100 Days of Real Food

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
×
Home » How to Start » Food Shopping

Video: 7 "Healthy" Foods - That Really Aren't

Surely we all know by now that the Food Industry has only one thing top of mind - and that's to make money. So they do a great job of making factory-made items appear that they're good for us when in fact they're highly processed. Here are just a few items that are touted as "healthy foods" that, when you take a look at the ingredients, you'll see really aren't!

For a video version of this content scroll to the bottom.

1) Store Bought Granola Bars 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Want to Save this Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!

Save Recipe

These cereal bars have a picture of strawberries on the front, but the only thing "strawberry" about them is natural and artificial strawberry "flavoring." The bars actually contain dried pieces of cranberries disguised as strawberries, and that's fairly misleading if you ask me. These bars also contain their fair share of refined grains, corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated oil (aka trans fat) - no, thank you!

Instead: Make your own or look for store bought Lara Bars, Kit's Organic Bars, or Raw Crunch Bars (use our "100days" code for 20% off Raw Crunch)

2) Flavored Yogurt Tubes Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodBack in the day when I bought these for the first time (thanks to a coupon, of course) my husband said, "Why, are you buying this junk food?" I replied, "Junk food? How is yogurt junk food?" But as it turns out these are really just sugary yogurt pops filled with juice and some additives I would not cook with at home (including carrageenan). There's certainly no whole fruit - like what's pictured on the front - to be found.

Instead: Make your own by blending together plain yogurt with real fruit (and even greens if you'd like) to make smoothies that you store in the freezer in these reusable smoothie/yogurt pop molds. Little Green Pouches (use coupon code 100DAYS20OFF to save 20%!) and Zipzicles are other good options as well. -

3) Organic (Sweetened) Tea Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodThere's nothing wrong with just plain tea, but there is something wrong with 4 ½ teaspoons of refined sugar in just one bottle when the maximum daily allowance of sugar is 6 teaspoons for women and 3 for children (just for comparison sake).

Instead: Buy unsweetened organic iced tea and sweeten it yourself with half the amount of sugar (or honey!) instead. -

4) Flavored Oatmeal Packets Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodThis is not the first time I've picked on these Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets. I just hate how they take a perfectly good 1-ingredient whole food (oats!) and muck it up with fake strawberries (which are really dried apple pieces doused in artificial strawberry flavoring and dye) and a bunch of other questionable additives you would never cook with at home, including partially hydrogenated oil (aka trans fat).

Instead: Buy plain rolled oats and make your own oatmeal in minutes with fresh, wholesome ingredients in minutes! Here's our favorite hot oatmeal recipe and also our favorite (cold) overnight oats recipe as well. -

5) Slim Fast Shake Mix Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodThis has probably helped some people out there lose weight, but I doubt it's helped make them any "healthier." The first ingredient (and what it contains the most of) is sugar - the same ingredient that Mark Bittman says is “probably the most dangerous part of our current diet.” (!!) And I pretty much would never cook with any of the rest of the highly processed additives they put into this powder - including two different artificial sweeteners (acesulfame potassium and aspartame).

Instead: You can lose weight (or maintain a healthy weight) without yucky-tasting diet powders and the trick (in addition to eating real food) is portion control. Long story short - Eat a variety of whole foods (including plenty of vegetables) and stop eating when you feel full! -

6) 100 Calorie Packs Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodThis is another item that gives the impression of helping with weight loss - it's too bad all calories are NOT created equal! This is basically a box of (mostly) refined grains and even includes something called "corn syrup solids" in addition to artificial colors and MSG. Still sound appetizing?

Instead: Eat a whole food snack like roasted nuts or 100% whole grain pretzels or crackers. -

7) Powerade Healthy Foods That Really Aren't from 100 Days of #RealFoodThis drink is boasts a combination of water, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial dye. Why do people have the impression these highly processed additives are part of what you need to rehydrate after a workout?

Instead: Drink water! Unless you are a marathoner water will likely do the trick. If you are worried about getting electrolytes look into coconut water or make your own homemade gatorade. Smoothies (made from whole foods) are another great post-workout drink as well - along with that water of course.

News Video: 7 "Healthy" Foods - That Really Aren't

I also shared this line-up on our local Charlotte Today show yesterday for those who'd prefer to see it in video form. Random Note: I accidentally said "harder said than done," but hopefully it's obvious I meant to say "easier said than done!" Oh the joys of live TV :)

More Food Shopping

  • Chicken breast recipes.
    Chicken Breast Recipes
  • Lunch and Snack Ideas for Camp on 100 Days of #RealFood
    Healthy Snack Ideas
  • Dijon mustard substitute.
    Dijon Mustard Substitute
  • Green vegetables.
    Green Vegetables
14.4K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Denise says

    January 31, 2023 at 7:05 am

    It’s about time. Been on this mission for over 6 months and the results are amazing. Cutting out processed foods is a process in itself. If we just read he ingredient’s we shall see the food offered in the regular supermarket isles is a sham. Beware, it’s a difficult course to maneuver but oh soo necessary if you want your health back. Stay strong Lisa and know your not alone. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Sarah V says

    October 18, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I eat clean and try not to purchase foods with more than 5 ingredients and definitely not ingredients that I can't pronounce. I prefer fruit to most sweets most of the time. I buy the 100 calorie packs of Chessmen cookies. those are the only cookies I miss. So when I am feeling like a really, really, really want to eat cookies (rare) I grab a 100 calorie pack and it satisfies my sweets craving.
    I think where the 100 calorie packs are misleading is that most people think these are a diet food. and that eating those instead of the regular item is somehow a healthy option. they are designed so that if you want a "cheat treat" you can have one that doesn't make you feel crappy about yourself after you eat it.

    Reply
  3. Stefanie Pekarek says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    I buy Cascadian Organic granola bars and cereal..

    Reply
  4. Mollie says

    October 17, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    My son brought home the package of product called Rips Slush that he purchased at school. It says 100% juice on the front, but then on the bottom it say "flavored 100% juice" and on the back it says "contains 100% juice". Needless to say, there are ingredients other than juice in there. ugh.

    Reply
  5. Erica says

    August 07, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    Divide the sugar content in grams by 4 to get number of teaspoons. For example the sugar content of the Honest Tea is 9 grams. 9 divided by 4 is 2.25. Don't forget that this is listed PER SERVING. There are two servings in the bottle. That's 4 1/2 g of sugar. And they say that it's just a "tad" sweet. Holy smokes. That's almost all of your allotted sugar for the day.

    Reply
  6. LP says

    August 07, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    How many teaspoons in a gram? The sugar on a label is usually measured in grams. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      August 09, 2014 at 10:20 am

      Hi LP. This post with conversion chart will help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2014/07/31/8-products-more-sugar-than-you-think-2/. ~Amy

      Reply
  7. vc says

    July 22, 2014 at 12:53 am

    i love fresh oatmeal with rasins and cinamon and whole milk

    Reply
  8. vc says

    July 22, 2014 at 12:48 am

    i know you do not like conventional pharm product ads n ur site there is now one for loreal

    Reply
  9. Lauren says

    July 05, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    Is the 100days discount code no longer valid? I just saw this post and was hoping to order some because they sounded so great, but I'm receiving an error message when I input the code. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      July 07, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Hi Lauren. The coupon codes are typically for a limited time. :(

      Reply
  10. Becky says

    June 30, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    My family and I love granola bars but we dont "love" the ingredients in most of them. Per your suggestion, I ordered the Raw Crunch Bars variety pack so that we could sample the product. They are amazing! I will definitely be ordering multiple boxes to have on hand and since we can get 20% percent off with the 100 Days discount code it just makes them even better :) Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Tee says

    June 22, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    Such a great article / video. Can you please state the full name of the yogurt tubes again the close captioning had to be wrong, or point me in the direction to find the links. Thank you!?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      June 25, 2014 at 12:13 pm

      Hi there. You can find the link here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. ~Amy

      Reply
  12. Victoria says

    June 17, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    Hello
    That’s Victoria, with Epicurex LLC.
    We produce and sell COCOZIA 100% organic coconut water.
    We are USDA Organic Certified, Gluten Free, non-GMO and Kosher.

    Could you, please, post it?

    Reply
  13. Shiwani says

    June 16, 2014 at 5:34 am

    I just want to say that It is really amazing post thanks for the sharing and just keep up the good work.
    For more details, Please visit our website @ http://thelearningclub.in/

    Reply
  14. denise says

    June 13, 2014 at 12:08 pm

    there's something about those yogurt tubes though...my son loves them and no smoothie will replace them. I just started buying Siggi's brand - very few ingredients and probably half the sugar of that in stoneyfield tubes. Siggis is a little more tart, but my boys like regular yogurt with honey so they suffice. The box doesn't go as fast as the stoneyfield box went though. But he's forgetting about the sweeter ones, slowly :)

    Reply
  15. Laura W says

    June 12, 2014 at 11:44 pm

    You know I read what you had said about flubbing and then never even heard it as I watched the video. You did great! My husband has a PR company and he would have been proud!

    Reply
  16. Tina says

    June 11, 2014 at 11:53 pm

    Awesome job Lisa. Live TV is hard you did a great job. I shared this with the daycare mommy's about the go-gurts. It's a battle for me, very unhealthy eaters at daycare. The kids bully my daughter because her food looks different. Thanks for all that you do.

    Reply
  17. Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says

    June 11, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    It's one thing to sell unhealthy boxed food, but trying to make junk food appear healthy is just wrong. Thank you for making buyers aware. Great post!

    Reply
  18. Jess says

    June 11, 2014 at 11:49 am

    We try to keep coconut water or your homemade pedialyte recipe on hand in our house. Here in New Mexico (especially in the dry/hot months of June/early July) you basically exist in a state of dehydration. You can drink water all day, but when the temperatures are over 105 degrees and there's no humidity, you start to lose fluid. Unfortunately, humans lose fluid (sweat) at a much higher rate than we can absorb it, so it's important for us to make sure we have a little extra electrolyte help any time we may have to spend more than a few minutes outside.

    Reply
  19. Julia says

    June 11, 2014 at 7:41 am

    I was going to buy one if those "good for you" kids cereals in the "health food" section in the grocery store. I read the label and it had more refined sugar than Fruit Loops!!!! Needless to say I didn't buy it!
    My son plays baseball and all the kids chug those super size super gross sports drinks. I have been putting a mix of grape juice, water and honey in his water bottle and he hasn't complained at all. I did explain to him why the sports drinks aren't good for him as I feel it is important for him to understand why we choose the foods/drinks that we choose.

    Reply
  20. Stephanie says

    June 11, 2014 at 12:01 am

    Another good recovery drink that can be made as a real food: chocolate milk. It has been shown to be great for recovery. After a half marathon I ran in October, I first guzzled down water and then a chocolate milk and felt great.

    Reply
    • Sandi says

      June 11, 2014 at 12:25 am

      That's great you felt so good after a big run! How about just plain milk?

      Reply
      • LAW says

        June 11, 2014 at 8:52 am

        Because after expending so many calories, most bodies needs quick, easily accessible energy to avoid collapse and begin recovery.

      • Karen says

        June 11, 2014 at 9:47 pm

        That's interesting. I've noticed a chocolate milk booth at different 5k events and thought it was odd. Now I know :)

  21. GiGi Eats says

    June 10, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    It makes me wildly depressed when I hear friends and family say that they are selecting one of the above foods or other food posers because they're "healthy"! UGH! NOO!!!

    Reply
  22. kate says

    June 10, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    Happy to say my house NEVER has these in it!!!! Great post thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  23. LeAnn @ Real Fit, Real Food Mom says

    June 10, 2014 at 10:09 pm

    Crazy to think that I used to drink slim fast shakes for breakfast (for the convenience, not so much to lose weight)...and it's so incredibly easy to make my own chocolate smoothies with just a few simple ingredients! And the sports drinks drive me crazy!!! I hate it when I see kids drinking them...makes me cringe. :( Thanks for all the great work you do to spread the word to people like me!! :) So happy I've learned so much over the past 18 months.

    Reply
  24. lisa says

    June 10, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    My family and i just started eating organic do u have any ideas how to incorporate the weight watchers diet.

    Reply
  25. WiliWali says

    June 10, 2014 at 9:54 pm

    I can't believe that anyone ever thought any of those processed, prepackaged items were ever worth eating ..... it is so easy to read the label!

    Reply
  26. Karen says

    June 10, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    I used to think the quaker packs were a necessity for camping, but you can make your own packets ahead of time. Just put individual servings of oats in little bags with whatever you want to add. I like cinnamon & brown sugar.

    Reply
  27. Kayla says

    June 10, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    Thanks for the tips, Lisa! My family and I are trying to eat better but it's so difficult in the busy world we live in today. It's websites like yours that inspire me to keep feeding my family whole and nutritious foods and not "junk". I do have a quick question. I want to make my own buckwheat flour but all I have is roasted buckwheat. Will that change the flavor too much to use in your buckwheat flour cookie recipe? Thanks!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!


Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

Learn More

Popular

  • Sausage stir fry.
    Sausage Stir Fry
  • Sausage broccoli pasta.
    Sausage Broccoli Pasta
  • Chicken sausage pasta.
    Chicken Sausage Pasta
  • Steak with veggies.
    Steak with Veggies

Seasonal

  • Sausage and potatoes.
    Sausage and Potatoes
  • Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.
    Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
  • Spaghetti squash boats.
    Spaghetti Squash Boats
  • How to cook spaghetti squash.
    How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Footer

↑ back to top

Browse

  • Cookbooks
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
  • Favorite Products
  • Free Downloads

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Blog

  • About
  • Comment Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner With Us
  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 100 Days of Real Food