Owing to cut-throat market competition in the food industry phrases like fat-free, healthy, sugar-free, etc. can be seen plastered on almost every food package. Be it the effort to give their product an edge over the other or to grab customer attention, these phrases just lead us to incur health and monetary losses. Out of our ignorance or lack of knowledge about foods that are unhealthy, we believe every word claimed by these companies. But in actuality, the reality is far more shocking and damaging. Therefore to unveil the false claims by such companies and give you a reality check, here is the list of the top 15 unhealthy foods people consider healthy and consume daily to stay “healthy”:
15. White Pasta
This is probably by far the most common unhealthy food item that people in Western societies eat daily without realizing the damage it causes. Refined white flour, which has no nutrition in it at all, is used in the manufacturing process of White Pasta as a result of which the product only increases high Glycemic Index (GI) carbohydrates and LDL cholesterol in your blood.
Luckily, a good alternative to White Pasta exists – wholewheat is used in the manufacturing of Brown Pasta as a result of which it offers low GI carbohydrates that benefit the body.
14. Pretzels
The problem with Pretzel is the same as it was with Granola, it has no essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, proteins, etc to offer and instead delivers loads of carbohydrates that instantly release sugar in the blood.
It also contains lots of white flour and corn syrup.
13. English Muffins
No matter how cute they look, the stuff used in the making of English Muffins contains high amounts of carbohydrates and thus is not good for consumption if you want to have a healthy diet and normal blood pressure.
12. Pasta Salad
With plenty of corn syrup and white flour which contains high volumes of carbohydrates, Pasta Salad comes nowhere close to healthy foods.
11. Granola
Due to the ingredients of Granola, all you would get is a spike in your blood pressure and no essential nutrients.
Given the fact that it is consumed in the morning breakfast mostly, its harmful effects are multiplied due to empty stomachs.
10. Fruit Juice
Fruit juices are indisputably considered to be a healthy drink that readily substitutes the actual fruit. But owing to the high quantity of sugar in the sweeteners, fruit juices readily get a place on this list.
In addition, its manufacturing process excludes the pulpy part of the fruit which contains maximum nutrients. So what we consume are sweeteners, preservatives, and fruits without nutrients.
9. Frozen Yogurt Cups
Generally, yogurt comes in the healthy food category. But the reason it’s included in this list is the addition of corn syrup in its manufacturing process.
The corn syrup doubles the sugar quantity and thus does more harm than good.
8. Fat-Free Salad Dressings
The fat-free salad dressings contain a reduced amount of fats but a high sugar content.
The sweeteners added to emulate the sugary taste trigger the metabolism, thus increasing our food cravings.
7. Roasted Peanuts
Nuts are usually healthy with the right proportions of minerals, vitamins, and fibers. But the roasted peanuts are an exception.
With a high quantity of salt and fattening oil, they are as unhealthy as any other fried food.
6. Processed Cheese
Though any kind of cheese is unhealthy, processed ones are one step ahead. They contain the highest ratio of salt, which surpasses the daily intake ratio even by mere consumption of 2 to 3 slices.
5. Diet Soda
Although not a type of food exactly, it can be easy to skip this list. We believe to have saved huge amounts of calories by drinking sugar-free versions of soda.
But certain research studies claim that drinking diet soda triggers metabolism which compels us to eat more than usual. In addition, the sweeteners added to it can us to gain weight.
4. Ketchup
It is considered healthy because of the high quantity of antioxidants. On the contrary, it contains an excessive amount of sugar and salt.
Besides, these sausages are chemically processed and the levels of antioxidants are much lower than what an actual vegetable contains.
3. Soup Powders
Although claimed to be a rightful substitute for natural soup, these packaged soup powders contain a high amount of salts along with other preservatives. The excessive consumption of salts can even lead to high blood pressure. The kidneys get loaded and excrete excess salt which in turn can lead to a heart problem.
2. White bread
Formed with a combination of flour and water, it contains absolutely no nutrients like minerals, proteins, vitamins, etc.
Although a lot of you might be aware of this, still some people believe that all types of bread are healthy. Well, white bread is not.
1. Vegetable Oil
The fact that fat in the liquid state is easier to break seems plausible to support the claims that vegetable oil keeps our hearts young.
Indeed it’s true and besides it comes from plants. So it ought to be healthy, right? Wrong. Liquid or not, fat is difficult for the body to digest and as a result, readily accumulates on our thighs and stomachs.
Did we miss any most unhealthy foods people consider healthy on our list? Let us know in the comments!
