Healthy Foods That Aren’t So Healthy

Last summer, I went away on a mini vacation overnight to the Cape. I’ll spare you the details but let’s just say that after one too many Coors Lights and a whole lot of sun, I wasn’t exactly feeling my best. And before you ask, yes I like to indulge in a few drinks on occasion. You did notice that the title of this column is Real Life Nutrition, right?

Feeling a bit guilty, I figured I would at least make an attempt to compensate for the shenanigans I had gotten into the day before and give my body some kind of nutrients. On my way back home, I stopped at a convenience store and found a bottle of “strawberry smoothie” in really bright and colorful packaging (I’m like an easily-enticed seven-year-old when it comes to fun packaging). The label boasted that there were about 12 strawberries, two bananas and a whole bunch of other fruit mysteriously jammed into this tiny bottle. I thought to myself, “This should make up for a whole lifetime of fun, never mind one night of it.” Sold!

It wasn’t until I actually scanned the nutrition facts that I noticed that my savior in a bottle only had one gram of fiber in it. How is that even possible when there’s about 10 pounds of fruit packed in there? And each serving had 45 grams of carbohydrates with an almost equal amount of sugar. I felt a blood sugar spike coming on just from reading the label. I might as well have sucked down a few of those big straws filled with flavored sugar a few aisles down.

This whole experience got me thinking. How many times are our healthiest intentions flushed down the drain because of a product poser? 

With all of the conflicting health information out there, it can be a challenge to distinguish between a product that will actually help you reach your goals (lose weight, tone up, increase your energy, lose the cravings, etc.) from one that may have some health benefits but is doing more harm than good.

So here are a handful of so-called health foods that you shouldn’t waste your money on, as well as better alternatives. 

Bottled Smoothies - In the case of the bottled fruit smoothie, it’s not so much that this product is unhealthy (it did have a ton of vitamins), it’s just that the combination of lots of sugar and a lack of fiber won’t do you any favors in the health department. You could get better nutrition from just eating a whole piece of fruit.

Ordinarily I’m not a huge fan of fruit juices anyway  Because juice is a liquid and lacks a lot of fiber, it is rapidly digested. And when consumed without protein and fat, fruit juice causes a huge spike in blood sugar, leading to fat storage and a miserable energy crash later on.  

So what if you find yourself dehydrated after a night of fun and craving a cold, fruity drink of some sort? Your best bet is to whip up a quick, creamy protein smoothie loaded with real fresh or frozen fruit (and fiber!), a whey protein powder and a little fat to help stabilize your blood sugar and boost metabolism.

So break out your blender. Pour about a cup of low fat milk or soy milk in it.  Add a serving (about 20 grams of protein worth) of whey protein powder.  The best protein powder on the market right now, in my opinion, is Proto Whey. It contains hydrolyzed protein which is better absorbed than less quality products, it’s instantly creamy when mixed, the flavors are right on and it won’t cause digestive disturbances.   

Next, toss in some fruit like fresh or frozen berries, a touch of vanilla or almond extract for a boost of flavor and some ice. If you use Proto Whey and low-fat milk you’ll already have enough fat to help keep you satisfied. If you use a protein powder and milk without fat, add some nuts, peanut butter or flax seed oil into your smoothie. Then blend away. 

Low Fat Peanut Butter - If you’ve taken a walk down the peanut butter aisle at your local market lately, you’ll notice that good old Jif and Skip have quite a few friends joining them on the shelves. Now there are all kinds of varieties of peanut butter to choose from.

Peanuts are naturally a heart healthy source of fat (yes, I know they have protein but because this protein is not from an animal or soy it is not a “complete protein," so you should consider all nuts and nut butters a fat in your diet). And because peanut butter is a fat, and a heart healthy fat, what’s the point of taking some of the fat out of it? 

The truth is, low-fat peanut butter is just more processed (the ingredient label is twice as long as regular peanut butter). It’s also higher in sugar. My vote? Go with the real thing!

Or better yet, skip the Skippy and Jif and try Smucker’s or Teddy’s natural peanut butter, which contains two ingredients: roasted peanuts and salt. It doesn’t contain the hydrogenated fats (bad fats) that Jif and Skip have. It also has a richer, nuttier flavor and a grainier texture than regular peanut butter. I have found that after a week of eating this stuff (it takes a bit to get used to), you’ll never turn back. Just a heads up… you won’t be able to innocently slide it into your kid’s peanut butter and fluff sandwich without them noticing. They always know the difference with peanut butter. 

Yogurt - The next time you’re at the market, I want you to try a little experiment.  Grab any light yogurt or regular yogurt in your favorite flavor from the dairy case and a carton of plain low fat Greek Yogurt. Then compare the grams of protein and sugar per serving between the two. Amazing huh?

Regular sweetened yogurt is loaded in sugar or so low in calories that you’re bound to be hungry a few hours later (80 calories isn't exactly a snack in my book). It also lacks protein which helps to fill you up and keep you satisfied until your next meal.

 Greek yogurt is naturally loaded in protein and has very little sugar. And there’s no way I would recommend that you should eat plain yogurt without some kind of flavoring or sweetener (that’s just mean). So here’s how to make your plain Greek yogurt taste phenomenal and make a balanced meal out of it. 

Combine plain low fat Greek Yogurt with ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and enough Truvia, Splenda or Stevia (all calorie free substitutes) for sweetness. Then toss in chopped, fresh fruit like berries or peaches. Add a few nuts like almonds or walnuts on top and you have a perfectly balanced (and filling) meal.

Basically there are about as many “health foods” on the market today as there are bad diets. To help weed through them all, check out the food label and ingredient list.  

My job as a healthy chef and Nutrition Coach forces me to constantly be on the lookout for real, healthy  and delicious alternatives so people can actually enjoy what they’re eating and achieve their goals.  As I continue to uncover product posers, I’ll be sure to let you know.   

Have a nutrition or fitness question? Write me at valerie_cogswell@yahoo.com.