My top 5 healthy foods that aren't so healthy

Nowadays we are inundated with health foods or foods labeled as healthy.  But what is a health food? What is organic food? Is organic food better for you?  All of these questions certainly need answers, but in the quest to find healthy foods, often times we achieve the opposite effect.  

Marketers of food products know these are all perfect questions, and in their marketing wisdom, they tailor their products so you may believe a food is nutritious just by reading the packaging.  This is of course the wrong way to go about... ​

purchasing a food item (strictly by the packaging), but it is done quite regularly.  I have told people on numerous occasions the harder the food company tries to convince you their product is healthy, generally the less healthy it is for you.  So what to do?

I have compiled a list of 5 healthy foods that may not be as healthy as what you think they are.  This doesn't mean I believe they are unhealthy, but eating 30 grams of carbohydrates in a bar all in the name of eating grains and sugared fruit doesn't sound too healthy to me.

The number 5 food many think are healthy,.... sandwiches. Often labelled “fitness” or “light”, but containing sugar-laden salad dressings, little veggies & proteins and too much white bread. Freshness is questionable and you need the foot-long to fill your stomach. What is a healthy alternative? Make your own sandwiches. 

The number 4 "healthy" food is bread. It's convenient and tastes good, but not as healthy as you think. Whole grain or whole wheat means nothing. Dark bread can still contain corn syrup & trans-fats and eating too much bread will make you fat. Healthy alternative: Ezekiel Bread, but an option is to also lower your bread intake. 

The number 3 "healthy food": Yogurt with Fruit at The Bottom. Fat free doesn’t mean healthy. Labels tell you they contain added sugars, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Same with fat free frozen yogurts which can contain 20g sugars per 1/2 cup. What is a healthy alternative? How about plain unflavored yogurt mixed with fruit cut into pieces. 

The number 2 "healthy" foods: Granola Bars. Granola bars consist of healthy oats & nuts. But they’re glued together with blood sugar raising ingredients like corn syrup. Some bars even contain chocolate chips, making them as bad as candy bars. Healthy alternative: homemade protein bars. 

The number 1 "healthy" food that is not really healthy. Breakfast Cereals. Cereals are labeled healthy & nutritive and recommended for weight loss. Read the labels: cereals are often high in sugar & salt and their vitamin/mineral content is chemical based.  

​Bonus:  Part of the body's ability to heal is to actually have the nutrition that comes from foods that support cells' regeneration.  If you want to spend less time in the kitchen working for foods and more time out of it letting foods work for you, I've put together some ideas.  (Click here for my recipe time saver).