Yesterday one of the sales reps for our office stopped by to give me more information and samples from his company. As always when sales reps come by, he brought little snacks for the office. He tries to do a good job of choosing healthy foods since he knows that we are a weight loss office. The snack for yesterday was Archer Farms Blueberry Flax Granola. It looks delicious and got me thinking. There are tons of foods out there that individuals think are healthy, but can be just as harsh on the diet as junk food. Unfortunately, granola, if not used in moderation can be one of those.
This specific granola contains 40 grams of carbohydrates and 15 grams of sugar in a 2/3 cup serving. This is almost the same amount of carbohydrates in 3 slices of bread or 3 cups of blueberries. The sugar content is almost 4 teaspoons in the 2/3 cup serving. The issue isn't just that the carbohydrates and sugar are high, but the protein is low at only 5g. A better ratio of protein to carbohydrates would help make this a better snack and be better used in the body.
They also use fantastic marketing to try and convince you that this is an extremely healthy product. Using the words "natural" and "whole grain" don't necessarily mean that a product is the best option for your health.
They also use fantastic marketing to try and convince you that this is an extremely healthy product. Using the words "natural" and "whole grain" don't necessarily mean that a product is the best option for your health.
Now don't get me wrong, this is not a "bad" food. It has a lot of wonderful properties by using whole foods. This food can be used in a smaller portion and combined with another food for a great snack. Using 1/4 cup of this granola with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt could help increase the protein, balance out the carbohydrate: protein ratio and provide a better all around fuel for the body.
What are some of the other "healthy" foods that you can think of?
What are some of the other "healthy" foods that you can think of?