13 'Health Foods' That Are Pretty Bad for You

Rice milk, raisin bran have sugary secrets
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 16, 2011 1:35 PM CST
13 'Health Foods' That Are Pretty Bad for You
Raisin bran: Good for you?   (?joelogon)

It seems likely almost every food is marketed with at least some concessions made to the health-conscious. Many of them are lying, the Huffington Post reports, and here are the worst offenders:

  1. Terra Chips: Nutritionally, you might as well be eating Lay's Potato Chips—they both have 150 calories and 10 grams of fat per ounce.
  2. Rice/soy milk: These aren't necessarily unhealthy, but all lactose alternatives are not created equal. Rice and soy milks can contain as much sugar as candy, so make sure to get the unsweetened kind.
  3. Bottled smoothies: Once again, "smoothie" does not automatically mean healthy—Odwalla's "Mango Tango" has as much sugar as two bags of M&Ms, as many calories as a McDonald's cheeseburger, and surprisingly low levels of vitamins.

  1. Raisin bran: Despite its marketing, raisin bran has 17 grams of sugar in every cup, which is 3 grams more than Cocoa Puffs.
  2. Granola: This supposedly healthy alternative to cereal almost always has high amounts of sugar, and shouldn't be the main bulk of a breakfast.
  3. Margarine: Since it contains no saturated fat, margarine is thought to be healthier. But nearly 25% of the total fat in margarine comes from trans fats!
  4. Rice cakes: This snack usually has sugar added, and while it is derived from brown rice, the rice's nutritional value has been destroyed in the puffing process.
Click for the rest of these foods masquerading as healthy.
(More health food stories.)

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