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8 Healthy Foods You Should Avoid

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Some healthy foods you should avoid, they may seem healthy and good for you, but they absolutely are not!

There is no end in sight to the latest greatest list of health foods that claim to help men have a lean, strong body. Sadly, the list is getting longer because too many “not at all healthy” foods are being added to the aisles of our grocery stores. This is partly happening because of superb marketing followed closely by consumer complacency. As consumers, men are not doing their due diligence to qualify the foods they are busily buying on their way home to their families.

This is tragic for a couple of reasons. Men want to be their best at work and at home. They want to show up with a sharp mind bringing good ideas to work. They want to make the most of that tough workout at the gym and they definitely want to show up at home with high energy to support their spouses and love up their kids.

More importantly, men are a huge influence in their children’s lives. Our kids do pay attention to what we say and do. The example we set for our children regarding diet are lessons they carry with them throughout their lives. As fathers, generally, no effort is too small in helping our children live better lives.

Men reach for the foods that are touted as healthy with the expectation that nutritionally, they are getting what they need, only to find out too late that they have bought high priced sugar coated chemicals at the local Whole Check natural grocery store.

This shouldn’t be happening. No one deserves to get robbed of their money and their health. So what to do? Reading labels and taking time out to research products before you buy is a good first step. Yes, this can seem tedious and time-consuming, but it is a small price to pay to avoid being sold imitation foods by slick marketers that erode your health.

The good news is there are some incredibly diligent and intelligent people who scan the grocery store aisles to alert us to what is truly healthy and what we should avoid like the plague. A list of those resources is included at the bottom of this article.

For now, here is a quick reminder of the foods that are “not at all healthy” for men or their families.

‘NOT AT ALL HEALTHY’   Foods to Avoid.

  • Sports Drinks – touted as a solution for hydration, this mix of sugar, artificial colors, assorted chemicals and salt will not promote hydration however it will set off a host of other health-related issues in the body.
  • Better Choice. Salt tabs by SaltStick or Nunn. In a pinch, Pedialyte makes a basic unflavored electrolyte drink.
  • Energy or Protein Bars – Read any label of a protein bar and you will find it is similar to the ingredient list of a standard candy bar. Shockingly high levels of sugar, artificial colors and preservatives can be found in far too many of these “healthy” bars.
  • Better Choice – Raw nut and seed mixes. In a pinch pick the bar with the fewest ingredients like a Larabar or Chia Bars by Health Warrior.
  • Instant Oatmeal – Real oats don’t take that much longer to cook and you avoid serving your children oats coated in artificial flavors and excessive sugar.
  • Better Choice – One Degree or Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats.
  • Skim Milk – Removing the fat from the milk doesn’t transform this into a health food. If you have decided to serve milk in your home, consider purchasing raw milk from a local dairy near you.
  • Better Choice – Raw Milk from a local dairy.  https://draxe.com/raw-milk-benefits/
  • Granola – Buying any old granola does not mean you’ve brought home the holy grail of health foods. Too many granola brands use cheap grains and hide the lack of nutritional value by preparing it with cheap oil and lots of sugar.
  • Better Solution – Bob’s Red Mill has a coconut granola. Kind also makes a nutritious, great tasting granola.
  • Agave Syrup – Agave is marketed as an alternative to sugar, yet it contains 80 percent more fructose than white sugar.
  • Better Choice – Local raw honey.
  • Pretzels – Though many men think giving these to the kids is better than handing out cookies, the truth is don’t be distracted by the fun shape. Pretzels may be cute but the tradeoff is eating a dose of over processed white flour that is high in sodium and almost zero in nutritional value
  • Better Choice – Try the all-natural fun shapes and colors of raw chopped up veggies.
  • Muffins –  Men get jumbled in the head thinking bran or berry muffins equal a nutritious breakfast. But these are not mom’s small muffins packed with fresh ingredients. Today’s store-bought muffins are bigger than a softball and packed with two meals worth of calories and fat.
  • Better Choice –sprouted whole grain toast with peanut butter.

These 8 foods are included here because these are some of the foods most commonly thought to be “healthy” but are so NOT. Find more in-depth research on real health foods vs fake health foods by checking out the resources offered on the following websites.

Make the effort to become educated about real food so that you and your family benefit now and enjoy better health for a lifetime.

Blogs for Nutritional Advice:

Blogs for Lifestyle and Food Ideas  (what to do).

Follow Craig on Instagram @craiglboucher

One Comment

  1. Thank you so much for making this list! You are right, now marketing has got into the fridges and reigns everywhere. You need to be very careful when choosing products and buy only proven trademarks. Now a lot of different garbage is sold under the name “HEALTHY FOOD”. I now overcame more on vegetables, fruits, beans, meat from the farm. But it’s all quite costly for me. So everyone who dreams of a healthy diet, prepare your pockets for devastation 🙂

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