Health Foods to Ditch for Clean Eating

You walk into a health food store nowadays and are bombarded with flashy marketing and all the products lining the aisles. Many are labeled as healthy with some form of a health claim, but are these healthy foods actually unhealthy? I will admit, even I have fallen for some of these. So I want to help you not make the same mistake as me & make truly healthful food choices.

Foods that Can Sabotage Clean Eating

• Dried fruit

  • Did you know many dried fruits have sugar and/or oil added to them? This was particularly hard for me to grasp as I LOVE dried bananas. Fruits are already full of sugars, but not of the simple variety. So the naturally occurring sugars in addition to the added sugar cancel out any benefits from fiber or other nutrients you may receive. They cause an even sharper increase in blood sugar causing you to crash harder later on.
  • INSTEAD:  Eat real fruit or dehydrate your own & mix with nuts for a DIY trail mix.

• Plant milks

  • I do use plant milks to cook and occasionally let the girls drink some. But this is an example of why you need to read the label. To make the taste more appealing, many are loaded with added sugars and carrageen, an emulsifier.  That’s not to say that cow’s milk is meant for human consumption or healthier either, but it shows how companies are taking advantage of people wanting to be healthier.
  • INSTEAD: It boils down to if you’re thirsty, you should be drinking water (half your body weight in ounces or more!).  You can also make your own almond or oat milk.

• Health food bars

  • When I pick these up, I usually see some type of syrup as one of the first ingredients.  This means, they’re going to cause your blood sugar to spike up, then crash later.  This causes irritable moods and food cravings.
  • INSTEAD: Eat produce and other real foods

• Flavored oatmeals

  • Oatmeal has been marketed as heart healthy.  If you’re buying those instant oatmeal packets, they usually have natural flavors, fake fruit, artificial dyes, and sugars added to them.  They also are carb heavy so don’t provide you with any protein or fat to keep you full.
  • INSTEAD: Make steel cut or old fashioned oats (like these) and top them with peanut, nuts, or other protein to keep you full!

• ‘Vegetable’ pastas

  • If you read the label, many of vegetables are at the end of their ingredients.  This means, compared to the other ingredients, it’s in it the least amount. Read your labels to know what’s in it.
  • INSTEAD: Read your labels because there are some pastas made with sprouted grains or have a vegetable listed as their first ingredient. They’re pricey, but there.  If you aren’t willing to fork over the money, save the extra dollar or two you’d spend on these fake vegetable pastas and buy regular noodles.

• Wheat bread

  • When you look at the label, many times enriched flour is still the first ingredient so this is a marketing technique.  The grams of fiber are also similar, which indicates that it is processed out.
  • INSTEAD: Look for sprouted grains, like the Ezekiel bread, which is easier for your body to process and contains more fiber.

• Diet microwave meals

  • These meals usually focus on calories, fat, or carbs. If you’re eating real food, you most likely don’t have to worry about these things.  They also have added ingredients, GMOs, and chemicals your body can’t process.  Plus, they’re usually in plastic or aluminum which leech chemicals into your food when heated.
  • INSTEAD: Eat real, whole foods, meal prep, and make extra food then freeze so you have a meal for later.

• Plant based “meats”

  • Not only are these pricey, but they’re highly processed.  We totally used these while transitioning and eat them on occasion when we want them to change up a meal.  But it’s not often because they’re so loaded with chemicals and processed, just like the stuff you’ll find in the center aisles at the story.
  • INSTEAD: Eat whole fruits and vegetables.  You can use lentils or other beans to make some yummy meat alternatives (if that’s your goal).

• Granola

  • Store bought granolas have a ton of added sugar and oil.  This is what makes it so crunchy and sweet.  Once again, they can also be full of chemicals that are taxing on your liver and kidneys to clear out of your body.
  • INSTEAD: Save yourself from the sugar and make your own.

• Milk, yogurt, and cheese

  • Ah, the unhealthy health food I use to love.  I’m from a small farm town and often get to hear about XYZ is skewed.  But the fact is, when you walk into a grocery store and buy a gallon of pasteurized milk that lasts a over a week, many of the nutrients found in milk have been destroyed. Your yogurt and cheese are made from this type of milk.
  • In addition to what I mentioned above, these milk products are full of hormones meant to make a baby cow grow exponentially.  These same hormones are being linked to various cancers when consumed by humans. Some studies are suggesting that those who eat more dairy also increase their risk of osteoporosis.
  • INSTEAD: Opt for fresh fruits and vegetables!  Did you know, kale and broccoli are great sources of calcium and studies are suggesting your body absorbs it better than calcium from milk.

Wondering how in the world you’ll make simple, plant based recipes that avoid these ‘fake’ health foods? Grab these five recipes (and their shopping list!) that I love to make and have them sent right to your inbox.

What did you think? Do you feel there are some more unhealthy ‘health’ food you’d rather leave at the store? Feel free to share them with me, I’d love to hear them!

Make sure to pin the image below so you have this blog post on hand when you’re wanting a quick reminder!