Antioxidants turn up in unexpected places

"Antioxidant." It's one of the new, big buzzwords in nutrition. Even if you don't know what they are, you likely know that they're important. And marketers of processed foods are banking on that, hoping you'll choose something like Snapple's Antioxidant Water over plain water from your tap, because you want to be healthy.

Forbes has a great gallery of surprising sources of antioxidants, including everything from hot chocolate to muffins to sorbet, all touting their antioxidant content. But are these foods really better for you? Not in my opinion. Oh, sure, an antioxidant rich muffin might have better nutritional content than a regular muffin (and probably costs more too). But at the end of a day, it's still a muffin, likely high in calories, sugar, and fat.

Making antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies -- also high in fiber and low in calories -- a regular part of your diet seems like a better plan to me. Getting consistently good nutrition will also allow you to enjoy a treat now and then, free from worry over whether it's infused with extra antioxidants or not.