5 Healthy Food Items That You Should Actually Avoid

Pair this with our busy lifestyle and you have the perfect victim of marketing gimmicks. We see the ‘diet’ label and we’re sold.

From frozen yoghurts with reduced fat to drinks with no added preservatives – here are 5 not-so-healthy food items you should cross off your diet list. 
 

1. Granola Bars 

 

Oatmeals, nuts, dried fruits — what can possibly be unhealthy about a granola bar?  What these packaged nutrients bars don’t highlight are the hidden sugars and calories used to sweeten the coarse oatmeal taste. Snacking on 4-5 granola bars is in no way healthy. Portion your intake smartly and stick to the most organic ones.
 

2. Flavoured Fat-free Yoghurt 

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Replacing your daily intake of ice cream with yoghurt is a good idea but don’t fall into the fat-free trap. Many flavoured yoghurts have 15 gm of sugar in that tiny 6-ounce serving! The best option: Buy plain yoghurt and add your own fruits and nuts. 
 

SEE ALSO: 5 Food Resolutions That Are Sure-to-Fail

3. Fish Sandwiches

 

Fish is hands down a better option than beef or meat but when you coat it in crumbs, deep fry it in tonnes of oil and serve it with layers of mayo and chips– healthy goes out of the window. Skip the deep-fried option and go with a grilled fish with a pinch of herbs and salt instead. 
 

4. Pre-made Smoothies 

 

Sorry to bust your bubble, but your act of sacrificing fizzy drinks for a tall glass of smoothie isn’t really going to pay off — at least not in terms of fewer calories. A smoothie can be a great way to kick-start the day. But most pre-packaged smoothies contain up to 1000 calories due to sweeteners and syrups. 
 

5. Trail Mix 

 

In most cases, trail mix is a better snack option than full-fat greasy potato crisps. However, that doesn’t give a free diet pass. Most grocery-stored versions of trail mix are full of not not-so-nutritious add-ons like raisins, deep-fried banana chips, sesame sticks or salty nuts. Pick a no-fuss trail mix with mainly nuts, seeds and some dried fruit for flavour.