Choosing healthy food can be hard because when it comes to grocery shopping, marketing is not your friend. There are so many taglines, catch phrases and dodgy statistics claiming food is healthy and in some instances, it’s quite the opposite. We’re going to break down some common food and nutrition lies to watch out for and ultimately help you make healthier food choices.
We are going to cut straight to the pulp on this one: many commercial fruit juices contain more sugar than a can of soft drink. Basically, they are nowhere near as nutritious as the marketing on the label may lead you to believe. When choosing a juice, opt for something freshly squeezed. Read the ingredient list to make sure you’re picking up a juice that is free from concentrate and added sugar. The ideal fruit juice ingredient list should read something like this: “100% freshly squeezed orange juice”.
Thanks to some good ol' research we now know that there is no link between poor heart health and egg consumption. In fact, according to the Heart Foundation, “the cholesterol in eggs has minimal effect on blood cholesterol” and in turn “eggs neither increase or decrease the risk of heart disease in most people”. The moral of the story? Eating 1 to 2 eggs per day as part of a healthy lunch or breakfast is A-ok from a heart health perspective.
Unfortunately, many 'low fat' and 'fat free' modified products are often filled with added sugars and other nasties. In more unfortunate news, these added ingredients can often lead to excessive hunger, weight gain and disease. So, instead of going for the ‘97% fat free slogan’, make your decision based on the ingredients instead. Look for simple, whole ingredients that are guaranteed to offer nutritional value.
"I only eat organic" - we've all heard it. But while the idea of eating organic sounds healthy and appealing, there’s often not much of a difference in terms of the nutrient value in foods when compared to their non-organic counterparts. Also, organic doesn't always mean healthy. When the label of 'organic' is slapped across chocolate bars and soft drink, be wary; it's still junk food!
The classic belief is that chocolate is the ultimate 'comfort food', however good quality dark chocolate is also brimming with nutrients. The trick here is to stick to chocolate that is 85% cocoa (or higher). Swapping cocoa for cacao powder in beverages is another hack if you’re craving something sweet.
Now that you have your nutrition sorted, claim your FREE 3 day pass at Jetts NZ today and kickstart your fitness journey.