There’s a growing problem in our supermarkets — good food gone bad. We’re not talking about wilted vegetables and rotten meat. These are once healthful foods that have been turned into something that’s no longer so good for you.
For example, air-popped popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks around, full of fiber and low in calories. But the minute you soup it up, with sugar, with salt, with cheese, that’s when you run into a problem. You take a healthy snack and you render it unhealthy.
Peanut butter is good-for-you food. It’s mostly peanuts and it’s loaded with protein. But Jif has come out with Hazelnut Chocolate to spread on your bread. Check the label! The leading ingredients are sugar and vegetable oil and it provides far less protein than peanut butter.
White turkey and chicken meat are some of the best sources of low-fat protein. But if you buy it packaged, like this Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, watch for added sodium. Just two ounces has 510 milligrams, that’s 21 percent of the daily limit.
Lowfat yogurt is another healthful food. But watch out if it’s topped with chocolate balls or cookie crumbles. And beware of packaged smoothies, even if they make lots of healthy claims. They can contain lots of sugar. You’re better off making your own smoothies, or topping your yogurt with fresh fruit. You can control the sugar and keep those foods that are good for you … good for you!
Consumer Reports says something else to be wary of at the supermarket are veggie chips. They are often made of potato flour and can have as much fat and sodium as potato chips.
