12 Misleading Foods You Should AVOID at All Costs

In a day and age when we spend almost all the time at home without vacations, concerts or movie nights out, grocery shopping is probably the most exciting time of the week.

And how couldn’t it be? This is the magical place where we can get fresh bananas from Ecuador, Chinese soy sauce and a frozen pizza to please our taste buds day and night. Even the smallest stores have dozens of products you can choose from and they’re all colorful, vibrant and tasty.

This experience pleases our senses so much that we often forget to ask the most important question of them all:

Are these things healthy?

Unfortunately, many times the answer is ‘no.’ More and more foods from all major food groups are heavily processed, they contain way too much added sugar or salt and most have artificial flavors as well. These aspects are exactly why we have such a dangerously high rate of obesity, as well as the reason for many of our long-term health problems.

But perhaps the worst part is that many harmful foods actually look incredibly healthy, which makes it even more difficult for us to figure out what we should eat and what we shouldn’t.

With that thought in mind, I’ve created this post that reveals 12 misleading foods you should stop seeing as healthy. Below each food, I’ve also added a secret tip on how to make it healthier or an alternative that’s both tasty and healthy.

Ready? Let’s find out how we can improve our diets together!

Energy bars

This is perhaps one of the most popular snacks considered to be healthy – and some energy bars truly are! However, most products of this kind contain more empty calories and sugars than some actual candy bars.

However, this doesn’t mean that you have to give up on this snack because it can indeed be healthier. Of course, the best alternative is to cook your own energy bars and bites and there are plenty of free online recipes to try.

If you’re not into cooking or don’t have the time, though, read the label very carefully. The truly healthy ones have 100-200 calories, at least 4 grams of protein and less than 10 grams of sugar.

Reduced-fat peanut butter

Peanut butter is essentially renowned for being one of the best sources of fat out there.

In fact, any type of nut you consume can give you valuable fats that keep you healthy in the long run. For example, this 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating walnuts, peanuts or tree nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease.

In short, there’s no reason to consume reduced-fat peanut butter, because that fat is actually very healthy!

Even if you do pick that option, there’s no real benefit because both contain the same amount of calories. The only difference is that the reduced-fat alternatives are overloaded with sugar and artificial flavors and, ironically enough, those really do add some unhealthy fat on your thighs.