With the focus on eating healthy and changing the foods we eat to make them healthier, the food industry has gone all out to meet this new trend. The result? We have all kinds of ‘healthy' foods to choose from. But are we any healthier now than before? Let us take a look at some of these healthy foods and understand what they are all about.
FLAVOURED YOGHURT: Sounds like the perfect healthy snack! But many low fat types of yoghurt with fruits also contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, large amounts of sugar and artificial sweeteners, some of them have as much as 15g of sugar in a 200 ml cup! This is as much sugar as you get from a regular chocolate bar. The fruits are usually from a concentrate or are preserved in sugar.
Healthy alternative-Homemade or plain yoghurt can be eaten with freshly chopped fruits. You can add just a drizzle of honey if necessary. You will be pleasantly surprised as to how good this tastes.
NATURAL 100% FRUIT / VEGETABLE JUICE: These are easy to pick off the shelf of any supermarket. But have we looked closely at what they contain? Most people think that this is a healthy way to get their daily amount of fruit and vegetables. But take a look at this; 250 ml of apple juice contains 120 calories which seems about as much as a few slices of whole apple or a slice of whole grain bread. But the difference lies in how this juice is accepted by your body. Juice is simple carbohydrate due to the absence of fibre to provide you with fullness. So if you are not careful you can overdo the quantity of juice you consume. Have you also wondered how each tetra pack of juice tastes the same from wherever you buy it? In the fine print you can see a note that says the juice contains added flavour from natural flavouring substances. On the same side you see the nutritional information. While there may not be any added sugar in the juice the natural sugar content per serve (200ml) is 22g! And all this is minus the fibre.
Healthy alternative- Instead go for whole fruit. This contains a good amount of fibre which makes you feel full, since your body takes longer to digest it.
SPORTS- DRINKS: These seem to work wonders for performance and recovery, post exercise. Manufacturers claim they are even better than water. However these claims are made lacking solid scientific research. Sports Drinks are known to contain large amounts of sweeteners and sugar which lead to a significant increase in calories. The little research that has been done to support the claims was sponsored by companies manufacturing these sports drinks.
Healthy alternative: Make your own recovery drink, to 1 l of plain water add the juice of half a lime,1 tsp of sugar and ¼ to ½ tsp salt. Tender coconut water is also an excellent choice as it is cooling and contains the right balance of electrolytes.
BROWN/ WHEAT BREAD: We eliminated white bread in favour of the ever healthy brown bread. But most brown breads available at the local stores are just white bread that has been coloured brown with artificial colour or syrup. Even wheat or multigrain breads have few whole grains and may also contain preservatives, food colouring and partially hydrogenated oils. When you look at nutrition labels, the ingredients are listed in the order of their amounts, if whole grain features at the middle or end of the list then there is not much of it.
Healthy alternative- Fibre rich breads that are made from 100% whole wheat. If you can get multigrain or sprouted breads, these are good options as well.
FAT FREE PRODUCTS:These products are popular due to the myth that ‘fat makes us fat'. What was not explained was the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats. When people avoid good fat they are missing out on a macronutrient that is essential for the body's metabolism. Being biochemically complex, fat keeps us full for longer so that we do not crave anything unhealthy thereby contributing to weight loss. Fat was then replaced with more carbohydrates, which in turn made us fatter. Refined carbs are digested quickly leading to blood sugar swings making it more difficult to control our overall calorie intake. People have a misconception that since they contained low fat or no fat, a second or third helping is fine. Fat-free biscuits and ice creams have more sugar, transfats and other sweeteners than regular versions which contain 1 -2 grams of fat and use wholesome ingredients.
Fat free products are often loaded with hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugars, transfats, flour, thickeners, salt and artificial sweeteners to make up for taste, texture and palatability. A diet too high in these is unhealthy and increases the risk of diabetes and cholesterol leading to heart disease. The bottom line is that healthy fat does not make you fat, a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet contributes to obesity.
Healthy alternative- Make healthy fats a part of your diet. Include fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil. Use skimmed dairy products. If skimmed versions are not available then have a small portion of the regular item. Prepare your food using healthy methods of cooking like grilling, baking, boiling, pressure cooking and steaming.
STORE BOUGHT TRAIL MIX: Your doctor has advised you to include nuts and dry fruit as a healthy snack. Finally! Something nice to munch on! You head to the grocery store and pick up a bag of trail mix. You regularly eat this ‘healthy snack' and after a while you notice weight gain, leaving you wondering what happened.
As the name suggests they are trail mix. If you are not hiking or brisk walking but eat those nuts sitting in front of the TV or computer, then ditch them! Pre-packaged nuts contain as much as 300 calories in one handful and are usually salted while the dry fruits are soaked in sugar syrup and dried.
Healthy alternative- Put together a home-made mix of your choice of unsalted nuts with a few dry fruits. Measure this out in advance so you know exactly how much you are eating. This is enough to keep you full between meals.