Low Fat? Heart Healthy? What's Actually In That Food You Are Eating?
DETROIT (WWJ) - Many foods on the market are labeled as heart healthy or low fat and consumers assume they're good for you.
But that isn't always the case, notes WWJ Health Reporter Dr. Deanna Lites.
Registered dietitian Lindsay Malone says that although artificial sweeteners are calorie free, they are many times sweeter than sugar.
"A lot of people think 'no calories' I can drink it all day long without consequence but, diet soda is filled with artificial sweetener," says Malone.
By consuming them, you are training your body to raise its sugar threshold.
And just because the label on the front of the box says 'added fiber,' doesn't mean it's void of added sugars and calories.
Malone says the best way to get more fiber in your diet is naturally, by eating more fruits and vegetables. Another food people are often surprised to learn isn't healthy is muffins - even if it's blueberry or banana.
"Muffins are essentially cupcakes without frosting," says Malone, "so they're the same ingredients – flour, sugar, oil – except they're labeled and marketed as a healthy option."
She says a good rule to remember when grocery shopping is to shop the perimeter of the store, where the fresh foods are located, and spend less time in the aisles with the boxed up snacks.
