There are plenty of foods in markets that are stamped with a nutritional information label that is easy to understand to help people make more conscious decisions about the types of food they are buying and what is in those foods. Knowing these things can make shopping for healthier foods pretty easy, But what about the foods that have confusing nutrition labels or no labels at all? That's what this post is for! Here I will list 10 items that you should pick over 10 other items and why, with pictures of the foods you should pick.
Pass: Grapes-
Many people buy grapes thinking they are very healthy and good for you, and often snack on bundles of them in one sitting. Although grapes are good for your heart, there are more nutritional and hunger fighting (which is always a plus) fruits that are equally as tasty, such as raspberries.
Pick: Raspberries-
Raspberries are a great source of soluble fiber, which makes you feel fuller faster and longer and helps reduce cholesterol. Also, they are very high in antioxidants. When they are out of season they tend to be very expensive, so buy frozen organic raspberries instead during that time.
Pass: Beets-
Yes, I know that I told you earlier in my 5 red foods that everyone should eat post that you should eat these, and I was not lying, beets are good for you, there are just better foods for you such as asparagus. Beets are good because they are sweet, which is because they have a lot of sugar in them, which can make your blood sugar fluctuate throughout the day (thats not good for controlling hunger).
Pick: Asparagus-
Similar to beets, asparagus is very good roasted. The better thing about asparagus is that it is much lower in sugar, and high in vitamin C and folate (a form of the water soluble vitamin B9. Both children and adults need it to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia).
Pass: Vanilla Soy Milk-
Although it is very good, Vanilla Soy Milk is practically all sugar (that is why it is so good and so many people love it, Because it is sweet). Lauren Slayton, a Registered Dietitian and founder of Foodtrainers (a nutrition-counseling center) says, "Vanilla soy milk is more like a dessert than a substitute for milk or a good source of soy."
Pick: Skim Milk-
If you're not lactose-intolerant or a vegan choose skim milk. This milk has a ton of calcium and no fat or sugar! Definitely a better choice.
Pass: Vitamin-fortified Water-
Yes I know everyone is a fan of Glaceau's tasty Vitamin Water beverages (and other company's vitamin fortified water) I used to be a fan myself until I realized how many calories and grams of fat were in each bottle. Do not let the nutritional information sticker fool you! At first glance you see 50 calories per serving and think oh thats not too bad. But what most people don't realize is that they consider a serving 8 fl oz. That means that there are 2.5 servings in one bottle. That means that in the whole bottle there are 250 calories!!! And I mean who is going to just drink 8 fl oz of the bottle in a day. If you buy a bottle you're more than likely going to drink the whole thing. Slayton agrees, she says, "Vitamin-fortified waters get my award for fooling the most educated consumers...One bottle has more calories and sugar than a can of cola! And the vitamins are negligible, compared with the amount of sugar you're getting."
Pick: Flavored Seltzer/No-calorie Flavored Water-
Replace those vitamin drinks with flavored seltzer, or a no-calorie flavored water such as Hint. These drinks have no calories and contain no artificial sweeteners or added sugar.
Pass: Couscous-
I was sad to learn this because I like couscous. Many people believe that couscous is a healthier substitute to pasta or rice, but they are wrong! It turns out that couscous has the same nutritional value as white pastas like penne or rigatoni.
Pick: Bulgur or Quinoa-
If you were to take the same amount of couscous as Bulgur and compare them you would find that bulgur has fewer calories and three times the amount of fiber (remember fiber makes you feel full faster and longer so it's always a good thing!) Quinoa is also high in fiber and is a great source of protein.
Pass: Ground Turkey-
So this totally took me off guard because almost every healthy recipe I have come across substitutes most meats with turkey because it is supposedly healthier. Unless the turkey is labeled as "lean ground turkey" or "turkey breast" you are actually getting a mix of white meat, dark meat, and even some skin which on average adds up to 325 calories and 20 grams of fat for a 5 oz serving! So yes, turkey is a good substitute for most meats but it must the specific type of turkey, not just the normal ground turkey.
Pick: Extra-lean Ground Sirloin-
If you were to compare that 325 calorie and 20 grams of fat ground turkey to extra-lean ground sirloin you would realize that the sirloin has 85 calories less (240 calories) than the turkey and HALF the amount of fat (10 grams). Lean beef also supplies a healthy helping of Iron (almost 5 times more than turkey!!).
Pass: Canned Chickpeas-
Chickpeas are sneaky little foods because they are like beans, but they have way more fat and calories, not so good huh? Having a few of these in certain foods like salads is fine, but for a main ingredient you should eat red, black, or white beans.
Pick: Low-sodium Red, Black, or White Beans-
Red, white and black beans have no fat and way fewer calories than chickpeas. They also have tons of protein and are full of lots of nutrients like folate and zinc. Any canned item can have a lot of salt in it, so choose a low-sodium kind, and always rinse the food in water before using (whether you bought a normal or low-sodium kind).
Pass: Tri-colored Pasta-
Many people take presentation of a dish into serious consideration and try to fill their plates with colorful foods (which is good to do), so they use tri-colored pasta rather than normal white pasta, also thinking it is healthier. In reality though they should stay away from tri-colored pasta because contrary to popular belief there is almost no spinach, beets, or other vegetables in each serving. And the fiber and iron content is exactly the same as those of normal white pasta.
Pick: Whole Wheat Pasta-
Although whole wheat pastas have similar amounts of calories white pastas do, whole wheat versions have more fiber, so you fill up faster and eat less. (Because they have more fiber and iron than white pastas they have more fiber and iron than the tri-colored pastas too!)
Pass: Banana Chips-
I was sad to to learn that this food only
sounds healthy because I like to snack on banana chips every once in a while. I used to assume that banana chips were pretty healthy because I mean c'mon they're from bananas, I mean yeah I knew there was some added sugar but I thought "how bad could they be." Well i just learned that they could be pretty bad. Most banana chips are deep-fried, with 220 calories and 15 grams of fat per half-cup!!! Crazy right? Yeah stay away from those, instead pick something like dried apricots.
Pick: Dried Apricots-
A half-cup of dried apricots has around 70 calories (thats about 150 calories less than the banana chips!!!) and less than 1 gram of fat. They also are filled with vitamin A. If you buy organic dried apricots you will avoid sulphites, which can trigger migraines and disrupt sleep! So obviously dried apricots are the better choice by far!
Pass: Goat Cheese-
Goat cheese is not unhealthy, it is just not as healthy as feta cheese. Both cheeses have strong flavors so you usually don't go overboard with the amount you use. Goat cheese has about 7 grams of saturated fat per serving, whereas feta has less.
Pick: Feta Cheese-
I was so happy when I learned that feta cheese is a healthier option than goat cheese because I often have this kind of cheese on salads and love it (especially greek salads!). Similar to goat cheese this type of cheese is full in flavor which keeps the amount you use down. It is a better option than Goat cheese because it has about 3 grams fewer of saturated fat than goat cheese (Feta has only 4 grams of fat per serving) , and also has about 15 fewer calories per oz.
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*This information is from an
article at Health.com. Click the link to read the full article. Health.com has tons of great nutritional information and recipes!
