I Thought These Foods Were Healthy — Until I Learned the Truth

Most of the time, we are advised to consume better food. Supermarkets are filled with packaging that says “low-fat,” “natural,” “organic,” or “gluten-free;” it is therefore quite common to assume that the food inside would be good for you as the packaging on the outside. But what if we were wrong? What if the food that we think is good for us is, in reality, the foods that actually harm the body?

The hard way is how I had to figure this out myself. I was under the impression that I was making good decisions—I went for protein bars, flavored yogurts, veggie chips, and smoothies because they were the healthier options… in my mind. However, I found myself getting bloated, tired, and hungry although I chose “better” food. I decided to look for the cause deeper. Eventually, I was shocked to realize that the majority of healthy foods are just marketing rubbish and not real healthy. Plus, some of them could even be junk food in disguise.

Most of these “better-for-you” choices can contain a lot of hidden sugars, unhealthy ingredients, or synthetic chemicals, that not only fail to do well but rather do you bad. To be specific, they are the ones that surge your blood sugar level, disrupt the regular function of your digestive system and make you feel hungrier; but in their adverts sort of demanding that they will help you participate in the next marathon. I felt cheated.

That was when I made a catalog. I took the occasion of the foods, the ones I had once known as trusted, and I researched to know the true position. This finding became a change of my diet. And now, I want to lend it to you.

Here is a list of five types of food,” the healthiness of which is assumed by most people, without realizing that they do not play a positive role in your life.

1: Is That “Healthy” Yogurt Hiding More Sugar Than a Donut?

When I first made a decision to start eating healthier, I was rather partial to flavored yogurts. They were printed on the pack that they had fruit in them, that they were “light” alternatives, and they were vibrant, cheerful-packed. So, I was really deceived into thinking that I was making a healthy choice – something that was not too heavy on the stomach, and yet the perfect meal for breakfast or a snack in the afternoon. But what I didn’t know then was that most of these little cups were not at all the products I expected because they had far more sugar than the glazed doughnuts.

Flavored yogurts, especially the ones having granola or fruit, can contain around 15 to 25 grams of additional sugar per serving. This in fact is equivalent to consuming five tablespoons of sugar all at once. I was simply delivering sugar to my system under the guise of a healthy product. Sugar was not the only issue, as a huge number of the low-fat varieties also use starches like cornstarch or gelatin in place of the creamy texture, none of which are good for your health. I thought I was giving my body the best but, in reality, I was just making it roll with my blood sugar whenever I took off the foil cover.

What’s more, it’s even worse than this, as the yogurt industry has a strong focus on high-flying terms. “Fruit on the bottom,” “probiotic,” and “light” do not necessarily mean that things have got better. The fruit just contains sugar, there is no nutritious power in it. The probiotics? The fact is that a number of firms sterilize their yogurt after the fermentation stage, which means that all the good bacteria are gone. Also, if a yogurt product is not one to be followed by a real meal, then it is not one. You deserve quality food, right?

I was quite amazed when I switched to plain Greek yogurt and added my favorite fruits. Initially, it was a bit sour, but soon afterward, my energy was more balanced and I didn’t have any middle-of-the-morning cravings. Every now and then, one simply has to put due diligence and read labels carefully so as to truly get what a “healthy” item is all about, and I don’t even mention yogurt yet.

2: Is Granola Just a Fancy Name for Sugary Cereal?

Granola was one of those healthy bar staples of mine and no guilt in consuming it. It was on the top of the list when it came to being the best health food — natural, unprocessed, crispy, and a perfect companion to yogurt or a smoothie bowl. The indications explained everything in simple words like “from whole grain” or “oatmeal fortified the heart” and if it sounded good for the heart I was already convinced they were the right kind of food. But, as I was going through the product details, I got this idea coming to my mind that I was eating rather an indulgence in place of my meal.

Almost all granola brands, without any exceptions, and even including those that can be found in natural food stores, are filled with the additional sugars, oils, and syrups. What is really surprising is that even a small amount (the frequently available portion can be no more than putting a very little chuck of it into a dish) is as calorie and sugar-rich as a piece of cake. Do not trust words like honey, palm sugar, or rice syrup. They are sugars regardless of what they are called.

It seems the user can relate to this concern as when you think of the quantity presented in one serving (this may be equivalent to some more the measure that one is willing to take at a time) and is employed either by crumbling it over yogurt or baking it into cereals, it is effortless that you will end up having at least double if not thrice that serving. The next thing you know a breakfast that seemed lighter and healthier seems to have become a heavy meal that supplies calories in an overabundance that triggers a blood sugar rush and suddenly finds you exhausted after an hour.

Apart from that, granola might have low-quality fats that come from canola or soybean oil; which do not help much in terms of health and sometimes are only included to give the ingredients a better texture. Additionally, manufacturers tend to offer suitable ways of making the product appear healthy, such as through coated fruits and the use of chocolate pieces, which can carry a sugar content; however, they are only listed as dried/fruits of the kind or sugar content type of foods whereas they fail to deny those categories.

When I finally caught onto the tactics being used, I completely gave up buying ready-to-eat granola from stores. The new thing I did was to make a little amount of it in the house and the ingredients were just oat, maple syrup, and some nuts. To my surprise, I experienced more positive feelings and also I was able to successfully wave away any desire for sugary snacks while I was waiting for the next meal. It was not until I recognized that it was actually triggered by the granola that I stopped eating it, and this really solved my sugar craving problem. So, granola in general is not so bad however the one you consider to be the best might actually be the one that cheats you the most.

3: Are Veggie Chips Just Junk Food Wearing a Healthy Disguise?

Taking a stroll down the snack aisle and seeing a bag of attractive, colorful veggie chips, I thought to myself, “Finally, a healthful snack that doesn’t condemn me.” The bag not only had on it the pictures of beets, sweet potatoes, and spinach, but it also had those labels, such as “gluten-free,” “all-natural,” and “made from real vegetables.” I threw it in my cart and felt happy about it – the funny part is that I did not know the whole truth about it.

The idea of veggie chips being a better option in comparison with the regular ones is very much alive, especially when you are trying to resist the latter. Nonetheless, their preparation was more or less the same in that they were full of fat, salted, and highly processed until they no longer exhibited any trace of real vegetables. Even though there could be something like a tiny bit of carrot powder or spinach extract there, unfortunately, the main ingredients were still potato starch and corn flour. Exactly – a number of veggie chips contain mainly potato ingredients, not vegetables.

On the other hand, after I scrutinized the information on the pack, I saw that at least two nutrients, fat, and salt, were present in the chips in the same amount as in an ordinary potato chip. According to a few brands, the fat content even rose due to the oil type they put into them. In addition, the veggies were frequently processed into flavorings in the form of powder, not to be solid parts of the snack. You can’t count on fiber, vitamins, or antioxidants from the powder of mixed vegetables to junk food — you only have a salty crunchy snack that only gives you the illusion of healthy eating.

I felt deceived. I had replaced all my snacks believing I was on the healthy path to some different, improved selections, yet, I was just consuming highly processed, high-calorie food that was still not providing me with the real benefits of nourishment. From that time on, I was carrying roasted chickpeas or baby carrots for myself whenever I was in the mood for something crispy. It gave me the same experience – only this time without a false “health” flag.

Sometimes the most hazardous things are those that are thought to be the safe ones. Seriously, veggie chips are the most notorious snack pretenders I know.

4: Are Your “Healthy” Smoothies Causing Sugar Overload?

For a very long time, smoothies were my idea of healthy eating. They are not only cooling, and all shaded in various fruits’ colors, but they also carry the labels “immune booster” or “good-to-go energy” most of the time. I used to buy smoothies in bottles from the refrigerated section with the conviction that what I thought was right, especially when passing meals or needing something quick, actually was. However, as I went deeper into research, I discovered that the so-called healthy drink may be the worst choice out of the two.

The components that cause the trouble are sugar. Even if the smoothies with the images of strawberries or bananas on the packaging, there are instances where the basic ingredients are apple juice, grape juice concentrate, or sorbet. Although these items are derived from fruits, they contain a significant amount of sugar and are virtually devoid of fiber or nutrients. A bottle may contain 30-50 grams of sugar, which is not always solely the “natural” sugars present in the fruit. Most of the time, the sugar is an additional ingredient or it is very concentrated, and thus, when it gets into your body, it is like that of a soda.

In addition, the smoothies from the store not only do not contain some of the freshest fruit’s advantages like fiber but have them removed. When the fruit is puréed and strained, or when juice is taken rather than the whole peel, the fiber is removed. This substance is the one that lessens the speed at which the sugar is carried into the bloodstream. When it is gone, you are consuming pure sugar that is the very cause of your blood sugar soaring and plunging—leaving you hungrier for more.

As I used to think, you could wrongly fall into the same trap of considering smoothies as being light and low in calories. But such smoothies are full of not only peanut butter, but also, sweetened yogurt, and sometimes, even chocolate chips, which will turn them into a dessert. I thought (I was the) that it was just a matter of my “green detox” smoothie being the one with the least number of calories, but to my dismay, that was not true. The total till added up to 410 calories, which is almost as much as a cheeseburger.

As soon as I became aware of this fact, I decided to make my smoothies by myself. I used frozen berries, a banana, spinach, and water or unsweetened almond milk. It took me only five minutes, was less in cost, tasted the best, and made me feel actually healthy other than bloated or wired. The smoothies I used to buy in the store were a lesson that eating “healthy” really doesn’t mean anything unless you understand the nutrition facts.

5: Is That Protein Bar in Your Bag Really Just a Candy Bar in Disguise?

What really drove things home to me was the moment when I chose a protein bar with chocolate as the first thing I did after my workout. It seemed like a harmless candy bar — it had the term “fuel” in its name, promised to afford me 20 grams of protein and even had some almond bits on it. I convinced myself that I was making a healthy decision for my post-exercise time. However, there was something wrong with that, as I didn’t feel satiated, and I was still craving for more sweets. At that point, I took a look at the label on the package and my decision reversed.

This fitness bar I thought I was eating was in fact a candy bar with some sugar and fiber. It had additional sugar, as well as being made of corn syrup, palm oil, soy protein isolate, and there were five ingredients that I didn’t even know how to pronounce. It may have had the same protein content as a protein bar, but the former was more of a candy bar in one’s hand when several hours later that balance was tipped. The reality is that the vast majority of protein and energy bars are purposely made to taste like confections—otherwise, they probably would not have any customers.

Initially, I used to think that by carrying these bars in my gym bag, I was well-prepared. In actual fact, they were just a sugar bomb that made me feel satisfied for a while and then drove me into a deep pit of hunger; all they gave me were empty calories. Besides, those labeled “low carb” or “keto,” still contained sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners that irritated my digestive system and made my belly bloated.

At that point and time, I started to see that the entire story was different from what it seemed. The food hadn’t deceived me, for it was the packaging that had tricked me. In the same way as with yogurt, granola, veggie chips, and smoothies, the label, not my own body, was the one I believed in. I was wrong because I was actually falling for well-marketed snacks that felt like they were healthy but were indeed of low quality.

The shocker? Many of the foods we have been fooled to think are beneficial to us are actually stopping our progress towards better health. Once you know how to recognize them — added sugars, hidden oils, counterfeit fibers, overrefined grains — the puzzle is no longer a puzzle. Real health is not packed in flashy wrappers or trendy slogans. It is always there, in the foods that are simple and have no pretensions.

These days, I always scrutinize the back of each item’s label. But I’m not of the opinion that I might eat something dangerous, rather I know precisely now what food my body will accept. This is the truth that those “healthy” food commercials never delivered to me.