5 Foods You Thought Were Healthy But Are Not

A nutritional and well-balanced diet along with physical activity is the key to healthy foundation. Vitamins and nutrients are absolutely necessary to keep up with your simplest day to day activities. There are many foods however, that are commonly thought to be healthy but in fact are not.

Pre-made smoothie

A typical drink for a nutritionist or anyone that is trying to get in shape. Most people are under the mistaken impression that it’s an excellent source of protein and calcium but in fact, some of these smoothies can contain about 650 to 1,000 calories! That amount of calories can be found in you average-sized burger! Many of these smoothies contain fruit juices that are made up of flavored sugar water, extreme proportions of fruits, and an excessive amount of sugars and syrups. Also, they may contain whole milk, which in itself is very fattening and can come from mistreated cows.

Frozen diet entree

We all know the brands: Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc; but did you know what you are really eating? These entrees are loaded with 700-1,800 mg of sodium, which can negatively affect those who suffer from high blood pressure. Most frozen meals contain about 300 calories, so if you     eat three meals a day that would give you only 900 calories, a number that is far below the average that teenagers should be consuming daily. The danger of under eating can happen and it can cause your body’s metabolism to slow down making it harder to lose weight. Next time take a look at the nutrition facts on your frozen diet entree before eating.

Fruit cup

When we hear the word fruit what comes to mind? “Healthy…sweet…sour…chewy…cold?” But they are not as healthy as they seem. It’s the way the fruit is preserved that makes a huge difference in its nutritional value. A fruit cup/cocktail may have 110 calories and 28 grams of sugar. Is it worth it?

Granola bar

These delightful snacks are very appealing and easy to get our hands on anytime of the day. The perfect pre-workout solution! No matter if the granola bars have dried fruits,nuts, or a ridiculous amount of fiber most of them are very high in sugar and rank low in nutrients. Some bars that are meal replacements are made up of 350 calories each. Nutritionists say they’d rather eat a Twix chocolate bar or Hershey’s because they are very similar to granola bars in calories and in high fructose corn syrup.

Low-fat yogurt

When you open your grandmother’s fridge what’s the first thing you see? Yogurt. Yogurt is marketed as a fantastic choice of food for your body. Although these handy cups contain up to 415 mg of calcium and 531 mg of potassium, some low-fat yogurts include high amounts of sugar and flavored sweeteners that are not so healthy. For a sweeter taste, just add some honey or maple syrup to plain yogurt.