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

While I agree that items pitched as "healthy" can be misleading as "healthy" often makes people think they can have as much as they like, I think to call things like smoothies "unhealthy" is an equally unhelpful sweeping statement.

I spend a lot of time trying to explain the concepts of balance and moderation to my children. Things being put into absolute camps of good vs bad is not helpful.

A small smoothie, made with fruit and natural yoghurt and perhaps some oats has many useful nutrients which, as part of a balanced diet, is good. A large smoothie as a drink while eating a full meal is not so good.

Muesli or granola are a other good example. Way too much sugar to eat in large amounts but i like to increase the nutritional content of ds' weetabix and bran flakes with a handful of a nutty granola rather than any other sweetener.

These are examples.

@HailAdrian when fruit is a blended up like that it's just a sugar fest. Your better eating a whole piece of fruit as a smoothie uses more fruit that you'd actually eat whole

How on earth is dried banana less 'healthy' than chocolate or crisps!?

Hummous!

Isn't it naturally occurring sugar though? Therefore much better for your body than chocolate or cake or whatever?

Not all low fat food. A carrot is low fat, it's not unhealthy.

Give me strength. Hummus! Jesus how joyless to worry about whether a bit of hummus is bad.

What is bad about it, anyway?

@HailAdrian yes still a better ish option than chocolate, however a dentist may disagree

Or, even if there is no difference re sugar, fruit is still better nutritionally than sweets?

I genuinely think that people get too obsessed with healthy food…just eat whatever you like and just watch portion size !!
There is a reason why teenagers end up with food disorders. Orthorexia is a huge problem!

They're hugely calorific and full of sugar. Honestly just as bad as chocolate and crisps but because they sound healthy you'll likely eat more.

But the point is that they DO have some nutritional value.

Honestly, to just completely write off huge swathes of food options or suggest anything with sugar is automatically as bad as chewing on a sugar cube is so silly.

Wine. It’s just grapes, right?!

What's wrong with hummus? I thought that was really healthy. Lots of protein, healthy fats, calcium from the tahini, what's not to like?

Anything labelled "low fat". Invariably they are full of either sugar, sweeteners, fillers or other artificial crap. Chemical concoctions with very little nutritional value

A bowl of rice is the worst thing as it's all carbs. Sends my sugars sky high.

Is there such a thing as 'bad' food? Surely if there was, then it would not be allowed to be sold as food at all.

Our metabolism needs all the food groups in order to function properly, in the right proportions. That's the hard bit.

I think it's very subjective.

Some foods are full of sugar but contain a lot of fibre (a smoothie for example). So for somebody upping their fibre content it's 'healthy', but for somebody wanting to cut out - sugar it isn't.

Hummus contains a lot of olive oil. Great for somebody wanting to eat healthy fats, but not so healthy for someone watching their calorie intake.

Protein shakes are great and classed as 'healthy' for somebody who lifts weights, but not for somebody who focuses on gut health.

I guess it all depends as what classes as 'healthy' to you..

Margarine. I can't understand who still even buys this stuff!?!

Also - and this is gong to be very contentious, but vegan fake meat products and lots of other vegan plant based products that are loaded with highly processed vegetable and seed oils and lots or additives and bulking agents.

Smoothies break down the fibre in the fruit. Eat the whole fruit it's much better. Eating as close to natural is best. But we all have our weaknesses, mine breadsticks, one of most processed food ever 😖

And sorry if you are prediabetic rice is probably not ideal, unless you have a very small amount, as it's high glycemic index. Best bet is wild rice mixed with some brown rice, with adding some protein like egg ( but do this yourself just egg, in a pan not loads of butter and oil and not from the Chinese takeaway)

I wasn't being deadly serious, I eat anything and everything but so many people assume it's a low cal food when it really isn't
Bloody delicious though, especially the marmite one.

Fair enough. I haven’t tried the marmite one, this has inspired me to get some 🤣

Margarine is a generational thing in a lot of cases. Twenty five years ago everyone ate margarine and butter was seen as grossly unhealthy. All the adverts on tv were for margarine.

Breakfast bars like Belvita- they are just biscuits! Who lives on just biscuits for breakfast???

Muesli and muesli bars

Dried fruit and nuts- especially marketed as trail mix/snacks. Yes, of course they have a place, and nuts have some great benefits, but unless you are doing vigorous exercise, then very few of us need the additional sugar and fat.

I think, as pp says, the further away it is from its natural state, the less 'healthy' it is really. I can't be convinced that a smoothie is not better for you than a Mars bar, even if the calorie content is the same.

Depends which you're drinking
I like this one which is water and natural flavourings
Rhubarb one is my fave