It is both interesting and disheartening to note that in a time where more people than ever are striving to take up healthier lifestyles; there is currently a surge in products that claim to be healthy and beneficial for the body but in reality, are actually anything but. The worst part is, some processed products claim to be healthier than the food in its original state.
There is a rampancy of deception when it comes to food labels these days which is why we need to be aware of them. While this is true for everyone, this especially applies to those of us who are very conscious about our bodies or whose goal is to be extremely fit; with six pack abs and all.
Below are a few examples of foods that claim to be healthy but are actually not:
- Low fat peanut butter claiming to be better than natural peanut butter
While “low fat peanut butter” may sound healthy to you, nothing trumps a food in its original state with regard to nutrition levels. Even worse, the reason the product is labelled as “low fat” is because while the fat may have been stripped from the peanut butter, additional carbohydrates and sugars were most probably added to replace the fat. Obviously, that can’t be good for the body.
That said when selecting a jar of peanut butter at the store, stick to the organic version. The organic version of peanut butter usually contains just two ingredients: peanut butter and salt. A very negligible amount of salt is added as well so you need not worry about too much sodium in the peanut butter. Steer clear of peanut butter that contains hydrogenated oils. This is why it is best to always check the ingredients of a product. Hydrogenated oils are harmful for the body. Palm oil is a safer alternative in the event that you can’t find pure, organic peanut butter.
- Products that claim to be “better than eggs”
Laden with optimum levels of protein and choline, eggs are considered a treasure trove in the world of natural food sources. Having said that, it is impossible to come up with a man-made, artificially produced food product that matches the nutrients and health benefits that eggs can offer. This means that the products you see on shelves in stores claiming that the product is better than eggs are not to be believed.
What you would get is a food product filled with additives, preservatives, and food colouring topped with a heaping serving of fake vitamins. Next time you go to the grocery store, search high and low for eggs that claim to have high amounts of DHA or omega-3’s and fill up your cart with them. As always, organic and free-range are the wisest choice.
Yolks are the healthiest part of eggs and food products that claim to be better than eggs usually eliminate this part of them.
- Products that claim to be “better than butter”
Whether you are going to use it to spread on your bread or for cooking or baking purposes, it doesn’t get any better than organic butter. While margarine may claim to be better than butter, don’t believe it for a second. Margarine is not healthy at all and has an unbelievably gross number of highly processed and deadly trans fats to be found in it.
You can even add butter to your steamed vegetables as this helps your body with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. So the next time you’re at the store, don’t believe the products that claim to be better than butter and grab a tub of grass-fed, organic butter instead.
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