What do health food and junk food have in common? They are sometimes the same thing. Some healthy foods can do the same harm to your health as some of the most indulgent junk food, and the key players in making health foods "unhealthy" are the calories, sugar, fat and portions of the food.
Misconceptions
Most health foods on the market are actually junk food with healthy labels, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) scrutinizes products that claim to have health benefits. Most of the health foods, CSPI emphasizes, are just junk foods with really good marketing and hype. For some, it says, there are no real scientific studies supporting the health claims, such as those of vitamin-fortified waters that are marketed to prevent colds and infections. Other foods, such as bottled tea drinks, boast claims about the antioxidant content of the beverages that contain little more than sugar, writes registered dietitian Susan Moores for MSNBC. While the natural, unprocessed form of a food may have some health benefits, most processed foods seem to possess more sugar and fewer benefits.
Portions
Susan Moores writes that the sheer portion size of some foods puts them in the unhealthy category, and she cites the over-sized muffins sold in many cafes and bakeries. What used to provide fewer than 200 calories in the past now top 500 to 600 calories, depending on the flavor. Fox News reports that a single, large-sized slice of pizza can provide 600 to 700 calories, rendering any of the health benefits of tomatoes and cheese moot when eaten in such large servings.
Calories
Calories measure energy, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest states that some breakfast cookies are so high in calories that the only claim to health is that they provide plenty of energy for the day. It highlights the importance of reading nutrition facts carefully, because some labels show that one breakfast cookie is actually four servings, so if you eat the entire cookie, you need to remember to add those calories together. Cooking Light echoes the calorie concern by pointing out that energy bars can contain up to 350 calories, about the same number of calories of a light meal, without the stomach-filling benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fat and Sugar
The fat and sugar content of most health foods qualifies them for junk food, Fox News reports. Granola, although it sounds healthy, is crunchy by the merit of the oil and fat that coat each oat grain and provides up to 10 grams of fat per half-cup serving. Fat content also makes frozen yogurt a pointless health food, contributing nearly the same amount of fat as a reduced-fat ice cream, Susan Moores writes. The sugar content of reduced-fat peanut butter is higher than that of regular peanut butter, Cooking Light reports, and regular peanut butter provides heart-healthier monounsaturated fats.
Fiber and Nutrients
Empty-calorie foods--foods that provide calories but not much in the way of vitamins, minerals or fiber--are the undoing of other health foods. Pretzels, Fox News reports, are almost entirely empty calories, as they provide carbohydrates and not much else. Susan Moores agrees and states that while pretzels are lower calorie and fat than potato chips, they provide high amounts of sodium, a nutrient that can contribute to hypertension. Rice cakes are also light on fiber and nutrients, and they are usually made of refined flour, removing the healthy whole grains and fiber, Moores writes.
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