Many foods and drinks we purchase these days are portrayed as being healthy, or at least much better for us than they probably are. Clever labelling, with pictures of natural scenes, and naming and colours that immediately bring to mind healthy lifestyles all serve to make us think that we’re making better choices.
I thought I’d compile a shortlist of some of the common culprits that I talk through with clients when they’re looking to make improvements to their diet for weight loss, better health, and improved energy. Let’s take a look at my top seven.
Fruit juice
It was a bottle of fruit juice that inspired me to write this piece actually. We’d just bought it whilst on our way back from our walking adventure last week. On the front, the small bottle explained that it contained the juice of four whole oranges. Not just the tiny little satsumas, four large, ripe oranges. I thought to myself, when would you ever eat four oranges in one go?
When fruit is juiced, most if not all of the fibre content is stripped away, but the sugar content remains remarkably high. Higher, in fact, than some heavily criticised fizzy drinks brands. Why does this matter? Because it’s the fibre that helps to slow the release of the sugars into your body. Without it, and with the sugar from numerous fruits all piled into one little bottle, you get a huge rush of the white stuff and, in the long term, that increases your risk of tooth decay, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes.
Tip for better balance: if you do buy or blend fruit juice, mix it with water to help dilute it and decrease the concentration of water in any one drink.
Cereal bars
In much the same way as fruit juice, cereal bars are often portrayed as healthy, energy-giving snacks. And some of them can be, but many are jam-packed (pun intended) with refined sugars.
Tip for better balance: try making your own bars using a recipe like this one. You’ll find sugars in most foods, but you can minimise the amount by keeping refined produce to a minimum.
Cereal
Just like fruit juice and cereal bars, many breakfast cereals are quite heavily processed and higher in sugars than you might imagine. Even ‘healthy’ options like granola and muesli are big culprits.
Tip for better balance: go for plain porridge oats and natural yoghurt, fruit, nuts, seeds, or peanut butter for flavour.
Tinned and ready-made soups
You’d be surprised to know that you can find a lot of sugar in these too. It’s a preservative. But, more often than not, it’s the higher salt levels that are the biggest concerns. High levels of salt can increase your blood pressure over time and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease as a result.
Tip for better balance: make your own. Here’s a blog I posted last year with a few tasty recipe ideas, perfect as the nights begin to draw in.
Flavoured yoghurts
It’s that pesky sugar thing again!
Tip for better balance: Buy natural yoghurt and add your own fresh fruit or nuts and seeds for flavour.
Vegetable crisps
Of the two words here, the crisps bit is the bigger clue. Yes, there are pictures of a range of fresh allotment goodies on the front, but they’ve been cooked and processed to the point that they’re now pretty high in fats and salts.
Tip for better balance: Get your crunch from crudites instead. Carrot sticks, cucumber, and peppers can all provide some bite without the less balanced bits.
Breakfast muffins
You know when you head into the coffee shop for breakfast when you’re on the way to work or off on your holidays, and you see a range of pastries and delicacies offered up as breakfast choices? English breakfast muffins, all-butter croissants, and the like. Well, they’re not really ideal breakfasts. They’re cakes.
I’m not saying don’t ever treat yourself. That’s not the balance way. But don’t get fooled into thinking they provide a regular, healthy start to your day. They’re rich in sugars and fats, and calories too!
Tip for better balance: If it’s a work thing, pick a day when you allow yourself a tasty but less healthy option. If it’s a one-off because you’re on holiday or off somewhere different for the day, well then make sure you enjoy it! :-)