You'll be surprised at the list of health foods that some nutrition experts won't touch.
Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
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“In my opinion, the only ingredient in peanut butter should be peanuts,” says
Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City and author of
The Small Change Diet. “Reduced-fat
[peanut butter] adds artificial sweeteners, only to save 0.5 grams of
saturated fat per serving and 10 calories. The reduction simply isn’t
worth it and the taste becomes too sweet, taking away from the delicious
taste of peanuts.”
Cristina Rivera, a registered dietician and
president of Nutrition In Motion PC, emphasizes further that not all
fats are harmful. “Unsaturated fats such as nuts and peanut butter,
seeds, avocado, olive oil and fish oil have numerous health benefits.
Foods that contain these fats protect our heart, lower bad cholesterol
while raising good cholesterol, and fight inflammation in our bodies,”
says Rivera. People should keep that in mind when thinking about opting
for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of foods, she says.
(
MORE: FDA Recall: Is There Salmonella in Your Skippy?)
In moderation, nuts and nut butters can be healthy snacks that are
high in magnesium and vitamin E. Magnesium protects respiratory health
and
vitamin E boosts immunity and helps protect the body from tissue damage and inflammation triggered by cancer-causing free radicals.
So, when choosing a peanut butter, Rivera recommends skipping the
reduced-fat versions in order to reap the full benefits of peanuts’
heart-healthy fats. “Natural or organic is the best option, and if
you’re worried about the high calorie content, just be sure to practice
portion control — 1 to 2 tablespoons is a serving — and stay physically
active.”
MORE: The Supernut: Walnuts Pack a Powerful Dose of Antioxidants
Frozen Yogurt
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Dessert is dessert and no sugary treat can ever
really be considered “healthy,” but the low-fat frozen yogurt craze has
many of us convinced it doesn’t count.
Katherine Booking, a registered dietician and
co-founder of AppforHealth.com, cautions consumers that it does. “A lot
of frozen yogurt places these days allow you to self-serve and you can
easily end up doling out huge portions, then adding high-calorie
toppings,” she says. “You could walk out of your favorite fro-yo shop
with a 400-plus calorie treat; thinking you’re having a 100 calorie
dessert.”
(
MORE: Study: The Best and Worst Foods for Healthy Weight)
A common frozen-yogurt myth is that since it’s yogurt, it’s full of
healthy probiotics that maintain digestive health and give your immune
system a boost. But whether a given brand of frozen yogurt contains
enough probiotic bacteria to actually have this beneficial effect
depends on the manufacturer.
According to Simin Nikbin Meydani, a professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University:
Although the flash-freezing technique used in the
production of frozen yogurt, unlike slow freezing in a freezer, should
not kill the live cultures [and healthy bacteria in yogurt], there is no
guarantee that this won’t occur.
As a result, the number of bacteria in frozen yogurt is usually lower
than that in the yogurt it was made from. However, different yogurts
and frozen yogurts are made with different types of live cultures and
probiotics, and the levels that remain in frozen yogurt depend on the
numbers that were in the yogurt and on the heartiness of the specific
bacteria that was used.
To find out if your yogurt has a healthy helping of probiotics, you
should read labels and look for the National Yogurt Association’s ”Live
and Active Cultures” seals on yogurt containers. But, as far as Booking
is concerned, “Overall, probiotics are not worth the calories in most
frozen yogurt since you can get probiotics virtually calorie-free in
capsules or in fat-free regular yogurt.”
So what’s Booking’s solution? “I’d rather opt for a small portion —
about a half-cup serving — of the ‘real deal’: regular ice cream. If I’m
going to indulge, I really want to enjoy my indulgence,” she says.
PHOTOS: Pictures of Ice Cream That Will Make You Scream
- gluten
- [名][U]グルテン, 麩(ふ)質 gluten breadグルテンパン（糖尿病患者用の消化のよいパン）.
[形]《解剖学》腹の, 腹腔(くう)の.
━━[名]小児脂肪便症患者.
Gluten-Free Foods
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For people suffering from celiac disease — an
autoimmune condition — going gluten-free is not a choice, but a health
must. The autoimmune condition causes people to have an immune reaction
to gluten, a protein found in many grains like wheat, barely and rye,
which leads to inflammation in the small intestine and prevents
sufferers from absorbing certain nutrients.
Yet gluten-free diets have become trendy, even among those with no
allergy to the protein, thanks to celebrities like Victoria Beckhman and
Miley Cyrus swearing off gluten and claiming to feel healthier and
fitter for it.
But “the bottom line is you only need gluten-free if you have been
diagnosed with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease,” says Booking. “It
is estimated that only about 1 in 100 Americans have celiac disease and 1
in 7 may have gluten sensitivity.”
Booking notes that many gluten-free foods are now marketed to the
general public as health foods — even though some processed gluten-free
products are made with significant amounts of added sugar, saturated fat
and preservatives. “Since I do not have gluten issues, I do not eat
gluten-free foods. The majority of Americans do not have these
problems,” she says. “Don’t be fooled into thinking that gluten-free is
healthier if you don’t have gluten problems.”
MORE: All Hype? Gluten-Free Diets May Not Help Many
‘High-Fiber’ and ‘Whole-Grain’ Cereal
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Nutritionists are constantly encouraging us to eat more high-fiber foods and whole grains, which help
lower the risk of heart disease and even some cancers. But according to
Oz Garcia, celebrity
nutritionist for stars like Hilary Swank, if you’re getting your fiber
and grains from breakfast cereal, that’s probably not the healthiest way
to go. Most commercial “healthy” cereals are packed with additives, he
says. ”Unless you are purchasing cereal from a health food store,
many brands that are marketed as healthy are usually full of sugar and
processed ingredients,” says Garcia.
So when you’re choosing cereal, bread or any other whole-grain
product, Garcia recommends reading labels with a critical eye. “Many
whole wheat breads are not entirely whole grain. They are often
processed with artificial ingredients and can even be caramelized for
coloring,” he says.
cáramelìze[cár・a・mel・ìze]
[動](他)(自)〈砂糖を〉カラメルにする, 〈砂糖が〉カラメルになる；…にカラメルをかける
Processed Soy Foods
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Whole, organic soy has a host of health advantages,
but many nutritionists won’t touch processed products promoting “soy”
ingredients — like Luna Bars and soy protein powders. That’s because
processed soy, also known as soy protein isolate, has none of the carbs,
fat or fiber that makes soy so healthy.
“I won’t eat soy protein isolate, or for that matter any soy unless it’s in its organic whole food form,” says
Ashley Koff, a registered dietician and co-author of
Mom Energy: A Simple Plan To Live Fully Charged. ”Isolating
the protein at minimum loses the benefits of the rest of the soy, like
its fiber and omega-3s, and at worst creates a product that may be
implicated in hormone imbalance.”
‘Light’ Yogurt
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This one is easy to get wrong, says
Kim Snyder, nutritionist for celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Channing Tatum and author of
The Beauty Detox Solution. After
all, yogurt is always made of wholesome dairy and fresh fruit right?
Wrong. “Yogurt can contain tons of sugar. Read the label and you’ll see
yogurt often contains high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings
and artificial colors. One small container of fat-free yogurt can have
upwards of 28 to 31 grams of sugar,” says Snyder.
New York City dietician Gans also avoids “light” yogurts. So when she
still wants the dairy, but not the added sugar, “I much prefer to go
with a low-fat Greek yogurt for a little extra calories and whole lot
more protein. In some comparisons, an additional 8 g [of protein] per
serving,” she says. “The creamy taste of Greek is more satisfying to me
than the artificially sweetened.”
Low-fat dairy can be a
healthy addition to your diet,
by increasing your calcium and protein intake, which can help you feel
fuller longer. But Snyder argues that there are lots of other sources of
dietary calcium besides yogurt and milk that can be even better for
you.
Nothing! Everything’s Fine in Moderation
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Health gurus may gasp in horror, but
Alan Aragon,
a southern California-based nutritionist who works with professional
athletes, welcomes pretty much anything into his diet. “There are no
foods I can think of that I would completely avoid,” he says. “I like to
say, ‘avoid food avoidance.’ This helps reinforce the principle that
everything — and I mean
everything — is fine in moderation.”
French fries? Cheese curds? Taco Bell’s Dorito-shell
tacos?
It’s all acceptable. “Junk food can be eaten as often as you want —
even daily — as long as it only comprises a minor proportion of your
overall calories for the day. This allows people to not feel boxed into a
diet that has no leeway for letting your hair down,” says Aragon. “I’ve
always said that life is far too long to spend on a strict diet.”
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