The worst
health food you can buy:
Worst "Healthy" PastryPop-Tarts Whole Grain Brown Sugar Cinnamon (2 pastries)
400 calories
14 g fat (4 g saturated)
5 g fiber
28 g sugars
Whole grain ain’t the whole truth. There’s also a glut of vegetable oil and seven types of sugar stuffed inside. In this case, the costs definitely outweigh the benefits.
Eat This Instead!Sun-Maid Raisin English Muffins with Cinnamon
170 calories
0.5 g fat (0 g saturated)
2 g fiber
13 g sugars
Worst Frozen "Healthy" EntreeHealthy Choice Complete Selections Sweet & Sour Chicken (340 g)
430 calories
9 g fat (1 g saturated)
600 mg sodium
29 g sugars
Why would fried chicken cloaked in sugar ever be considered the “healthy choice”?
In fact, this one frozen chicken entrée has as much sugar as you’d find in two scoops of Breyers Reese’s Peanut Butter cup ice cream. (As bad as this is, check out our list of Worst 'Healthy' Restaurant Foods for some even more astounding nutritional imposters.
Eat This Instead!Kashi Southwest Style Chicken
240 calories
5 g fat (0 g saturated)
680 mg sodium
Worst YogurtYoplait 99% Fat Free Cherry Orchard (1 container, 170 g)
170 calories
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
27 g sugars
5 g protein
Think those 27 grams of sugars come from the cherries? Think again: After milk, sugar is the first ingredient on this list. And there’s as much of it in there as you’ll find in two scoops of Breyer’s All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Go Greek instead; Stonyfield skims their line of Oikos yogurts of the watery whey, leaving you with a cup of ultra creamy yogurt that packs less than half the sugar and three times the protein of the Yoplait disappointment. Worried about sugar? Here's a list of the 20 most sugar-packed foods in America.
Eat This Instead!Oikos Organic Vanilla Greek Yogurt
110 calories
0 g fat
11 g sugars
15 g protein
Worst "Healthy" BreadArnold Whole Grains Health Nut (2 slices, 86 g)
240 calories
4 g fat (0 g saturated)
4 g fiber
Don’t fall for the label braggadocio. For as calorie-dense as this bread is, there’s just not enough fiber to justify it in your diet. Look for this unsuspecting potato bread, instead, which is one of the best loaves on the shelf. In addition to a boast-worthy fiber load that doubles that of the Health Nut, it also packs an impressive 12grams of protein.
Eat This Instead!Martin’s 100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread (2 slices, 70 g)
140 calories
2 g fat (0 g saturated)
8 g fiber
Worst CerealQuaker 100% Natural Granola, Oats, Honey & Raisins (1 cup)
420 calories
12 g fat (7 g saturated)
6 g fiber
30 g sugars
For the record, granola, for all its reputation as a beacon of breakfast virtue, is one of the worst ways to start your day. That’s because it takes an awful lot of sugar to keep those clusters glued together, making a single cup as sweet as two bowls of Cocoa Pebbles and as calorie-dense as 8 chicken wings. Even scarier, with the Cocoa Pebbles, you’d get more fiber and save about 60 calories in fat. Go one step further and swap the Granola for Kashi GoLean. Do this every day this year and you’ll save 29 pounds!
Eat This Instead!Kashi GOLEAN (1 cup)
140 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
10 g fiber
6 g sugars
Worst Snack BarKellogg’s Nutri-Grain Raspberry Cereal Bar (1 bar)
140 calories
3 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
13 g sugars
2 g fiber
With a name like that, you’d think these Kellogg’s breakfast bars were the healthiest food on the planet. Too bad the very first ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup. That’s right, most of that delicious fruity goodness is actually synthesized sugar. Not all Nutri-Grain products are equally unsavory, however. Choose the Nutri-Grain Cranberry, Raisin & Peanut bars and at least you’ll be getting a dose of healthy nuts and real fruit.
Eat This Instead!Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Cranberry, Raisin & Peanut fruit and nut bar (1 bar)
120 calories
3.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
11 g sugars
3 g fiber
Worst Butter SubstituteI Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original (1 Tbsp, 14 g)
90 calories
10 g fat (2 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
90 mg sodium
Stick margarine is the absolute worst. To make it solid, it has to be stabilized with partially hydrogenated oils, the source of trans fat. What unsuspecting slatherers are left with is a single tablespoon of yellow goop that contains more than a full day’s worth of a fat that’s been proven to increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Stick with real butter instead; Organic Valley Whipped Butter has just two ingredients: sweet cream and salt.
Eat This Instead!Organic Valley Whipped Butter (1 Tbsp)
50 calories
6 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
40 mg sodium
Worst JuiceV8 Splash Mango Peach (8 fl oz)
80 calories
0 g fat
18 g sugars
This juice is closer to Coke than regular V8. The first two ingredients are water and high-fructose corn syrup, and it contains only 10% juice. Go for the real deal instead; the V-Fusion Light will provide you with a full serving of fruits and vegetables for nearly half the calories and sugar.
Drink This Instead!V8 V-Fusion Light Peach Mango (8 fl oz)
50 calories
0 g fat, 10 g sugars
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