These 14 snacks might seem like smart, healthy choices at first glance, but when you take a closer look, you will realize they are far from being healthy. With their nutritious-looking packaging and clever marketing, it’s easy to believe they’re good for you. However, many of them are loaded with hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, or processed ingredients that make them far from the wholesome options they claim to be. If you’ve been reaching for these snacks thinking they’re a better alternative, it might be time to take a closer look at what’s really inside.
Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your individual circumstances.
Protein Bars
When you eat a protein bar, you likely think that you are getting a little extra nutrition. Giving your body some extra protein is a good thing, right? Well, protein bars are are loaded with sugar. And not only are they completely packed with sugar (typically unnatural corn syrup), but many of them don’t even have that much protein.
Most bars are also made with lots of chemicals and additives rather than “real” ingredients. Be sure to read the label of your protein bar before taking a bite. What you find on the nutrition label might make you change your mind about eating that bar.
Banana Chips
A bag of banana chips seems like such a healthy snack. How can you go wrong with bananas?! Well, those bananas were actually deep-fried in hydrogenated oil. That is the type of oil that clogs arteries and may lead to heart disease. Those little fruit chips aren’t so healthy after all.
Cereal
We all think that a bowl of cereal in the morning is a good idea. But when you look at how much sugar is in a standard bowl of cereal, you may realize that it isn’t the healthiest morning option. In fact, lots of cereals on grocery store shelves right now have more sugar than a donut! All that sugar plus all the artificial ingredients in the cereal box means this isn’t the best breakfast choice out there.
Granola Bars
Eating a granola bar can be the equivalent of eating a candy bar. They are often full of preservatives, additives, and, of course, lots and lots of sugar. That tiny sprinkle of oat topping may look healthy, but those granola bars in your pantry have got to go.
Fruit Juice
Just because a bottle of fruit juice has the word “fruit” on it doesn’t make it healthy. Check the label of your fruit juice, and you may find some very surprising ingredients. The one we want to point out is corn syrup. It is added to almost every fruit juice out there and is pretty much guaranteed to make you unhealthy. Avoid fruit juice and just try eating real fruit instead.
Sports Drinks
Lots of people turn to sports drinks to get extra energy while playing an intense sport. Just be aware that sports drinks are full of sugar, which is why they give you that boost of energy. The extra energy may be good if you are playing a hard sport, but if you are just sitting around the house, you don’t need all that sugar.
Gluten-Free Snacks
Gluten has recently become a food enemy. Many people are trying to avoid gluten so much that they don’t realize how unhealthy the gluten-free snacks they are eating can be.
Studies have shown that eating gluten-free tends to be lower in beneficial fiber and contains less natural protein and fewer vitamins and minerals than other comparable foods. Plus, they are usually more expensive. Is gluten really that bad? Maybe try to stick to the traditional snacks if you can.
Dried Fruit
Eating delicious dried fruit may seem like a healthy snack. But you should really check the label on your dried fruit bag before eating too much. Dried fruit has lots of sugar added to it, which makes it quite unhealthy.
Fruit is naturally sweet but dried fruit is even sweeter thanks to all that corn syrup! We may never know why food manufacturers have to ruin fruit by adding sugar. But for now, skip the dried fruit if you are trying to be healthy.
Low Fat Yogurt
Just because a yogurt is labeled as low-fat doesn’t mean it is healthy. In fact, low-fat yogurt has less protein and more sugar than full-fat yogurt. The fat in yogurt is also considered to be a “healthy” fat, which will keep you feeling full for longer. Did we mention that full-fat yogurt also tastes better? Seems like the best choice!
Popcorn
Many people see popcorn as a healthy, low-calorie snack. However, most microwave popcorn is slathered in butter and salt, making it a terribly unhealthy food. To top it off, the butter that covers the popcorn is usually just artificially flavored, highly processed oil.
If you pop plain, whole-grain popcorn, you may get the nutritious snack you are looking for, but you should definitely skip that microwave movie-theater-style stuff.
Frozen Yogurt
Many people choose to eat frozen yogurt ,thinking that it is healthier than ice cream. But frozen yogurt has just as much sugar as ice cream. The crazy thing is that lots of frozen yogurts don't actually have any yogurt at all.
If you like how froyo tastes, then enjoy it! But don't think you are eating anything healthy while enjoying those tasty bites.
Veggie Chips
You may think that a pretty bag of veggie chips is made from real vegetables, but you are wrong. Most veggie chips are just made with vegetable powder, which dyes the regular potato chips a brighter color, making them look like vegetables.
Many veggie chips are packed with sodium and sometimes extra sugar to make them taste better. If you want to add more vegetables to your diet, eating veggie chips is not the way to do it.
Fruit Snacks
The fact that the word "fruit" is in the name makes you think that these little sweet treats have some health benefits. However, they are pretty much all corn syrup and artificial flavors. Some don't even have any real fruit at all. It is a sad but true fact.
Veggie Straws
Here is another snack that tricks you by having the word "veggie" in the title. Veggie straws are even colored to look healthy. That green one sure does look like it has veggies! But veggie straws have an almost insignificant amount of vegetable powder that isn't even worth exploring. They are essentially another salty, fried snack that you may not want to eat.
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