5 Health Food Traps

Think you’re eating healthy? Think again. Though your intentions may be good, there are five common health food mistakes people make without even knowing it.

“The number one reason people do not make healthy food choices is confusion,” says Connie, a registered dietician. “People don’t know which message they should be following.”

Multi-grain breads may seem like a good choice, but be careful. The healthiest multi-grain breads are made with whole wheat flour, not just wheat flour. When perusing the bread package, Connie recommends looking for key words like whole grain, whole wheat, or whole oat. Breads that do not contain these ingredients have been stripped of most of their fiber and nutrients.

Ground turkey is next on the list. It’s lower in fat than beef, but it is not a low-fat choice. What you really want to focus on is ground turkey breast.

Ground turkey has eight grams of fat per serving while ground turkey breast has fewer than two.

People who assume organic foods are automatically healthier than inorganic foods might also be making a major health food blunder.

Organic, at this point, predominantly refers to how the crops and cattle are handled and the effect on the environment. Not to say [organic food] is not a healthy, enjoyable choice, it’s just not ‘better than.’

Also don’t be fooled by reduced-sodium food.

The only words that mean, ‘This is not going to give you much sodium’ are the words, ‘low sodium’ or ‘sodium-free’. In fact, many foods that claim to be ‘low-er’ in sodium, like soup broth, could still pack a lot of salt to begin with.

Sugar-free foods are the final faux pas, since these items may contain large amounts of carbohydrates. It’s really important that as people look at ‘sugar-free,’ they also pay attention to the carbohydrates”.

A good rule to follow when shopping healthy is to stick to the outer perimeter of the store where fruits, veggies, meat, fish, and dairy products are generally located. Nutritionists say you are more likely to stay trim if you avoid eating processed foods located throughout the inner aisles of the store.