Candy, ice cream, soda and pasta. It is a small selection of the foods that are on a so-called black list and are labeled as unhealthy food. Unfortunately, there are also foods that are wrongly considered unhealthy. Once they have this reputation, it is difficult to shake it off.
It sometimes seems like almost every week there are food items that are suddenly labeled as bad, while we have been enjoying them for years now. Now there are of course a lot of foods that are indeed unhealthy and mainly provide your body with empty calories. They do not contain any vitamins, minerals or valuable nutrients that your body actually needs. Fortunately, this is not the case with all ‘unhealthy’ foods.
Eggs
The bad reputation that eggs carry is completely unjustified. It is often what is served with it that is unhealthy. Think for example of bacon, sausages or burgers, these foods contain a lot of (saturated) fats and that is not good for your body.
An egg itself contains a large amount of nutrients, such as proteins, choline, minerals (iron and zinc) and vitamins A, B and E. Except for the proteins, all these nutrients are in the yolk. The protein is in, you guessed it, the egg white. So eating just an egg isn’t as bad for you as we think.
Frozen vegetables
You would almost think that the ‘fresh’ vegetables from the supermarket are healthier than frozen vegetables. But the greenery from the freezer contains just as many essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals as what comes from the fresh department.
‘Fresh’ vegetables are first transported in a truck for a few days and then they are still in the store before they end up in your fridge and on your plate. The frozen variety is immediately frozen after harvesting in order to properly preserve all the nutrients. So you could almost say that frozen is better than ‘fresh’.
Peanut butter
It’s a fact that peanut butter is high in fat, but over 80% of it comes from healthy mono- and polyunsaturated oils. In addition, it is also high in protein and full of vitamin E, niacin, antioxidants, magnesium and folic acid. Peanuts are further associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and premature death. A win-win situation.
Now a natural peanut butter made with 100% peanuts is the healthiest. A light peanut butter or an American variant contains a lot more sugar and salt and is therefore a lot unhealthier.
Full milk
It is understandable that you are in the supermarket and prefer a light variant. Still, whole milk isn’t as bad as we think. Okay, it does contain more fats, but the light version has replaced them with sugars. And they are gradually taking over from the fat when it comes to culprits. In addition, your body needs (good) fats to function at all.
White rice
Where pure white rice is a real fattener, it is not so bad when it is combined with vegetables. In fact, people who regularly eat rice are less likely to be overweight.
With a good combination, it does not make your sugar level rise and fall as fast as with pure and only white rice. The vegetables ensure that the sugars are absorbed more slowly and that your blood sugar level remains stable. So it has a bad reputation unjustly.
Coffee
Coffee shows that a few years can make a big difference. A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about its dangers. It raises your blood pressure, makes your heart beat faster and disrupts your sleep. Fortunately, there is increasing evidence that coffee is actually good for you. For example, moderate coffee consumption is even associated with a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, among other things. However, more than 5 cups is too much of a good thing. Adding cream, sugar and syrup also makes coffee unhealthier.
Popcorn
We close with a much-loved snack from the cinema, popcorn! Fortunately, you don’t have to feel guilty afterwards if you have emptied a bowl on your own. It consists of corn, which is rich in phytonutrients that are good for your body. Three cups of kale popcorn contains only 100 calories. However, it’s the toppings, like sugar and caramel, that make it unhealthier. You can prefer to flavor it with diet-friendly alternatives such as a little salt, paprika or a tiny bit of coconut blossom sugar.
Source: www.rtlnieuws.nl