Whether you’re on a weight loss diet or aiming to gain muscle, eating healthy is important. Most of us swear by skipping the delicious cakes and chocolates and opting for protein bars, shakes and salads to get closer to our fitness goals. From energy drinks to baked chips, there are a lot of products on the market that are touted as healthy. But, not everything that comes with the tag “healthy” is good for your body. To help you make an informed choice, nutritionist Lavneet Batra explains how certain foods like packaged salads and vegetable oils can harm our bodies, even though they are generally considered healthy. Below are five foods you should know before adding them to your healthy diet.
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5 Healthy Foods That Are Unhealthy:
1. Protein Bars and Drinks
Those protein shakes and bars taste truly heavenly and are considered a great option to energize your body after a grueling workout. But, according to nutritionists, high protein content does not mean that these products are going to keep you fit. Instead, she says, many protein bars and shakes are “bricks of artificial ingredients and fillers” that won’t benefit you.
2. Vegetable Oil
You might have been told to fry those puffy puris in sunflower oil and make dishes in soybean oil because they are healthier than other oils. But, according to nutritionists, they are the “number 1 cause of health problems.” This is because vegetable oils are highly refined and rich in omega 6, which can increase the growth of cancer cells and increase blood clotting and inflammation in the body.
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3. Flavored Yogurt
Another food that you must be enjoying since a long time considering that it is not only tasty but also healthy. But the truth is, these tart strawberries and fruit punch-flavored yogurt contain more sugar than a piece of cake. Yes, you heard it right. That’s why, nutritionists suggest, it is better to go for unflavored or unsweetened ones.
4. Packaged Salad
Packaged salads are crunchy, look fresh, and smell great, too. But this is not because they are packed fresh but because many types of preservatives are used in them. Nutritionists say that most ready-to-eat packaged salads are high in sodium and fat, which can do more harm than good to your body.
5. Low fat products
People who want to lose some weight are quick to pull a product off the shelf when it has a “low fat” tag. But by doing so, you’re not always making the healthiest choice. According to nutritionists, food manufacturers try to replace fat with sugar in such low-fat products to make it taste better.
So, the next time you go shopping, keep these pointers in mind before adding items to your cart.