Healthy Foods That Are Not Good For You

By Betty Murray

Don’t be fooled, not all foods considered “healthy” are actually good for you. Many so-called health foods are actually loaded with sugar and salt and have little nutritional value. Have you been fooled by any of these “health” foods?

Granola
The majority of store-bought granola contains a hefty amount of sugar and fat. As an alternative, make your own natural granola out of oats, nuts and naturally (no sugar added) dried fruit.

Vitamin Water
Check the nutrition label yourself — Vitamin Water is actually loaded with calories from sugar. For example, one bottle of Glaceau Vitamin Water “Defense” contains 50 calories, 13g of carbs and 13g of sugar per serving. (There are 2.5 servings per bottle.) Any fortified vitamins in Vitamin Water does not counteract the amount of sugar it contains.

Foods labeled “All Natural”
Just because it says it’s natural doesn’t mean it is. The FDA has no guidelines for what can and can’t be labeled natural. Chances are, if it’s packaged, it’s not natural.

Muffins
The vast majority of people have deceived into believing that muffins are a healthier choice than, say, donuts. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you’re going to buy a muffin at Starbucks, for example, you might as well stop by Krispy Kreme too. A “Bountiful Blueberry Muffin” at Starbucks is packed with 350 calories, 12g of fat, 310mg of sodium, 55g of carbs and 29g of sugar. A simple glazed Krispy Kreme donut, on the other hand, has 200 calories, 12g of fat, 22g of carbs, ad 10g of sugar.

It’s easy to be fooled into believing certain foods are healthy. The truth is that many commercial foods are packed with far more unhealthy ingredients than nutrients. Always check the nutrition label of foods, even so called “healthy” foods before you assume anything about their nutritional value.

Betty Murray, CN, HHC, RYT is a Certified Nutritionist & Holistic Health Counselor, founder of the Dallas-based integrative medical center, Wellness and founder of the Metabolic Blueprint wellness program. Betty’s nutrition counseling practice specializes in metabolic and digestive disorders and weight loss resistance. A master of the biochemistry of the body, Betty teaches her clients how to utilize nutritional interventions to improve their health. Betty is a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine and the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.