Foods marketed as healthy that may be misleading
Diet soda
It's easy to see how sugar-free versions of popular sodas can be attractive to consumers—most have virtually no calories. But these are full of unhealthy ingredients, including the artificial sweetener aspartame.
Fruit juices
These are essentially soda. Fruit juices are high in sugar, water, and not much else.
Breakfast cereal
Despite many breakfast cereal having bold health claims printed on their packaging, most are full of sugar and additives. This includes the wholegrain versions.
Low-fat and fat-free products
What if you could indulge in your favorite fatty foods without feeling guilty for eating lots of calories? This sounds better than it actually is.
Margarine
Margarine is nothing like butter, which despite being rich in saturated animal fat, is actually real food. Margarine is a a mix of vegetable oils and other chemical compounds that, for many years, was rich in trans fats. It is far from being a healthier alternative to butter.
Whole grain
Not necessarily. Modern wheat for instance, is much poorer in nutrients, when compared to the wheat we used to consume in the past.
Organic processed foods
What better way to sell an unhealthy product than branding it as "organic." Is raw cane sugar much better than regular sugar?
Sports drinks
Drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade can be beneficial for athletes in certain circumstances. Most people however do not need the added sugar, minerals, and artificial dyes.
Gluten-free
Gluten can trigger an inflammatory response in our bodies, but this doesn't necessarily mean that gluten-free alternatives of a specific food are healthier.
Salad dressing
Many salad dressings are packed with sugar, vegetable oils, and trans fats. Fat-free versions are usually full of additives, which don't necessarily make them better alternatives.
Diet ice cream
Diet ice cream has polysorbate 80, an additive that helps give ice cream a creamy texture and increases resistance to melting, that can be harmful to health.
Vegan snacks
Some people believe that, because something is vegetarian or vegan, it is automatically healthier. This could not be further from the truth. Processed vegan food is still junk food.
Vegetable oils
Vegetable oils gained popularity as some can potentially lower blood cholesterol levels in the short term.
Cereal/Granola bars
These sound like a healthy snack, right? Well, not quite. These are basically candy bars disguised as healthy alternatives. You can commonly find ingredients such as sugar, sorbitol, and soybean oil in them.
Sugarless Jello
The sugar-free version is usually packed with artificial flavors, aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
