10 fake health foods

10 fake health foods

False health foods. “Light”, “Sugar free”, “Hydrogenated fat free”, “Vitamin enriched”: are the products advertised as healthy really healthy? As conscious consumers it is good to learn to juggle food labels and more or less truthful wording on the packaging. Over the past few decades, many foods that are advertised as healthful have come onto the market, but are no more so than others.



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“Light”, “Sugar free”, “Without hydrogenated fats”, “Enriched with vitamins”: i products advertised as healthy am I really? As conscious consumers it is good to learn to juggle the food labels and the more or less truthful wording on the packaging. Over the past few decades, a number of foods that are advertised as healthy, but which in reality have come onto the market they are no more than others.

This is because they are still industrial products, packaged, probably subjected to long processing, enriched with preservatives and with an abundance of sweeteners. Nothing to do with the live and fresh food represented by fruit and vegetables, freshly squeezed and homemade juices. We do not need "light" products and drinks enriched with minerals and vitamins that our body may not be able to absorb and which it does not need at all if there are no food shortages. Here are some for you examples of "false health foods" on which it would be good to reflect.

Index

Margarine

Margarine probably is the symbol of false health foods. It was born as a light substitute for butter, but in reality over the years more and more doubts have arisen about its processing and composition. Hydrogenated fats, trans fats and highly processed vegetable oils, up to bringing them to the solid state (therefore also pay attention to non-hydrogenated margarine). The alternative butter and margarine could be sesame cream, almond cream, avocado, homemade vegetable butter and of course extra virgin olive oil, depending on the recipes and preparations.

Read also: Butter: 5 plant-based alternatives beyond margarine

Light cheeses

Other products that over the years have been advertised as being healthier than conventional equivalents are i light cheeses. The idea communicated by the packages is that they do not contain fat, or that they contain very small quantities, although in reality this may not be the case. Just check the labels carefully. Furthermore, any cheese, light or not, since it is a food of animal origin contains cholesterol.



Breakfast cereals

We are talking about the breakfast cereals commonly sold in supermarkets and which for years have been advertised as an alternative to start the day lightly. Unfortunately it is enough to read the labels to realize the large amount of sugars which often interests them. Sometimes they come added with vitamins and mineral salts, as otherwise they would simply be food with no nutritional value, but high in calories. Not all breakfast cereals are created equal. Organic and natural products simply contain flakes (of oats, corn, barley, etc.) without the addition of sugars and other unwanted ingredients.

Energy bars

Let's try to put under the magnifying glass also the energy bars that are now depopulated in any store. Again in most cases we are faced with snacks rich in sugar and calories. Their small size could lead to excess intake. After a momentary surge of energy from their consumption, the sense of hunger will soon return. They are still industrial and packaged products. The alternative is to prepare them at home with the best ingredients.

Read also: Homemade goji berry energy bars

Packaged fruit juices

I packaged fruit juices they are widely advertised drinks with commercials that appeal primarily to children. Sometimes they seem absolutely necessary for breakfast or a snack, but that's not the case at all. What worries them is theirs really poor fruit content - apart from some exceptions linked above all to the organic world - which is accompanied by the usual natural sweeteners and in the worst case by dyes and preservatives. Alternatively, it is better to prepare fresh juices and smoothies based on real fruit at home.



Agave syrup

In recent years, numerous have arrived on the market alternatives to white sugar, often presented as more natural and healthier. In the consumption of sweeteners it is good to always maintain the utmost moderation and inform yourself as much as possible about their content and the production processes necessary to obtain them. As for agave syrup, it must be remembered that today it is produced with an industrial method that involves the use of high temperatures. What remains is a high fructose content and a low level of vitamins and minerals. Here more information.

Read also: Is agave syrup really a natural and healthy sweetener?

Flavored waters

Attention to flavored waters with artificial substances and enriched with vitamins and mineral salts. The American nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge warns against their consumption. The vitamins the water has been added to may have no effect on the body. In fact, our body absorbs artificial vitamins with difficulty - a similar argument also applies to supplements - while it prefers foods and drinks that are naturally rich in vitamins, such as fruits, vegetables, smoothies and centrifuged.

Crackers

Rice, corn and other grain cakes arrived on the market as dietary product, but remember that it is still an industrial food. So we always check the labels to verify the ingredients present and the possible salt or sugar content. Alternatively we can prepare the biscuits at home. Even biscuits, like other packaged foods, can be affected by food contamination, as has recently happened for some products on sale in Valle d'Aosta. The alternative to biscuits? A good homemade wholemeal bread. And finally, have you ever heard of the "Rice cake syndrome", so one biscuit leads to another? THU more information.

Read also: Homemade cakes

Crisps and "not fried" products

It is best not to mistake chips and chips for healthier than others other products, especially frozen foods, which proudly carry the wording on the package "Not fried" o "Not pre-fried". In any case, these are packaged and preserved products, which may have undergone long and complex manufacturing processes and which may have been enriched with oils and fats of dubious origin. Among other things, the preparation method indicated for cooking at home could be frying. Doesn't that seem counterintuitive to you?

Yogurt

Natural yogurt, made from cow's or vegetable milk, contains live ferments which promote digestion. But what about the yoghurts that we normally find for sale? By now there are yoghurt for all tastes, enriched with flavors, dyes and preservatives of all kinds, but above all full of sweeteners, so much so that there may be more sugar in a yogurt than in a snack. Even probiotic-enriched yogurts may contain more sugar than we think. Always read the labels and take a look at this list to get an idea of ​​the problem.

Read also: In some yogurts there is more sugar than in snacks

Marta Albè

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