Healthy Food Myths That Simply Aren’t True

Yogurt Covered Nuts, Dried Fruit, Pretzels

By now you know the danger of assuming all yogurt is created equal. Same goes for yogurt covered snacks which are laden with salt and sugar beyond acceptable healthy amounts. There is probably never a good time to choose the bright white chocolate looking snacks. If you’re going to go off the healthy food wagon - go big. Sit down with a satisfying slice of homemade cake or a cookie worthy of its calories.

How to Cheat Tip: There are times when you can treat yourself to dessert or a snack that’s not healthy. Don’t act on impulse. Be intentional in your digression. Set aside time to enjoy your favorite sugary obsession and decide in advance how much you will eat. Put it on a plate, sit down at the table and eat without regrets.

Granola Bars, Protein Bars, Breakfast Bars

There’s an entire category of nicely packaged, convenient “healthy” bars with a variety of names designed to make you think you’re eating well. You’re not doing yourself any favors by eating a packaged bar snack. You might as well be eating a Snickers - they both have about the same amount of sugar and nutritional value.

Healthy Grab and Go Tip: Unfortunately there are few healthy alternatives to be found near the check-out lane or in the snack section of your local gas station. This is where your scouting skills come in handy. Be prepared. Don’t leave the house in the morning without an orange, apple, or baggie of celery sticks.

Organic…Everything

Here it comes - the rant against the evils of mass marketing. Know this: anything and everything marked organic does not mean it’s healthy. It doesn’t mean that the ingredients used are more nutritional or better for you. It doesn’t even mean that the food inside of the packaging is organically grown. We’re living in the the wild wild west of organic labeling. Don’t fall for it.

Label Checking Tip: The ingredients on the label are always listed in order of amount. If the first ingredient listed is any form of sugar, stop reading. This is not a healthy product. Same goes for sodium. If at first glance you see there are more than 3-5 ingredients, take a pass.

Wheat Bread

All wheat breads are not created equal. A healthy wheat bread is one that is 100% WHOLE wheat, and contains the essential bran and germ from the wheat stalk. Many wheat breads are made with enriched wheat. The only reason wheat is enriched is because it has been stripped of its natural nutrients in the first place. Health benefits are sacrificed when a smoother texture and longer shelf life is required.

Healthy Bread Tip: There’s no need to eliminate bread from your diet if you eat the kind made from whole grains. Refrigerate your fresh whole wheat bread and you’ll be able to enjoy it longer. Better yet - make your own dough. Freeze it, and bake right before eating. Sure, it’s more trouble, but bread machines and dough mixer hooks make life much simpler for the healthy bread lover.

Low Fat, Sugar Free, Light Products

Fat gets a bad rap and sugar substitutes get way more credit then they deserve. Fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does. Keep in mind that a heart-healthy diet needs monounsaturated fats called “good fats.” You also should know in order for low fat, sugar free, or light products to be tasty, there’s a trade-off. Added sodium will be swapped for lower fat content and sugar-free products will almost always contain some form of sweetener.

Discovery Tip: When you see a processed product labeled “Reduced Fat,” “Sugar Free,” or “Light” - beware! With a little practice you’ll be able to spot the culprit that makes the product taste good with less fat or sugar. Chemically produced and processed sugar substitutes are disguised under a wide range of names, so get familiar with the terms: Agave, Aspartame, Stevia, and fruit juice concentrates are just a few. You’re better off with right-sized portions of the original than trying to game your system with a substitute.