It’s no surprise that food labels can be misleading. However, the degree to which packaged health foods are designed to fool you can be jaw-dropping.

When you enjoy a healthy meal, you make good use of the nutrients like vitamin D and fiber in every bite. That’s the easy part; the difficult part is making good dietary choices to supply these life-sustaining nutrients. The following foods are marketed to seem healthier for your body than they actually are. In fact, these five offenders just might be junk food in disguise.

Meat Alternatives

To be clear, meat alternatives can taste like meat and may even leave you with a satisfying “full” feeling. But to do so, many of these vegetarian products are loaded with extra sodium, saturated fats, or artificial preservatives.

Overall, these products are better for the environment than they are for you. However, there are healthier ways to reduce your meat consumption.

Try instead: meat substitutes that don’t look like meat. As Medical News Today suggests, “Peas and beans, nuts, seeds, seitan, textured vegetable protein, tofu, tempeh, edamame, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and seafood are all high-protein food sources … that also provide calcium, iron, vitamin D and some vitamin B¹².”

Breakfast Cereals

Your morning bowl of cereal may advertise its health benefits, including daily recommended doses of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, right on its box. Unfortunately, cereal manufacturers may not be so eager to advertise the other additives that can be packed into these breakfast staples, like surprisingly high quantities of sugar, sodium, and simple carbohydrates, easily digestible sugar molecules that only provide short-term energy.

Worse, good nutrients from grains and nuts are often removed during the cereal-making process. These products are often low in fiber and are stuffed with synthetic ingredients that are unhealthy, especially for the children they directly advertise to. Such family breakfast-table staples may be comforting or even nostalgic, but they should be enjoyed in moderation.

Try instead: hot cereals like oatmeal and breakfast porridge, which contain simpler, more natural ingredients and provide ample healthy nutrients. They may not be as sweet, but you can add a natural sweetener like honey, which has additional health benefits.

Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient responsible for promoting bone and muscle health. When you get this nutrient from dairy products, fatty fish, and eggs, your body naturally processes vitamin D and puts it to good use. So the more vitamins the better, right? Eager to address their own health concerns, many people shop for supplements like vitamin D pills and powders, which claim to offer a daily boost of this nutrient.

But don’t mistake vitamin D supplements for actual vitamin D. The supplements market, which includes over-the-counter vitamins available at your local drugstore or grocery store, isn’t regulated like medications are. That means the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t test their ingredients or determine if they work—or even if they’re safe at all.

As Gerald E. Harmon, MD, former president of the American Medical Association, says, “The dietary supplement marketplace is an uncertain place for consumers—so little transparency, so much confusion.” So while vitamin D is a popular supplement, you may be wasting money on unregulated products that don’t actually provide the health benefits they advertise.

Try instead: talking to your doctor about your vitamin needs. Only take vitamin supplements if your doctor recommends them, and only trust supplements that they prescribe directly.

Granola

On the surface, granola seems like the perfect health food. Its tiny bunches of rolled oats, nuts, and indeterminate grains appear to come straight from the wheat field and are blessed with sweeteners like a light honey glaze.

Granola manufacturers want you to think their products are natural—and for many people, the ruse works. Imagery of barns and wheatgrass on the packaging seems just convincing enough to make you feel healthier when you eat granola. However, some granola bars are classified as “ultra-processed,” or so laden with preservatives, unhealthy fats, sugars, and other dangers that they’re directly tied to declining health.

Try instead: hot cereals such as oatmeal, which are made with simple ingredients and are considered wonderful breakfast foods. If you’re a fan of granola as a midday snack, switch to less-processed, high-fiber options like apples, grapes, and a handful of raw or lightly seasoned walnuts.

Processed weight-loss meals

Companies that provide foods designed to help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle wouldn’t possibly lie to you, right? Unfortunately, packaged meals from the healthy section of the freezer aisle may not be as nutritious (or slimming) as they seem.

According to Insider, “[P]repackaged meals tend to have about 8% more calories on average than listed on the label—even ones specifically advertised for weight loss, such as Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers.” Research has shown that processed foods—any processed foods—can lead to chronic health problems and even weight gain.

Try instead: easy-to-make, affordable meals that you can cook yourself. Shop for simple ingredients like lean meats, complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat pasta, and fresh produce. You can also cut costs with canned or frozen produce without additives. Cooking your own meals with whole ingredients allows you to adjust your portions and monitor your use of salt and sweeteners. When you cook meals yourself, you’re in control of the process and what you put in and what you don’t.

Overall, be sure to eye store-bought “health products” with suspicion before committing to them. Many are designed to be purchased, not necessarily to deliver on their promises. For best results, improve your intake of fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, which will provide a dependable health boost without the drawbacks or the deceit.

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With the Flu, RSV, colds, and Covid running amuck its important to do all you can to stay healthy.

Ask yourself this question if you find that you are getting sick often or if you don’t have a lot of energy and are feeling sluggish. Make sure you’re getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals, as well as fruits, vegetables, and lean protein in your diet on a regular basis. Also, consider taking a supplement and read this blog for some important info.

How are your stress levels?

Things like getting enough exercise, fitting in time for relaxation, and reaching out to a friend or family member when you’re feeling especially stressed can all help keep you feel your best. If you need a bit more guidance on how to incorporate stress-reducing activities into your life, this blog will help!

Do you eat immune-boosting foods?

A general rule of thumb is to eat a wholesome diet, but there are specific foods to add to your repertoire that may give you an extra boost of wellness. Garlic, for example, has a compound called allicin that does just that. Vitamin-C-rich foods like oranges and broccoli are other ones to keep in mind, as well as berries and carrots which are full of antioxidants.

Do you get enough down time?

It can be easy to feel guilty for not doing enough, but there’s a lot of good that comes from taking time off—whether it’s an actual staycation or staying in instead of making plans. Take some time here and there to unwind. Try a guided meditation session, go to bed earlier, pick up a book, or try aromatherapy (essential oils such as lavender and eucalyptus can be especially beneficial to your well-being).

How active are you?

One of the hardest parts about exercise is doing it consistently, but more physical activity can greatly strengthen your immune system. It can be as simple as running up and down the stairs in your home and doing a 10-minute YouTube workout video or going outside for a jog in the morning. Whatever works for you, staying active does wonders for the mind and body.

The Mediterranean diet focuses mainly on natural foods with little to no saturated fats.Primarily, the food groups to eat for this diet includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains (quinoa, whole wheat bread) seafood, and other white meats. This style of eating is inspired by popular food items and cooking around the Mediterranean Sea.

How to Stay on Track

On the go?

If you simply run out of time to meal prep and need a fast Mediterranean fix, Cava grill is a prospering Mediterranean food chain that promotes healthy lifestyles. Cava grill began in 2006 and is now in ten states. You can even buy some of Cava’s products in markets such as Whole Foods and other fresh markets.

The reason this type of diet is manageable is because it allows people to enjoy a large range of healthy food choices without feeling limited during meal time. Instead of eating butter on white toast, drizzle olive oil over whole wheat bread instead! This diet focuses on healthy fats, but never restricts you from bread and oils entirely. Instead, it incites you to just choose the healthier alternative like whole grains, olive oil, and canola oil.