way!

Definitely Innocent Smoothies. Just because it's fruit doesn't mean it's good for you. Most have more sugar in them than a can of Coke 😲

Dairy

I went on a eat well, be well course and they said smoothies and natural fruit juice are an acceptable form of 1 of your 5 a day as long as you don't have more than 150ml of it. You also shouldn't have more than 2 portions of fruit due to their natural sugars and the rest of your portions should be vegetables. And a portion should be no bigger than you can fit in your fist. I can't have certain sweeteners due to my underlying health issues so if I want an 'unhealthy' treat then I have to have the regular sugar version. I also have to check the packaging of everything to make sure that the sweeteners I can't have aren't in them. In a bid to be more healthy I have cut out all drinks other than water which I put fruit or vegetables in to give it some sort flavour as I can't stand the taste of tap or bottled water.