Are These Health Foods Really Healthy 9-09

Are These “Health Foods” Really “Healthy”? The marketing geniuses in the food industry occasionally make it confusing to choose a truly nutritious product. Read on to see if the following foods are sabotaging your efforts to select a healthy diet. Granola Bars: Whole oats, nuts, and a bit of dried fruit – what could be wrong with that? What do you think holds granola bars together? Many are dipped in sugary syrups (often containing high fructose corn syrup) and/or contain added oils – often coconut oil which is high in artery clogging saturated fat. Some are loaded w/sugar and other “candy” like chocolate chips – making these healthy-sounding snacks glorified “candy bars” Gotta have it? • A small amount of low fat granola cereal mixed into yogurt is a fine way to add some “crunch” to your snack. • All granola bars are not created equal - Kashi granola bars are made with whole grains, are lower in sugar, low in saturated fat and offer a decent 6 g of protein and 4 g of fiber per serving. • Reduced fat cheese and whole wheat crackers like Triscuits make a satisfying substitute snack! Muffins: Many Americans use the “muffin” as an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. The sheer size of American muffins makes them a healthy eater’s nightmare. Even fat free or sugar free muffins can have near 500 calories. Many contain 20+ grams of fat! Although the bran and fruit varieties evoke a notion of “healthy” most muffins don’t contain enough of ...