30 Unhealthy Foods That You Mistake For Healthy And Their Surprising Swaps
Image: Shutterstock
Here is a shocking list of 30 foods you thought to be healthy, but they are not.
1. Skim Milk
Women should never stop consuming milk as it is one of the important sources of calcium and fight osteoporosis and other bone issues. However, opting for the 90-calorie and 12 g sugar skim milk with synthetic nutrients to replace the natural ones is even unhealthier. Cut down on your calories by choosing unsweetened almond/coconut or hemp milk.
2. Bread
Weight is a serious concern and bread is rich in sugar and carbs (and sometimes fat). Consider having collards that belong to the cruciferous family, and have high nutritional value as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Compromise slightly on the taste factor and see your cholesterol levels lowering.
3. Granola
Avoid granola that is loaded with high amounts of sugar. Steel cut oats, topped with fruits or veggies, are a healthier option. They are great for diabetes as well!
4. White Rice
Robbing the grain of its natural vigor, replace white rice with brown rice or bamboo rice. If you do not get these, add cauliflower, a cruciferous veggie linked to cancer prevention and a powerful antioxidant, and see the magic.
5. Spaghetti
Eating a lot of refined carbs as in spaghetti affects the blood sugar levels. Replacing spaghetti with squash will fill your palate without the calories. One cup of squash contains vitamins A, B, C, E, K, and minerals like zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium, apart from calcium. It also contains 10 g of total carbohydrates and lots of fiber.
6. Snack Bar
No time for breakfast and biting into a cereal bar on the way to the office? Replace these bars of sugar, gluten, and fillers and go for a handful of raw almonds. It is rich and nutritious, and keeps you full for long.
7. Conventional Diary
Conventional diary is full of added hormones and sugar. Ditch it and go for the beneficial bacteria-loaded kefir that improves your gut health. You may try goat milk kefir spiced with turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties, and prevent flu and other winter-related ailments.
8. Conventional Beef
Replace conventional beef with grass-fed beef to skip the hormones and chemicals.
9. Iceberg Lettuce
Other than being rich in water, there is no healthy nutritional content in iceberg lettuce. The greener the leaf, the healthier the veggie is. So pick spinach, chard, kale, romaine, or anything of that sort.
10. Banana
Love smoothies but looking for lower glycemic options? Avocados are healthier and creamier than bananas, and are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, potassium, and fiber.
11. Canola Oil
Canola oil is made from the rapeseed, one of the highest GMO crops, and is an awful choice for cooking. Coconut oil is a healthier alternative since it has MCTs (medium chain triglycerides). It can be heated to any temperature and does not get rancid.
12. Agave Nectar
Agave nectar in stylish bottles might delight you, but remember that these are made in laboratories without any nutrients. This is just sugar-condensed fructose syrup containing 70-80% more sugar levels than the average corn syrup. Instead, substitute it with raw honey that has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
13. Sugary Latte
Cannot skip your delicious load of latte? Try out low-fat vanilla latte or, even better, black coffee with less or no sugar.
14. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are packed with lots of glucose for high energy levels, along with an extra boost of electrolytes like magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. Opt for the healthier tender coconut water that has phytonutrients, adaptogens, and antioxidants, is naturally rich in electrolytes, and provides high energy without affecting your health. This is especially good for those whose blood pressure and sugar levels get low often.
15. Soy Sauce
Soy has many undisputed health benefits – true! But if you are prone to endocrine disorders (thyroid, adrenal, etc.), it is better to avoid soy sauce. Replace it with coconut aminos that are rich in amino acids and boost your immune and physical energy systems.
16. Margarine
This factory-produced food is full of chemicals, sugar, and milk solids. It is high in trans fat and is known to increase the LDL levels. Substitute this with butter or clarified butter that is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and iodine. The Wulzen factor, found only in butter, ensures that calcium is deposited in the joints and prevents arthritis. No wonder, Ayurveda resorts to butter as the fat content in its medicines. Clarified butter is butter minus the milk solids and is better suited for those with digestion issues.
17. Sugar
Sugar can cause inflammation, which in turn can cause diseases. Sri Lankan cinnamon is one of the finest in the world. This super spice contains cinnamaldehyde and polyphenol antioxidants that have a positive effect on your health and metabolism.
18. Sour Cream
Crispy wedges dipped in sour cream is an excellent choice, but substitute your artificially processed sour cream (even the low-fat ones) with Greek yogurt flamed with spices of your choice. This works wonders for the health of your gut.
19. Salad Dressings
Clear these from your kitchen shelves and add a lacing of olive oil or apple cedar and your choice of herbs. It works better than these dressings that contain fillers and sugar in varied colors.
20. Alfredo Sauce
Replace cream-based sauces with vegan pesto and cut down on the calories. Blend nutritional yeast (3 tbsps), lightly packed fresh basil (2 cups), raw, unsalted pine nuts (½ cup), garlic (2 large cloves), lemon juice (1 tbsp), topped with extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup), sea salt, and fresh pepper in a processor. Store the mixture in an airtight container. Your vegan pesto is ready. It’s easy to make and delicious as well.
21. Cheese
Cheese is great in calcium but you cannot discount the fat and mucus. Substitute it with nutritional yeast that contains iron, is low in fat and sodium, and free of gluten. Substituting the processed cheese with healthy homemade cottage cheese that is high in protein is also an excellent idea.
22. Egg Muffins
Eggs with veggies are a healthier option than muffins loaded with sugar and cheese.
23. French Fries
French fries are high in fat, starch, and carbs. Replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes that are high in vitamin B6 that helps reduce homocysteine, a potential lead to artery and heart related problems. Choose to steam or bake rather than deep fry.
24. Potato Chips
Enjoying a movie or chatting with friends? Nothing goes like potato chips and sauce. These are high in trans fat. Replace them with the healthier kale chips that contain vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.
25. Cheese Crackers
Replace fatty cheese crackers with healthy low-sugar oatmeal cookies if you are traveling and do not have a choice to go for a healthier variant.
26. Croutons
Croutons on salads are unhealthy. Instead, go for dry toasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, Brazilian nuts, etc.).
27. Ice Cream
You often ignore the fat, sugar, and artificial essence levels in ice creams because they taste amazing. Try this instead – freeze some banana slices, flavor them with cocoa or anything of your choice, and blend smoothly to relish it like ice cream, without the unhealthy factors. It helps fight depression too with the high levels of tryptophan that is converted to serotonin.
28. Milk Chocolate
People think that chocolate may cause respiratory infections and prefer milk chocolate that is sugar-coated dairy. Not only does it spoil the flavor of cocoa, but it also causes multiple diseases. Dark chocolate has 70% more cocoa, and is a better choice.
29. Cakes/Cookies
Eating those delicios cakes and cookies can be very detrimental to your health. Appeasing your sweet tooth with rich berries, cacao nibs, and unsweetened almond/coconut milk comes with the added bonus of good skin, brain, and higher immunity.
30. Eggs
Go for whole eggs. Their albumin is rich in protein and yolk is rich in nutrients. Eggs do not affect blood cholesterol.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of healthier options available for your favorite foods. Incorporate them in your diet and see the difference.
