Wednesday, May 27, 2020
You’re headed home after a long day and need something for dinner fast! What to fix? Well, not any of these items. MedicalDietandNutrition.com has 7 shocking foods you thought were okay for you, but after looking at the ingredients we find otherwise.
1. Canned Foods – Regardless if it is canned vegetables, fruit, or meat, you are likely to find large amounts of sodium, trans fats, saturated fats, and sugar. So, the next time you decide to grab a can of corn to add to your entree, keep in mind it is full of sodium and other ingredients that defeat the purpose of even adding a vegetable to your plate. Instead, opt for fresh ears of corn from your local whole foods store. Fresh vegetables can be found almost as cheap as canned foods if you take time to check your Sunday paper for ads or negotiate lower prices for more ingredients at your local farmers market.
2. Frozen Meals – Regardless if it’s from a diet program or a “smart” meal, odds are it’s loaded with sodium and trans fats. Manufacturers use sodium and trans fats to help preserve foods. Instead of buying frozen meals, that may fool you into thinking they are healthy, make meals at home in your spare time and freeze them for those times when you don’t have the time or energy to prepare fresh ones.
3. Crackers & Bread – White crackers and breads contain refined flours, which is equally bad for you as refined sugar. About 50% of calcium and 98% of magnesium is lost, along with a large list of other ingredients when white bread or crackers are made. Refined flour has a high glycemic index. So, next time you’re making a quick lunch for the kids, remember to make it whole grain, never white enriched flours.
4. Baked or Popped Snacks – Contrary to what you might believe, baked or popped snacks, such as chips are almost as bad as the regular snacks. When baked chips and regular chips were nutritionally compared, the only difference was the fat per serving. The sodium and sugars were almost identical. Therefore, if you are grabbing that bag of “baked” chips off the shelf thinking they are a healthier alternative, you have been fooled!
5. Cereal – Although whole grain cereals are better than the enriched, sugary cereals, they are not much different. When examine the ingredients in a popular toasted oat cereal, you will find the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ingredient is Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, and Honey. The refined sugars within this and other cereals are comparable to a sugary pop tart! Don’t be fooled by the words “toasted” or “whole grains” when it comes to cereal, regardless of these types of cereals, they are normally still loaded with enriched flours, sugars, and sodium.
6. Juice – Think juice is better than soda? Not by much if any. Bottled or canned juices from the supermarket are just as bad as a soda. There is about 30 grams of sugar in an 8 ounce glass of sweetened juice compared to 38 grams of sugar in a popular no caffeine lemon lime soda. So next time when you are out at a restaurant with the kiddos, don’t be fooled into thinking a glass of juice will be a lot better with dinner than a soda.
7. Vitamin Drinks – Vitamin drinks are packed with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and contain high amounts of sodium. Instead, reach for a bottle of water and add a squeeze of lemon juice to it. Natural is always better.
So, the next time you are rushed for dinner OR breakfast, opt for meals pre-packaged by YOU, not the supermarket, and look for foods naturally sweetened or use RAW honey, agave, or other RAW sweeteners. And as far as fruits and vegetables go, always opt for fresh ingredients from your local whole foods store or farmers market rather than canned ingredients, which are usually loaded with sodium and sugars.