Healthy foods that aren't really healthy

With obesity levels rising all over the world it's no wonder that people are taking a stand and trying to change their lives for the better by eating healthy. Taking this initiative to change your lifestyle is a great first step in leading an all around better life, but what if what you believe is healthy really isn't? Many food companies are catching on to the fact that people everywhere are leaning towards a more health conscious diet, and they plan on taking advantage of that. With clever marketing gimmicks and false advertising some of the top food chains are fooling customers into believing their food is healthy.

The most common food that is touted as being healthy are salads. While salads can be healthy, many that you will find while eating out are worse for you then most of the other items on the menu. The reason for this is usually in the salad dressing and the salad toppings. While salad alone is a perfectly healthy meal, most salads are topped with fried chicken, croutons, eggs, and even bacon. Add a creamy ranch or Italian dressing to it and you have more calories and fat on your plate then you would with a cheeseburger.

Another trend that people are following when it comes to healthy eating is replacing meals with smoothies. If you make these smoothies yourself then it usually is a healthy alternative, yet many people are buying these smoothies when they go out to eat. Smoothies that are prepared at restaurants are usually loaded with sugars, ice cream, and milk. All of these things combined usually add up to more than 500 calories, along with more than double the sugar of your normal can of soda. Along the same line as smoothies are yogurt parfaits, these are sold in stores and at fast food places like McDonald's. While yogurt and granola sounds healthy enough, the yogurt is usually packed with sugar and so is the granola, making this a high calorie snack that is best avoided.

The most common health food trend is wraps. Many people have realized that excessive bread is nothing but extra calories and carbohydrates. Wraps have the potential to be a very healthy option over regular sandwiches, but many fast food chains are taking advantage of this and making wraps that are less then great for you. For example the T.G.I. Friday's "BBQ Chicken Wrap" has 1,540 calories. That's almost an entire daily allowance for an active adult male, and this is from something being claimed as a healthy meal.

With people becoming more and more conscious of what they eat it is no wonder that food companies are trying to swindle these people back into eating their foods. If you are not careful you may end up sabotaging your diet without even knowing it because of big business food companies. With a little research on the subject you can outsmart even the sliest of advertising and be successful in your goal to become a healthier eater.