"Healthy" Foods to Avoid at the Grocery Store

In today's society, companies are constantly trying to create "health" foods due to the recent trend of our country's efforts to become healthier. However, some of the foods and products that are being put on the shelves have deceiving labels and if we look at the fine print and ingredient lists, are not actually that good for us. In fact, some of them are just as bad for us as some of the junk food that we know and are used to buying. It is important for us to know what some of the products are, and how to identify if they are truly a "healthy" option or not. 

• Fruit Juice
• If you like the flavor of fruit and are trying to consume more in your diet, eating it is much better than drinking fruit juice. Juice will add empty calories from added sugar to your diet. By drinking fruit juice, you are also not getting any of the fiber that you do from actually eating a piece of fruit.

• Granola Bars
• Granola bars are another food that can add a lot of unneeded sugar and calories to your diet. While not all granola bars do this, you must be cautious when purchasing them and read the label. When looking for granola bars, you want to look for protein, fiber and whole grains with limited sugar.

• Veggie Chips
• Most versions of veggie chips that you see on store shelves don't actually contain any servings of vegetables, rather overly salted versions of potato starch, which makes them glorified potato chips. If you really want "veggie chips", cut up veggies, toss will olive oil and some salt, and toss in the oven.

• Pretzels
• Pretzels are a snack that became popular because they are a no-fat food. However, that is not always a good thing due to the fact that most all brands of pretzels are made with refined, white flour. If you are craving a crunchy, salty snack,choose almonds or cashews over pretzels. 

• Flavored Yogurt
• While not all yogurt or flavored yogurt is bad, there are many out there that are full of added sugar and artificial flavorings. To avoid this, your best option is to buy plain yogurt and put fresh fruit in it for flavor.