(upbeat music)
- Hey munchies, new and old, I'm Alyssia.
We all want healthy to be easier
and packaged food makes life easier.
There are some healthier packaged options
but a lot of packaged food items
are just pretending to be healthy.
I am giving you the rundown on 15 of those
right now but trust me, there are way more.
That is why it's important that you learn how
to read the labels and determine for yourself.
We cannot trust health claims.
In fact, if a food package is making a health claim,
it's usually a bad sign.
First up: Banana chips. Noo!
These are so good.
The upside is that they are made of bananas
and therefore contain the fiber, iron, magnesium
and potassium that bananas offer.
The downside: they're often deep fried
and include flavor enhancers and sugar.
Instead, try home made banana chips cooked in the oven.
I do have an episode, if you want to check that out
and I have linked it in the description.
Gluten free snacks and breads, the upside:
many people, not just those with gluten intolerance
or sensitivity, can find it hard to digest gluten.
The downside is that in processed foods,
when something is removed, another thing is usually added.
So, gluten free items can contain a lot
of refined additives that are essentially depleted of
nutrients, and they're no healthier than any other snack.
Instead, try a home made, or cleaner snack.
One with less ingredients and more whole grains
even if it does contain wheat or gluten, will be healthier
for most than a refined and processed gluten free option.
Ezekiel bread for instance, is a clean bread
that is not completely gluten free
but will do our bodies more justice
than a gluten free, processed variety.
Dried fruit. The upside: they are fruit.
But the downside, they're often coated in sugar
and to protect them from mold and to keep their color,
they are treated with preservatives and additives.
Instead, make your own.
I've linked a few videos where I show drying out the fruit
in the oven in the description.
Or even better, go for fresh fruit.
Yogurt. The upside: yogurt contains probiotics
that can be great for gut health.
The downside: most commercial varieties are loaded
with sugar and contain little protein.
Greek varieties are better when it comes to
a protein balance, but they can still pack on the sugar.
Greek does not mean healthy.
Instead, use plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit
and add a drizzle of honey.
Instant oatmeal packets. The upside: They are convenient
and do contain oaty goodness.
So, even quick cooking oats can be a healthy choice.
The downside: these packets are often a very small serving
with more sugar than anything else.
Instead, make your own home made packets.
I show how in a meal prep video linked in the description.
Agave, oh my.
The upside of agave is it tastes pretty good
and I guess it comes from a plant,
but so do coffee beans, and it doesn't make it a vegetable.
It's far from natural.
The downside: agave is actually extremely processed
and there's more fructose in agave than almost
any other sweetener, even high fructose corn syrup.
Instead, try almost any other natural
or raw liquid sweetener, but the truth is
they should all be consumed in limited amounts.
I discuss agave and other sweeteners
in my sweeteners 101 video.
Brown rice syrup. The upside: it's made from rice.
It seems natural and healthy, and it contains glucose
but no refined fructose which is good.
The downside: it's very high on the glycemic index,
meaning it will spike blood sugar super fast.
Not to mention it's extremely refined
and contains no essential nutrients.
It's empty calories.
Instead, like we mentioned previously,
another natural liquid sweetener
or even a no calorie sweetener,
regardless, the goal should be moderation
with all sweeteners, sugar filled or not.
Vegan mayo, or store bought mayo all together.
The upside: there isn't really an upside to be honest.
What makes mayonnaise unhealthy isn't the eggs
or cholesterol or saturated fat,
it's actually the inflammatory oils.
The downside: inflammatory oils exist in regular
and vegan mayonnaise options.
What's worse is that vegan mayo options,
like many other fake vegan foods, are often more processed.
Some variations contain MSG in disguise
and many contain brown rice syrup or soy protiens
which aren't doing our bodies any good either.
Instead, try making your own clean avocado
or olive oil mayo.
You can avoid inflammatory oils and sugar.
I do this almost weekly, and it's a great clean option.
I actually have a video of me making this
on my instagram highlights.
Also, if any of you are wanting to learn more about
inflammation and inflammatory foods,
I have a course called Conquer Inflammation.
You can get it at inflammation course dot com,
I will link it in the description.
It's completely free and it teaches you all about
inflammation and how to start to remove
inflammatory foods from your diet.
Next up, we've got low net carb, high fiber supplements.
So the upside: for most people, these can help keep the
total carb counts down and get into protein.
The downside: most of the fiber supplements
used do not create a universal blood sugar response
meaning, different people respond to them differently.
Some people can absorb the fiber and those high fiber syrups
just like regular carbohydrates, it just sort of depends
on the person and their own carbohydrate tolerance.
Also, many companies keep the net carb count low
by adding synthetic fibers that don't provide
the same benefits as natural dietary fibers
from whole grains and fruits or vegetables.
Instead, try whole foods.
Most of us don't need supplements to get enough protein
and if we are in a pinch, there are still plenty
of cleaner options for energy or fuel.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever eat protein bars,
it just means to really be mindful about what's in them
and why you're consuming them.
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Now is the time.
Rice cakes. The upside: they're low in calories
and a great vessel for spreads or toppings.
The downside: they're typically made with white rice
which is digested quickly and can spike blood sugar
and insulin, meaning you're more likely
to store it as fat than burn it.
Instead, try a less processed or even home made seed
or whole grain cracker.
They may have more calories,
but they'll have more nutrients too.
If you must have rice cakes,
then get one that's made with 100% brown rice
or a whole grain option,
but recognize that they are
still very much so processed foods.
I've linked videos with my homemade crackers below, too.
Superfood powders. The upside:
they do provide nutritional benefits.
The downside: they're pretty much a waste of money.
So, not only are they expensive,
but they aren't giving you much more nutrition
than regular fruits and vegetables that you can buy locally.
Almost all fruits and veggies
contain antioxidants and fight inflammation
and you know they aren't processed.
Some contain added sugar, too.
Instead: whole fruits and veggies, fresh or frozen.
Don't get me wrong, if you love adding these
to your smoothie, they probably aren't going to hurt,
but they might not help as much as you're hoping either.
Couscous. The upside: it tastes delicious.
The downside: did you know that
it's actually just refined wheat?
Essentially like a processed white pasta?
Noo!
You have to actually to buy a true whole wheat variety
to make sure it's whole grain, or better yet,
try a more nutritious option, like quinoa or bulgur wheat.
Veggie burgers. The upside: you can enjoy a burger meatless.
The downside: they're often loaded with over processed
proteins and soy products, lacking vegetables
and rarely healthy.
Instead, if you aren't eating meat but will eat fish,
consider a tuna or salmon patty.
If you want to go meatless all together,
go for a home made or at least a cleaner variety
with less ingredients using actual vegetables,
legumes or quinoa.
Smoothies. The upside: they can be a great way
to get in fruits, vegetables, and nutrients.
The downside, buying them at a restaurant or store
almost ensures a sugar overload with far less nutrition.
Instead, make your own so that you're in control of
what goes in, especially that sugar content.
Thumbs up if you want more smoothie recipes.
Last but not least, pretzels.
The upside: now, they are lower in fat
than fried potato chips.
The downside: other than that, they're pretty much
the same as other fried snacks.
They're higher in sodium, nutritionally empty,
made with white flour, corn syrup, and corn oil.
Instead, go for a potato or sweet potato chip that's baked
or if you're really feeling nutritious,
vegetable or kale chips.
Just watch out for those inflammatory oils
if you aren't making your own.
So, that is my limited list of foods
pretending to be healthy.
We could go on and on and remember,
I'm not telling you to not eat these foods,
I'm encouraging you to be mindful that
these are some of the foods often trying to trick you
and it's up to you to be aware and read labels
and make the right decisions for you.
If you want a chance to win a pair of onion goggles,
and why wouldn't you?
'Cause cutting an onion sucks.
All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter
at mind over munch dot com, link is in the description.
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We host new giveaways every month,
so you'll be continuously entered.
That's all for today, folks.
I'll see you next week and remember
especially when it comes to those sneaky health claims,
it's all a matter of mind over munch.