Some foods are considered particularly healthy and ideal for losing weight.
But the reputation is not justified for everyone.
Frankfurt – If you want to live a healthy life, you should eat a balanced diet.
It's no secret that sweets, ready meals and fast food tend to be a hindrance.
The situation is different for products that are marketed and perceived as healthy, although the opposite is the case, reports fr.de.
Because: Many such foods hide a lot of calories.
We have compiled some examples for you.
Food myths: Why muesli isn't always healthy
It starts at breakfast: If you want to lose weight, you shouldn't use muesli - at least not from the supermarket.
Cereals have the image of a healthy meal, but not necessarily rightly so.
"So that everything is nice and crispy, the products are usually baked in sugar and fat," said Antje Gahl from the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) of the
Apotheken Umschau
.
"And the pure sugar here is a pure calorie donor, we also call it 'empty calories'."
Sugar provides energy quickly.
However, the blood sugar level drops quickly – which can quickly make you hungry again.
Many therefore turn to light products.
But even these are not necessarily healthier.
Christiane Manthey from the Baden-Württemberg consumer advice center adds that dried fruit, which is often found in muesli, contains more sugar than fresh fruit.
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Be careful with muesli from the supermarket - it often contains a lot of sugar.
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© yacobchuk/Imago
So how is healthy muesli made?
Antje Gahl from the DGE recommends "three to four spoonfuls of cereal flakes, fresh fruit, yoghurt, quark or milk".
In any case, so-called superfoods such as aronia and goji berries do not have to be in muesli, also because their alleged effects are “not all clearly proven”.
Local berries would work just as well.
Manthey also advises in the
Apotheken Umschau
to put together the muesli yourself: "That way you know exactly what's in it."
Supposedly healthy foods: protein bars and instant smoothies
The situation with so-called energy or protein bars is similar to muesli.
They promise a quick supply of energy and protein and athletes in particular like to use them after training.
But just looking at the list of ingredients reveals that the bars are often overloaded with unhealthy sugar and artificial additives.
This means that the majority of the bars are more of a candy than a healthy, protein-rich product.
However, they are usually even healthier than a standard candy bar.
Smoothies can be just as high in sugar: fruit and vegetables provide many important vitamins - so reaching for the smoothie shelf in the nearest supermarket initially seems sensible.
But the small ready-made drinks that promise to contribute to a healthy diet usually contain a lot of sugar.
Often even more than soft drinks like cola.
The same applies to many fruit juices.
In many ready-to-eat smoothies, the Ökotest also found little vitamin C, but harmful pesticides.
The testers also found small amounts of fruit and vegetables in some products.
But if you don't want to do without smoothies, you can easily make them yourself at home.
To sweeten the smoothie, you can add bananas and dates, or use natural sugars like honey or agave syrup.
Unhealthy foods: Beware of couscous and salad dressings
Couscous is one of the staple foods in North Africa and is made from grated durum wheat semolina.
Unlike rice, it is not a nutrient-rich grain in its own right.
In addition, it contains a lot of carbohydrates and has around 353 calories per 100 grams.
As a high-calorie filler, couscous is just as “unhealthy” as pasta.
Couscous has a much healthier reputation.
However, the decisive factor here is the dish that is served with the semolina.
It is often served with greasy sauces.
These make even the healthiest component unhealthy.
Healthy Gut Flora: What Not to Eat and Drink to Maintain Gut Health.
If you don't have much time to cook, many people consider a salad to be an ideal and healthy meal.
You can buy a ready-to-eat salad in most supermarkets.
However, many dressings that are packaged directly with the salad contain a lot of calories - and only a few nutrients and vitamins.
An example is the popular Caesar salad.
Especially the parmesan and the mayonnaise dressing make it a real calorie bomb.
Food Myths Revealed: Are Meat Substitutes Inevitably Healthier?
More and more people are limiting their meat consumption and resorting to substitute products.
In some health aspects, meat-free alternatives, often based on soy, also perform better than meat.
They often contain more protein, for example, and can therefore contribute to a balanced diet.
Animal products also usually contain more saturated fatty acids, which in larger amounts can be harmful to the heart and circulatory system.
But you should also pay attention to the content of plant-based substitute products: some of them replace animal fat with coconut fat, which in turn contains a high amount of saturated fatty acids.
In addition, it can contain plenty of sugar, salt, flavor enhancers or thickeners that are difficult to digest, such as methyl cellulose, as the
NDR
also informs.
As with many other foods, it is worth taking a closer look at the ingredients.
The shorter the list of ingredients, the better.
(lrg)
Rubric list image: © yacobchuk/Imago
