Foods That I Used to Think Were Healthy

Also, if you’re at the early stages of “ramping up” into healthy eating and still eating some foods on this list because you’re not quite “there” yet…kudos to you! I am not judging you for taking steps in your life to get to a healthier level.

The purpose of this post is to inform those who may not have known some facts about these foods that I used to consume on a regular basis. There was one point in my life where I would eat these regularly and thought they were healthy. You’re not alone if you struggle with knowing what to eat as it can be tricky, especially with all of the marketing hoopla out there.

My goal is to educate and allow you to make your own decisions based on some information I will provide; it is not to say I am right and you are wrong and only eat what I eat.

Fake Meat Products

I went through my vegetarian phase for a few years and like to think that I approached this way of eating the healthier way (meaning I actually ate a lot of vegetables unlike some vegetarians who opt for any packaged food that meets their requirements), however in retrospect I was eating much more processed food than I do now.

Here is the ingredient list from a popular fake meat product on the shelves at natural grocery stores — one that I have eaten and used to think was a healthier option to meat.

Ingredients: Water, vital wheat gluten, soybean oil, soy protein isolate, soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt, wheat), navy bean flour, yeast extract, rice bran, wheat gluten, wheat starch, organic dried tofu (organic soybeans, calcium sulfate), carrageenan, calcium lactate, natural flavor (from plant sources), sea salt, dried onions, dried garlic, citric acid, salt, natural smoke flavor.

Look at all the ingredients in this product first of all. Secondly, you can see this is a processed food containing ingredients which many have issues with such as soy and gluten (common allergens and gut disruptors). Yeast extract is a vague term that some speculate may be another name for MSG. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Keep it simple and avoid foods with a long list of ingredients that are questionable as a general rule of thumb. The ingredients I’ve called out in bold above are ones in which I’d try to avoid when possible, or at least try to limit your intake. Soybean oil is a highly processed oil that when consumed over long periods of time could contribute towards inflammation while soy protein isolate is also processed (not a real food) and may cause digestive distress.

Agave Nectar

When I first was introduced to agave nectar as a natural sweetener, I thought it was the best (meaning healthiest) sweetener there was. It tasted great and was constantly being touted as the better replacement for sugar.

So why did I stop using agave nectar to sweeten my food?

Upon further reading and research, I realized that agave nectar did have a lot of marketing claims that didn’t quite seem to be substantiated with valid science.

The selling point with agave nectar used by many brands to promote this “healthy and natural sweetener” is that it is low on the glycemic index. Learn more about this measurement of how foods can impact blood sugar levels here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=32

The reason agave nectar has a low glycemic index is because it contains a high amount of fructose and fructose does not affect blood glucose levels the same way in which a food higher in glucose may. Fructose present in fruits may be able to be handled and metabolized in a healthy way (if not over consumed), however concentrated forms of fructose (agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup) can put extra burden on the liver where fructose is processed.

When we’re looking at the whole plant and extracts derived from the agave plant, there may be some health benefits, however a refined commercially produced syrup does not seem to contain all of these reported attributes. This is often the case with foods. For instance, eating a piece of fruit in its whole state, with its skin and perhaps the inside of the peel (in the case of oranges and citrus), you are receiving the full benefits from the fruit (nutrition and fiber) rather than juicing the fruit and drinking it, which yields more sugar without the fiber to lessen its impact on blood sugar levels.

Bottom Line: There’s no such thing as a healthy sweetener and agave nectar is definitely not the best choice. Yes, you could argue that it may slightly beat out processed white sugar, but not by much. Be careful as it’s an ingredient in many health food store products.

Low-Fat Yogurt

We were told for years to opt for the low or no fat varieties of foods in order to stave off cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and other diseases, however research is beginning to convince many authorities that maybe the low-fat/no-fat recommendations weren’t warranted.

Not all fats are the same and there are obvious ones to avoid if you want to watch your figure and protect your heart. Read more here, in a recent post I wrote: http://www.marthastewart.com/1503846/french-fries-ok-good-bad-fats

Yogurt if made from a reputable dairy source, devoid of hormones and added sugars can be a nutritious food if you can tolerate dairy, providing a good source of probiotics. That is if the manufacturer has properly allowed the yogurt to ferment the right amount of time to yield the beneficial bacteria.

For a ranking of yogurts, check out this guide which ranks yogurt brands by whether or not they are organic, free of thickeners and stabilizers, free of added sugars, etc: http://cornucopia.org/yogurt-scorecard/

So, why should I choose full-fat?

So, after you’ve found your perfect yogurt that’s hopefully sugar-free, additive-free, and organic, I’d suggest opting for a full-fat product over the no-fat/low-fat counterpart.

Why? Fat provides satiety for one thing. When we consume foods that contain fat in small amounts, we are less likely to eat more of that food. This is a good thing. Rather than binging and eating massive amounts of the zero fat version, eating a smaller portion of the full-fat yogurt can ensure a proper portion size.

Often times, when companies manufacture the no/low-fat yogurts, they then add back in ingredients such as sugar, sugar substitutes and fat replacers to take the place of the fat that has been removed. For this reason, this “health food” is now a “processed food” and no longer a whole food. Read more about fat replacers here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/fat-replacers-in-food-topic-overview Fat also plays a role of helping to assimilate fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Without adequate fat derived from the food we ingest, one can potentially set themselves up for a deficiency of these crucial micronutrients needed to help carry out many functions in the body.

If you have been eating these foods because you thought they were the healthiest choice, think again and always do more research about what you’re putting in your body first. Remember you’re not alone; these were all foods that I used to think were healthy at one point that I now do my very best to avoid.

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Photo Credit: Melly Kay via Compfight cc

Mike Nguyen

Mike is a holistic nutritionist that helps people feel more optimistic about their health and wellness through changes in diet and lifestyle shifts.

He has authored posts and articles featured on MarthaStewart.com, today.com, and iVillage.com.