Ever wandered down the health food aisle and wondered if any of that stuff is actually healthy? We do too…so here’s our 2 cents worth!
1. Juices & Smoothies
Juices can be a healthy way to include fruit, but your average cafe or juice bar is not as healthy as it seems. Fruit juices (even cold press) contain a high amount of sugar and are low in fibre, whereas you wouldn’t eat five oranges, you can easily drink them and then eat some more food too. So it can easily lead to consuming more calories during the day, as fibre in the whole fruit helps to control how quickly the body digests sugar. As for smoothies, at home you can easily control the amount of added fats and sugars you use – that dash of honey at a smoothie bar can easily become a big squeeze, and many smoothie bars even use frozen yoghurt, which is almost the same as ice-cream. So really, a lot of smoothies could just be milkshakes. You’re best to make one up at home using a handful of fresh or frozen fruit, cup of milk, dash of yoghurt & a spoon of chia seeds/nuts for some healthy fats.
2. Sugar free and low carb options
With the low carb trend, food manufacturers have marketed products with ‘no added sugar’ and ‘low carb’ options – this doesn’t mean that they are calorie free or that they are healthier than something that’s not in a packet. Low carb bars are highly processed with minimal real food ingredients, so should be consumed occasionally but not as a daily source of nutrition. Many foods with no added sugar might still be high in sugar, for example energy balls which are made mostly from dried fruit – aim for options to be lower than 15 g of sugar per 100 g if it will be a more common choice.
3. ‘High Protein’ everything
Just like low carb, high protein doesn’t equal healthy. In fact, many foods like greek style yoghurt, are naturally high in protein. So you don’t necessarily need to buy the one that is marketed as high. Higher protein breads, cereals, muesli bars can still be high in sugar and fat too. Contrary to popular belief, the average person doesn’t really need to add even more protein into their diet, if they are already including a protein source at main meals from legumes, meat, dairy, eggs, tofu or fish. So, there’s no need to chug a protein shake after every gym session you do if you.
4. Gluten Free chips, veggie chips, grain chips, bean chips…
These are another well played marketing strategy – many consumer surveys have shown that people think gluten free means healthier, but unless you have coeliac disease you don’t need them. Often gluten free options have less nutrient dense flours to replace the gluten in pasta, crackers and snack foods. Veggie chips, grain chips and bean chips can offer a healthier alternative to potato chips – but they are still high in fat, salt and sometimes added sugars in flavourings. So still consider them as a treat!
5. Wholemeal, light rye, brown rice crackers…
In order to actually be high in fibre and low glycemic index (having a slower impact on your blood sugar levels) a bread or a cracker needs to contain the whole, intact grain. So while wholemeal and light rye breads might seem to be healthier than white bread, you are best to opt for breads that are wholegrain instead – where you can see the grains and seeds in there. 7.5 g fibre per 100 g is best. Similarly, crackers that boast they are based on brown rice instead of white are only marginally different, and a poor source of fibre – if you are coeliac, then look for wholegrain rice cakes or buckwheat crackers and add a source of protein or fibre such as a nut butter or avocado to keep you full for longer.
So what should you eat? If it is less processed and doesn’t need a label, then it’s usually going to be a healthy choice – fresh fruit, vegetables, lean protein & nuts & seeds should be the basis of your healthy diet.
