6 Foods That You Thought Were Bad

A lot of misinformation circulates about what foods are bad or good for your health. You may be avoiding foods that you think are bad but that are actually good for you. Don't deprive yourself of eating certain foods with a bad reputation because some of them provide valuable nutrients in large doses.

Beef

The studies showing a link between red meat and cancer or cardiovascular diseases always grouped processed and fresh meat together. When red meat is evaluated on its own, it is not a bad food for your health, especially if you choose grass-fed and grass-finished meat. Grass-fed beef contains a higher amount of omega-3 and vitamin E compared to regular grain-fed beef, according to EatWild.com. Enjoy your steak from pastured-raised cattle without any guilt. If you worry about the saturated fat, only 1/3 of the fat in beef is actually saturated, the remaining 2/3 is unsaturated, according to Dr. Mary G. Enig, biochemist author of "Know Your Fats."

Butter

Butter has been demonized for decades because of its high saturated fat content. However, 1/3 of the fat in butter is unsaturated and most of the saturated fat found in butter have short or medium chains, which are not associated with atherosclerosis -- or the clogging of your arteries -- according to Enig. Moreover, butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which has anticancer properties. Choose butter from grass-fed cows to boost your CLA intake.

Eggs

Although most people thinkg eggs, and especially egg yolks, are bad foods, it is not necessarily the case. In fact, egg yolks are one of the only source of choline, along with liver, which is important for your heart health, according to Advance for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Choose eggs from pastured hens to get more vitamin D, vitamin A and other important antioxidants.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil was thought to be a bad food because of its high saturated fat content. The type of saturated fat found in coconut oil is mainly made of medium-chain triglycerides. These special fats can protect you against infections because of their antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic properties, according to Enig. The medium-chain triglycerides of coconut oil contain fewer calories per gram compared to regular fat and are associated with a slight increase in your metabolic rate.

Chocolate

While you should definitely avoid regular chocolate bars, white chocolate, chocolate milk and chocolate candies because of their high sugar content, dark chocolate is a healthy choice. Choose chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa to get a good dose of flavonoids, the powerful antioxidant found in cocoa that can protect your health. Don't worry about the high saturated fat content of dark chocolate, because the most rigorous and comprehensive meta-analysis done on the subjects clearly indicate that there is no relationship between saturated fats and cardiovascular diseases, as published in the January 2010 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Full-Fat Cheese

Many health-conscious people opt for the skim milk, low-fat cheese and fat-free yogurt when choosing the full-fat version could in fact be a better option for your waistline, according to a study published in the December 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Indulge in full-fat cheese and Mediterranean yogurt, but avoid dairy products that contain added sugar.