50 Foods That Seem Healthy But Actually Aren’t

Gluten Free Food Items

There are many people out there that are sensitive to gluten and such gluten free food items can be great for these people. However if you are looking to lose weight and stay fit then gluten free food items may not be the way to go. Contrary to what people believe, gluten free food items actually tend to be more processed and thus contain more carbs and sugar than gluten filled food items. So if you are looking to lose calories, then focusing solely on the gluten free part of any respective food item isn’t going to do you any good.

Low Fat Salad Dressing

Everyone will tell you that salad is one of the healthiest food items out there. If you search on the internet about healthy eating habits then you are sure to find salad on the list. Low fat salad dressing may seem healthy due to its low fat nature but some of the items in the recipe have a fair amount of sugar in it which can be a reason for weight gain. You may think you are eating healthy where in reality you may just be collecting the equal amount of fat that you would have gained from your normal day to day diet.

Granola

Granola has gained a reputation for being a health food however, this may be based on false information. We are not denying the fact that granola is actually very nutritious and may have some health benefits but the granola you find in the market these days has a fair amount of sugar and butter in it which makes things worse for people who are trying to stay fit and healthy. So before you head out to shop for granola, check the ingredients and nutritional information on the packet. You may be gaining calories with granola instead of losing them.

Green Veggie Juice

Green veggie juice is considered as one of the healthiest beverages out there. No one can deny the fact that green vegetables are packed with nutrition however people usually mix fruits in the green veggie juice to sweeten the taste. Unfortunately these fruits contain sugar and may add calories to your body instead of burning them. So if you want to drink a healthy drink then go for an only vegetable juice without the addition of fruits.

Whole Wheat Bread

People who are looking to lose weight generally switch from plain bread to whole wheat bread. The general assumption is that the whole wheat bread is healthier. However that is not the case. Many of these whole wheat bread contain elements of sugar, molasses, and corn syrup which can destroy your entire fitness plan. If you want to add bread to your diet plan then go for sprouted bread as it does not have high amount of sugar.

Canned Soup

If it’s canned, it’s probably extremely processed and processed foods are full of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Many canned soup companies out there market their products as a great addition to a diet plan. However that is not the case. These canned soup can actually ruin days of workout and exercises. So

time you buy a canned soup, don’t forget to check the ingredients. You may get surprised by what you find.

Protein Bars

Many people confuse health foods with muscle building foods. Protein bars are a clear example of food that are considered healthy but actually aren’t. There are certain food that a professional nutritionist may add in your diet plan but the purpose of those food items is totally different than what you think. If a nutritionist add protein bars to your diet plan then you might think it is a healthy food whereas the nutritionist might have added it to your diet plan to strengthen your muscles. This means that you shouldn’t just eat protein bars all day long thinking that they are healthy for you. Most of these protein bars are filled with sugar and can add a large amount of calories to your body. So when you eat a protein bar, you don’t just consume protein, you also consume additional calories that you don’t need.

Flavored Yogurt

Flavored yogurt can be equally as dangerous as an ice cream. It is loaded with massive amounts of sugar and can kill weeks of workout. You might have seen people who are on a diet plan eat loads and loads of yogurt thinking that it helps with weight loss. However that is not the case. If anything flavored yogurt makes things worse. In addition to the sugar, the artificial flavor and color can also affect your health in a negative way.

Dried Fruits

When you start your diet, many people around you will tell you to keep a jar of dried fruits with you. The assumption is that dried fruits are healthy and they can fill up your stomach so you don’t feel the craving of eating high calorie food. The problem here is that many dried fruits you find in the market these days are processed and there is an extra layer of sugar coating on these dried fruits. Sugar is the last thing you should eat when you are thinking about staying fit and healthy so you should avoid such dried fruits at all cost.

Frozen Food

In the past decade or so, the trend of healthy frozen meals has increased. However these frozen food items aren’t as healthy as they are portrayed to be. Salt and sugar is added to these frozen meals to add some flavor. They are easy to cook and can be taken with you when you are on a long journey however that is their only advantage. They don’t offer any health benefits.

11. Fruit Snacks

People all over the world love food snack. If you are looking to lose weight then you might think that these fruit snacks make for a healthy snacking experience. However they are not as healthy as you would think. They don’t have the nutrients that you would get from an actual fruit. They are high in calories and should be avoided.

12. Fast Food Salads

Gone are the days when fast food was all about burgers, fries and milkshakes. These days’ fast food restaurants offer a wide variety of food items on their menu. More often or not you can find salads on their menu as well. What these fast food companies are doing is that they are trying to attract customers who would traditionally never want to go into a fast food restaurant. Now when you are ordering fast food, you can order burgers for everyone and salad for your health conscious friend. Your friend may boast that he/she is eating a healthy food as compared to everyone else eating burger but the reality is totally different. The salads found on fast food restaurant’s menu are just salads by name. The ingredients they use to make these salads are no less than what they use in their burgers. These salads are extremely unhealthy and add a large amount of calories to your body. They are equally (if not more) dangerous than other fast food items on their menu. So just because it has the word salad attached to it does not mean that it is healthy.

13. Sugar Substitutes

These days you can find a range of different sugar alternatives in the market. Companies that sell these sugar alternatives try to portray these as healthy however that is no more than a trick. These sugar alternatives are basically artificial sweeteners. They may be calorie free themselves but they make you crave more sugar and thus may force you to increase your sugar intake through other ways like sweets and cakes. Consumption of such sugar alternatives can make you crave more sugar thus putting you at risk of getting diabetes.

14. Baked Beans

Baked beans are something that you should avoid at all costs if you are trying to stay fit and healthy. Unfortunately many people believe that eating baked beans is good for your health. Baked beans are usually processed and if it comes in cans and it is processed then it is always better to avoid it if you are trying to lose weight. Such foot items only add to your weight. Beans themselves are healthy, it’s just canned baked beans you have to stay away from.

15. Almond Milk

Same as dried fruits are generally considered healthy, almond milk and other non-dairy milks are also considered healthy. Almond milks are relatively healthier than their dairy counterparts however with so many different options available in the market, it is hard to understand which product is good and which isn’t. You when you are out to shop almond milk, don’t forget to check the ingredients and nutritional information. Some of these milks have artificial flavor which add a lot of extra sugar content to the milk. So if you are trying to stay healthy you should avoid such nondairy milks that are high in sugar content.

16. Fish Tacos

Fish is usually a main stay on the diet plan for people who are looking to lose weight. Fish is a healthy substitute to beef and other forms of meat but they are not good and healthy as generally people assume them to be. It also depends on the type of fish. For examples you might have seen people eat fish tacos thinking that they are healthy just because they have fish in it. However that cannot be any farther from the truth. The type of fish generally used in fish tacos is Tilapia which does not have an image of a healthy fish. It actually helps with weight gain instead of losing it. If the fish is marinated, fried or processed then that adds a large amount of fat to your meal as well.

17. Granola Bars

We have already talked about how granola is considered healthy but actually isn’t. The same goes for granola bars. Many of the granola bars you find in the supermarket these days are filled with large amount of sugar content which is not healthy. There is no doubt that these granola bars are highly nutritious and may help with strengthening your muscles however they are not good if you are trying to lose weight. You may be able to get a good amount of protein for your body but the sugar content just makes things worse.

18. Energy Drinks

If you are a member of any gym then you would notice that people usually bring water bottles, shakes and energy drinks with them when they are working out. Talk about working out and destroying it at the same time. These energy drinks have a massive amount of sugar content and can add a lot of calories to your body. If you want to feel energized then the natural way to do that is to have a good night’s sleep for 7 to 8 years before you hit the gym. Try to avoid these unhealthy energy drinks that only damage your fitness routine.

19. Prepared Salmon

When it comes to a healthy food diet, no fish can beat Salmon. Salmon is one of the healthiest food items out there. However the issue is with the serving. People tend to marinate it with an unhealthy sauce or serve it with things that aren’t as healthy as the salmon itself. This ruins the entire health food experience. So if you are looking to stay healthy then you should try to avoid the marinated sauce and the seasonings.

20. Bran Muffins

Just because a food item has the word ‘bran’ in it does not mean that it is healthy. Many people who are on a diet plan tend to eat bran muffins to fulfil their cravings for a sweet food. However bran muffin may not be as healthy as you imagine. They are filled with a lot of sugar and calories and should be avoided if you want to stay healthy. Like bran muffins, many other bran food items present themselves as healthy when they actually aren’t.

21. Veggie Straws

Veggie sticks have salt, oil and vegetable coloring in them. Any food item that has artificial coloring and flavor in it is bound to be unhealthy but just because it’s made with a vegetable people tend to think of veggie sticks as a health food ‘which it actually isn’t’. Not only are veggie sticks full on unhealthy ingredients they don’t even pack any fiber in them.

22. Fruit Cocktail

Fruits are healthy however one bowl of fruit every day is enough for your diet plan. You should always eat the fruit as it is, without adding any extra ingredients to it. Fruit cocktails may be delicious but they are very unhealthy especially due to the addition of sugary syrup.

23. Banana Bread

Adding a banana to your diet plan is a very good thing. Bananas are healthy but when you are baking banana bread, many other ingredients like sugar, flour and butter are added to the mix. So eating a banana bread instead of a plain bread isn’t going to yield any health benefits for you. On the contrary it is going to add carbs to your body.

24. Fruit Salsa

Same as fruit cocktails, sweet syrup is also added to fruit salsas. Fruit salsas generally have a spicy taste and in order to complement their spicy taste, sweet syrup is added. This is done to balance the taste and to make the dish more tasty and edible for people who don’t prefer spicy food. However this shoots up the sugar content to a high amount which is why fruit salsa cannot be given the tag of a health food.

25. Diet Soda

Have you ever seen someone on a diet plan who asks for a diet soda instead of the regular one thinking that they are going for a better healthier option? Well, you will always find people who do this. This is because of they don’t realize that introducing diet soda in the market is just a marketing trick to attract people who would otherwise not drink these sodas. There is no denying that these diet sodas have less sugar content than their regular counterparts however the sugar content is still very high and these sodas can be very dangerous for people suffering from diabetes. So if you are looking to lose weight and stay healthy, then you should just avoid regular sodas, you should also avoid all diet sodas as well.

26. Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Growing up, we all saw how Popeye whipped out spinach from a can and suddenly became strong. Well, no doubt spinach is a super food but just because a dish has two vegetables in it does not mean that it is going to have the same properties as the individual vegetables. The other ingredients in addition to the spinach and artichoke used in making the dip can destroy weeks of your workout. Eating spinach and artichoke alone can be very beneficial for you but it is better to stay away from such dips.

27. Egg White Omelets

The best way to eat an egg is to combine both the yolk and the egg white in a single dish. There should be a balance of both. Many people tend to go for egg white omelets thinking that they are only consuming low fat part of the egg. That may be true but it is also less nutritious than the yolk. In order for you to gain all the nutritional benefits of an egg it is better than you add a little egg yolk in your omelet as well.

28. Whole Grain Cereals

Whole grain cereals are the epitome of healthy breakfast. Even a professional nutritionist would recommend you to start your day with a healthy bowl of whole grain cereal. The problem here is that there are hundreds of different brands out there that sell whole grain cereal and not all of them are as healthy as they portray themselves to be. So always check out for the nutritional information on the backside of the cereals. Some of these whole grain cereals have a high amount of sugar content in them.

29. Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are not only high in sugar content, they also have artificial colors which makes things worse. Any food or drink with artificial flavor or color should be avoided at all costs. These drinks are marketed as something that will energize you when you are down and tired. You may even see sports personalities in their advertisements which may lead you to believe that these drinks are healthy. However that is not the case. These drinks may keep your hydrated and energized but they are definitely not something you need to make part of your diet plan.

30. Low-Fat Peanut Butter

If you know how to make peanut butter at home then you should avoid all other peanut butter products in the market. Even the ones that advertise to be low sugar and healthy. Those products may have less sugar than other peanut butter products but they are still very high in sugar content. Natural Peanut butter made at home is healthy as it does not have massive amount of sugar content in it. You can control the sugar content in your peanut butter however it is best to not have any amount of sugar in your homemade peanut butter.

31. Pita Chips

If you are someone who thinks that pita chips are healthier than other forms of chips then you are in for a surprise. Where potatoes chips usually only have salt added to them, pita chips have flour sugar, butter and other ingredients added to them. They are usually eaten with a dip that is also high in calories.

32. Margarine

Many people who start their diet tend to move from butter to margarine thinking that it is the healthier option of the two. That is not the case. Margarine can actually be bad for you. Eating margarine can boost your cholesterol levels thus increasing the risk of heart conditions. The credit for the false image of margarine goes to the advertisements that portray it as a healthier alternative to butter.

33. Veggie Pizza

Pizza is no doubt one of the most delicious food items in the world but it is also one of the most unhealthy food items out there. When pizza lovers go on a diet, they prefer to order veggie pizza thinking that it is a healthy option for them. This is just another trick by pizza brands. Veggie pizzas are made with the same dough foundation, same sauce and same ingredients as other pizzas on their menu. Just adding vegetables on the top does not take away the negatives of cheese, fat and other unhealthy ingredients.

34. Skim Milk

Skim milk has a reputation of being a healthy alternative to other forms of milk. This is a wrong image. Research shows that full fat dairy milk is healthier as compared to skim milk. The study also shows that people who consume full fat dairy milk tend to have lower risk of diabetes and if you are someone who is trying to stay fit and healthy then that is the product you should go for. So if you are looking to stay healthy, avoid the flavorless skim milk and go for other healthier options in the market.

35. Organic Snacks

It is usually though that organic foods are naturally healthier than their non-organic counterpart. Generally that is the case however there are certain organic food that may pack the same amount of sugar and calories as their non-organic counterparts. For such food items, you don’t get any benefits from eating organic food as they have the same effect on your body as non-organic food high in sugar and calories. So before you nibble on to those organic snacks thinking that they are keeping you healthy, you should first research and see the calories and sugar content of those organic products.

36. Veggie Burgers

The case for veggie burger is same as veggie pizzas. Just adding vegetables to an otherwise unhealthy recipe wouldn’t magically turn it into a health food. Veggie burgers are full of calories and fat which may destroy weeks of your workout and make you feel bloated. They are not good for your health and may be equally as dangerous to your diet plan as any other non-vegetable burger.

37. Soy Milk

Soy milk is famous for its healthy properties. Many people all over the world think soy milk is a healthier option as compared to dairy milk. It does have some benefits to your body however those benefits aren’t enough for it to be given the tag of a health food. Some people are sensitive to soy and consuming soy milk may cause them hormonal issues. It also has high amount of sugar content which is why soy milk should be avoided if you are on the road to getting fit and healthy.

38. Low-Carb Snacks

As you might have seen that many food items on this list have been labelled healthy but they actually aren’t. This means that you shouldn’t just trust any label you find on the packing. It is always better to check the nutritional information at the back of the product. There are many products in the market that are sold with the label of low carb. Some of these products may actually even be low carb but that not mean that they are healthy. Low carb does not always mean healthy. So if a restaurant sells a burger or pizza saying its low carb, then you shouldn’t get excited but it. It may have low carbs as compared to other options on the menu but it would still be unhealthy.

39. Protein Shakes

Protein shakes keep you energized and they are a great drink to have while you are working out to build your muscles. If you are working out to lose weight then you should steer clear from protein shakes. Protein shakes are high in sugar content so losing weight is going to get difficult if protein shakes are a part of your daily diet. You can find some sugar less options in the market as well but those protein shakes also have artificial sweeteners in them which are also bad for your health.

40. Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is one of the biggest source of high cholesterol levels and heart conditions. This is why people usually avoid food items fried in oil. Just because it was derived from a vegetable does not mean that it is going to be healthy. These vegetable oils are highly processed and regularly consuming food items fried in vegetable oil can be extremely dangerous for your health.

41. Baked Chips

People all over the world love to eat chips, however as chips are usually deep fried, health enthusiasts tend to steer clear from them. They prefer the baked option as they perceive baked chips as a healthier alternative to deep fired chips. Baked chips may not have the negatives you may find in a fried chips but they are not as healthy as you would imagine. They have less fat but high amounts of sodium. Consuming too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and other heart related diseases.

42. Flavored Oatmeal

Oats are very healthy. However the thing about such food items is that once they start gaining popularity, many companies introduce their own version of the product in the market which may not be as healthy as the original. The same is the case with oatmeal. Many oatmeal products you find in the supermarket these days are sugary and unhealthy. So if you want to lose weight and keep yourself fit then you should go for oatmeal products that you know are healthy and low in sugar content.

43. Coconut Water

Coconut water is good if it’s stopping you from going towards soda and other energy drinks. However it is better to keep the intake limited to once every week or two. If you want to keep yourself hydrated then the best option is water. Simple water can do wonders for your body and skin. Coconut water has a certain amount of sugar content so consuming it on a daily basis is going to affect your fitness plan in a negative way.

44. Veggie Chips

When you hear the words veggie or vegetables, you automatically think healthy. However not all food items that have vegetable in them are healthy. The way a food item is cooked effects its nutritional value and same is the case with vegetables. Veggie chips are deep fried and when you are thinking about staying healthy, you should avoid fried food altogether.

45. Wraps

Wraps are relatively healthier than other food items you may find in a restaurants. However they are not a health food in anyway or form. Wraps are similar to salads in a way that fast food restaurants have started to put wraps on their menu in order to attract people who want to eat healthy where as in reality these are not as healthy as one would imagine. They are low in calories but not that low that it can be given a tag of health food.

46. Frozen Yogurt

Just because a product is marketed as healthy, doesn’t mean that it is actually healthy. Frozen yogurt is one of the prime examples of such food. When frozen yogurt was introduced in the market, it was marketed as a healthier alternative to ice cream however that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Flavored yogurt has equal and in some cases more sugar and fat content than some of the ice-creams you may find in the market.

47. Acai Bowls

Acai bowls are one of the most popular health foods or are they? Well, acai bowls are actually filled with sugar content and they are very high in calories. Some of these acai bowls have frozen yogurt in them which is a massive source of fat. So if you are looking to lose weight and stay healthy then it is better to stay away from acai bowls.

48. Microwaveable Popcorn

Popcorns are one of the most well-known snacks out there. They are tasty and make for an amazing Netflix and chill experience. However they are not healthy. Popcorns are low in calories however these days you can find an extensive range of popcorns in the supermarket. There are different flavors available and each flavor has a certain amount of sugar, butter and other ingredients added to it, which take away all the benefits you might have gotten from the popcorn’s low calorie nature.

49. Flavored Iced Tea

If you are looking to lose that belly fat then the best way to do so is by drinking flavorless ice tea with a pinch of lemon in it. People who are on a diet tend to go for flavored iced tea thinking that it is going to have the same healthy effect on their body which is not the case. These flavored iced teas are high in sugar content and consuming them on a daily basis can boost the risk of diabetes.

50. Turkey Burgers

If you are trying to eat healthy then you might consider eating a turkey burger instead of any other type of meat. However turkey burgers aren’t as healthy as you might think. Turkey meat can have the same amount of fat in them as beef. The way of cooking these turkey burger patties also effects the nutritional value of the burger. In order to keep the patties fresh, the restaurants add salt and other ingredients to it which may add calories to your body. This is why turkey burgers shouldn’t be on your diet plan if you are trying to lose weight.