Healthy foods that are not truly healthy (Health Tips) !!!
Sagar Mody
Here are some foods that were always believed to be healthy, but in reality are anything but healthy.
1. Breakfast cereals
Fact:
Solution:
It is suggested that you should not buy anything that has more than 2 gms of sugar and 3 gms of fiber per 30 gm serving. You should aim at buying cereals with at least 5 gms of fiber if possible.
Well Known Nutritionist Patricia Sadri says, “Cereals that can be had for breakfast are Rotis (Wheat flour, Jowar, Bajra, Ragi), These rotis can be had with cooked vegetables or can also be stuffed with vegetables; Oats / Muesli can be had with milk, Idlis with green chutney (2-3 medium sized for 1 serving).”
2. Sandwiches
Fact:
Most individuals prefer to have a sandwich for breakfast or as a healthy lunch option. It is important to remember that having a sandwich made of whole wheat bread does not make it healthy. What you add as a filling also matters. Full fat cheese, mayonnaise, malai paneer can add to a good amount of fats and calories.
Solution:
You can have a healthy sandwich by choosing a low fat cheese, low fat mayonnaise, etc. you can add non starchy vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato slices, shredded cabbage, and capsicum strips. You can also opt for low fat yogurt dressing to make it healthy.
Patricia Sadri says, “Low fat yogurts mixed with basil leaves and herbs, minced almonds / walnuts with a small tsp of honey, chopped fruits can also be added to make your filling healthy.”
3. Salads
Fact:
Most weight watcher fall in the trap to a wrong notion that any dish with the word ‘salad’ is a healthy choice. Unfortunately, the truth is that most salads are loaded with calories and are the worst choice on the menu.
Salads that are prepared using heavy dressings like mayonnaise, crotons, fried noodles etc are loaded with calories and sodium.
Solution:
You should always choose a salad without a dressing or opt for dressing at the side. If you are tempted to have the salad with the dressing you can just dip the fork into the dressing.
To make a healthy salad use non starchy vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, onions etc. Patricia Sadri says, “You can also add lean protein such as grilled chicken or beans as proteins help build muscle mass in the body makes a person feel active and healthy throughout the day. Proteins also increase the metabolic rate. If protein is coupled with salads which are high in fiber then the purpose of a scientific (healthy) weight loss is met. A healthy salad can also be made with egg whites / low fat paneer / low fat yogurt / almonds or walnuts.”
4. Smoothies and fruit juices
Fact:
Most individual drink fruit juices or smoothies to get their daily fruit servings, but most smoothies and fruit juices that are available have high fructose levels and very little fiber.
Solution:
Eat fresh fruits whenever possible. Fruits contain high amount of fiber which causes fructose to enter slowly into the blood giving the body enough time to break fructose and utilize it for the body’s needs. While having a smoothie always use no calorie sweetener instead of sugar. Avoid full fat yogurt or whole milk; choose fat free milk or low fat yogurt instead. Patricia suggests “Fruit juices are strained to obtain clear fruit juice which in turn removes the fiber present. It is advisable to have a fruit juice just freshly prepared and where the pulp is not completely removed.”
5. Diet soda
Fact:
Many health conscious people switch to diet drinks from the regular colas as they are low in calories. Patricia Sadri adds, “Most diet drink have less calories but contain chemicals are that our already health-threatened body does not need Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, sodium and phosphoric acid are present in diet drinks.”
Solution:
Drink plain water. You can also have chilled fresh lime water with honey or choose green tea.
6. Ready to eat food/soups
Fact:
Soups are generally considered to be a healthy food option as it made with fresh vegetables, but ready to eat soups are packed with sodium and can contribute to high blood pressure.
Solution
Freshly prepared soups are easy to prepare and low on sodium. Avoid cream to save on fats and calories.
Patricia Sadri says “Load the soup with fresh vegetables, beans and legumes, egg whites, small lean chunks of chicken, tofu, paneer to increase its nutritional values.
7. Olive oil
Fact:
Using olive oil is the new rage with health conscious individuals. Patricia Sadri says, “Olive oil has the property to increase good cholesterol and contributes to good taste of food as it brings out its flavor when added to foods. Unlike other oils, olive oil does not turn rancid as easily.
Use extra virgin olive oils for salad dressings since it has a low smoke point and olive oil for frying purposes since it has a high smoke point and can therefore withstand heat for a long time.”
Solution:
Nutritionist Sweta Maniar says, “Olive oil contains omega 3 but they should be consumed in moderation as they are high in calories. Every individual should change their cooking oil every month or use a combination of oil from rice bran oil, olive oil, groundnut oil etc. An individual should not consume more than 3- 4 teaspoons of any oil per day."
It is important to remember that carbohydrates, sugars and fats are not your enemy. They play an important role in your day to day diet; however it is important to use them with precaution to derive utmost benefits from them.
Most individuals get fooled by the so called health foods and believe that they can be consumed without any constraint which is another reason for weight gain. Every food has its health benefits only when it is used in moderation.
