Groceries - Are You Embarrassed by Yours?
Posted on Feb 6th 2009 10:00AM by Jacki DonaldsonSurprisingly Unhealthy Foods
Pasta Salad
The veggies included in most pasta salad recipes is great, but the white-flour pasta is not (close relative to white bread).
-clb- on Flickr
Pretzels
They may be low in calories (around 110 calories per ounce) but they can raise your blood sugar faster than jelly beans or ice cream -- so be careful!
weetabixx on stock.xchng
Baked Beans
Although beans are high in fiber (which can help you feel fuller) in baked bean recipes they're often covered in a sauce full of brown and white sugars -- 1 cup of baked beans can have as much sugar as an 8oz soda.
alfredo-9 on stock.xchng
California Rolls
The seaweed wrap is full of essential nutrients, but the imitation crab and white rice are both high in carbs and low in protein. Men's Health calls California rolls "Japanese sugar cubes."
LotusHead on stock.xchng
Low-Fat Salad Dressing
Taking the fat out of the dressing does drastically reduce its calorie count, but studies have shown that taking the fat out of a salad also reduces the nutrients and antioxidants a person absorbs. So it's better to go with a full-fat dressing made with olive oil or canola oil.
icekitty37 on stock.xchng
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
Yogurt is healthy and fruit is healthy, but when you put the two together they almost never are. Cornsyrup is the culprit, causing the sugar content to go so high it pretty much cancels out any health benefits the yogurt had to start with.
Dan4th on Flickr
Corn Oil
It has lots of Omega-6 fatty acids, but very few Omega-3s. Both are good for you, but studies show ingesting them out of balance can cause inflammation. Olive oils and canola oils are better choices because their fats are more balanced.
Steve Longus on Flickr
Granola Bars
While granola is made with whole oats (full of nutrients and fiber) in a granola bar they basically get glued to each other with sugar (corn syrup, honey, and barley malt).
greggoconnell on Flickr
Croutons
Croutons are usually made with refined flour -- which has a higher glycemic index than sugar. Thankfully they're tiny, so their negative impact usually is too.
stu spivack on Flickr
Fruit Cocktail in a Can
Again, it's the sugar! Most fruit cocktails are canned in heavy syrup and can include as much as 23g of added sugar. Look for fruit canned in "100% fruit juice," or better yet make your own fresh fruit cocktail!
ctr on Flickr
I feel so much better when my cart is stocked with fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains. No cookies, candies, chips or soda. Just good clean stuff. It makes me proud to stroll the aisles with my healthy picks, to see them on the check-out belt, making their way to the bag boy, who surely must admire my noble efforts at eating well. But what does he think when the occasional bag of Doritos passes through his fingertips? Or those bakery cookies my kids convince me to buy? There's no telling what he thinks. But I know what I think: I think I like the minimalist approach when it comes to embarrassing grocery goods.
My gut guides me well. When it tosses and turns and gets all nervous, I know something is wrong. It works for parenting decisions, work decisions and yep, grocery decisions too. Try this: Next time you throw something in your cart that makes you feel even a teeny tiny bit unsettled, put that thing back on the shelf. And move right along, preferably in the direction of some pretty produce.
