Muesli bars, protein shakes or vegan milk alternatives. There are many foods that appear to be healthy, but actually contain a lot of sugar or unhealthy fats. Eating such foods can make you feel tired, hungry or unfocused, as they cause your blood sugar levels to rise and fall quickly. We've taken a closer look at some foods and put together tips on how to make your foods and snacks healthier and replace them with healthy alternatives. That way, you'll know what to choose to keep you feeling energized and focused throughout the day. But before we jump in, let's first define what "healthy" means to us.
What are healthy foods?
A healthy diet is one that meets energetic and physiological needs without excessive caloric intake. In other words, a healthy diet is rich in health-promoting foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and important micronutrients.
Typical healthy foods:
- Have a low content of saturated fats
- Do not contain added sugar
- Are unprocessed or minimally processed.
Healthy foods and snacks are considered nutrient dense and beneficial to your overall health. Remember that foods based on simple and refined carbohydrates are not necessarily the healthiest option, as these carbohydrates are more easily and quickly broken down to glucose, resulting in a sharper glucose spike.
What is a healthy and balanced diet?
In a healthy, balanced diet, macronutrients, i.e., proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, are consumed in appropriate, not excessive, proportions to meet the body's energetic and physiological needs while providing adequate micronutrients and fluids .
Still not sure what that means? Let's try it in a little more detail.
Macronutrients are the nutritional values you see on the label on the back of a food package at the supermarket: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
For a meal to be healthy and balanced, it must contain all three macronutrients mentioned above. These provide the body with the energy it needs for important cellular functions, such as muscle repair.
Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals that you can get from food. Your body needs relatively small amounts of them, but they are essential for your body's growth, development, metabolism and physiological functions. The more varied - i.e. colorful - your diet is, the easier it is to have all the important nutrients on your plate.
Hydration is the amount of water in your body that is essential for its functioning. Make sure you drink about 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day. You can also keep your body hydrated in a healthy way with herbal teas. Avoid things like coffee, alcohol, or sugary drinks, as they don't hydrate the body as well and can sometimes even have the opposite effect. Fruit juices are also not the way to quench your thirst. Juices look very healthy, but unfortunately they cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket.
How to recognize healthy foods:
Healthy foods are usually characterized by these 3 main features mentioned above:
- They are unprocessed or minimally processed.
- They have a low content of saturated fats
- They do not contain added sugar
In general, foods are healthy if they are rich in nutrients and benefit our health. However, sometimes foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals are also rich in carbohydrates and fats, which is not ideal.
But there is good news: some high-fat foods may actually contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, which are known to be good for our health as long as they are consumed in moderation.
Avocados, for example, are a powerhouse of nutrients and are high in vitamins E and K, folic acid, potassium and B vitamins. The fat in avocados is monounsaturated, which can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease.
However, avocados contain many calories, which means that eating too many avocados can lead to weight gain. One avocado contains 32 g of fat, which is 400 calories.
Healthy tricks for unhealthy food
You've probably heard some myths about "healthy" foods that actually turned out to be bad for your health. But don't worry, you don't have to cut them out of your diet completely. We've taken a closer look at 5 of these supposedly "healthy" snacks and give you tips on how to actually make them healthier or find an alternative.
1. Smoothies
Smoothies have gained a certain cult status in recent years because of their delicious taste, but also because of their rather misleading promises in terms of health and nutritional value. Blending fruits removes their fiber. When fiber is reduced in whole fruit, it accelerates the rate at which the simple sugars contained in fruit juice enter the bloodstream, causing a blood sugar spike.
Make it healthier
- Use a "juicer" blender instead of a regular blender that homogenizes whole fruits to create "smoothies" without removing fiber.
- Choose green smoothiesbased on kale or spinach. These are high in vitamins and minerals, but low in simple sugars like glucose. Add some lime juice and mint for more flavor.
- Add some berries . They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Berries are also known to limit the blood sugar response.
- Do not use sugar, syrup, agave nectar or honey.
Add some fat and protein to your smoothie to slow the digestion and absorption of glucose and other simple sugars into your blood. Milk, coconut, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter without additives and walnuts are good choices.
2. Energy bars
Energy bars seem like an easy, convenient and even healthy way to get an energy boost throughout the day, but in reality they are a bit of a calorie bomb. Many of them also contain hidden added sugars and artificial sweeteners like xylitol and mannitol. People who don't lead extremely active lifestyles, such as professional athletes, generally don't need such a high calorie intake throughout the day and risk gaining weight by eating energy bars.
Make it healthier
- Make your own energy bars with ingredients like nuts, fruit and whole grains.
- Add some flaxseed, whole grains and legumesto increase the nutritional value.
- Be sparing with the dried fruits and/or nuts.
- Do not eat them regularly
3. Vegetable based drinks
Plant-based drinks (known as plant milks outside the European Union) can be lower in calories than full-fat cow's milk, but not necessarily less than skim or semi-skim milk. However, sugar is added to many plant-based milks to make them taste better and have more dairy character. Plant-based milks are also often low in fiber because much of the fiber is lost during processing into the final product. Most plant-based milks contain less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat, but only if they are not coconut-based. In terms of nutritional value, plant-based dairy products are often completely lacking in vitamins A, D and B12, although many undergo complex processing to fortify and artificially supplement them.
Make it healthier
Of all the plant-based alternatives to cow's milk, soy milk is the best option. It usually contains greater amounts of the essential amino acid lysine than other grain-based alternatives such as oat or rice milk, although it may contain lower amounts of the essential amino acids cysteine and methionine.
4. Cereals/granola
Cereals and granola are another breakfast option that look healthy at first glance, but are actually full of unnecessary and unwanted added sugars and often unhealthy simple carbohydrates.
Make it healthier
Don't buy commercial granola. Making it yourself is easy, healthy and fun. So you avoid excessive added sugar, use whole grains and mix it with a moderate amount of raisins, seeds and nuts.
5. Protein shakes
Protein shakes seem to be the best friend of the average gym fanatic, but are actually unnecessary for anyone who works out less than 5 hours a week. In addition to their protein content, the shakes often contain added sugars, artificial thickeners and flavorings. Even more concerning, a report has shown that many commercial protein shakes contain dangerously high levels of toxins such as heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury), bisphenol-A or BPA (used to make plastics), pesticides and other pollutants that have been linked to cancer and tumor growth.
Make it healthier
Read, read again, and read the label a third time to make sure you know exactly what's in your protein shake before you drink it. And if you don't exercise more than 5 hours a week and already eat a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet, chances are you're already getting enough protein and don't need a supplement at all.
The essence
It's difficult to get your head around food choices. Just remember that you should eat a balanced diet, including macro and micronutrients. When choosing foods, make sure they are not processed and have no added sugar. Our tip: Always look at the label and make sure you know what you're eating. Some things look healthier than they are.
If you'd like to learn more about how small changes in your diet or lifestyle can positively impact your blood sugar levels, and therefore your overall health and well-being, start your journey with Hello Inside today.
