Health Halos
Let’s be clear, every food can fit into a healthy diet; however, clever marketing has the ability to influence the foods we buy. Here are some foods to reconsider if you are wishing to make the most optimal choice for fueling your body. Some foods have been marketed to seem healthier than they actually are.
Gluten-Free
Some people (especially those with diagnosed Celiac Disease) cannot tolerate gluten and need to avoid it entirely. Other people feel their best when they limit the amount of gluten they consume. Gluten has also been blamed for causing all types of health issues ranging from ADHD to acne. However, not everyone needs to eliminate gluten to be healthy. Many gluten-free products (particularly breads, pastas, and baked goods) are much more processed than those that are made with wheat and they are stripped of most nutritional value. Extra binders, refined flours and often sugar are added to improve texture and flavor.
Choosing foods that are naturally gluten-free (vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, nuts, seeds; gluten-free grains such rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth) may be a better way to go if you need to avoid gluten in your diet. Consuming some processed gluten-free baked goods certainly can fit into a healthy diet, but if you are choosing that food to support your health, it likely has less nutritional value than you were hoping. If you can tolerate gluten, whole-wheat bread can provide loads of nutrition and fiber.
Low-Fat, Sugar-Free, Low Calorie
When foods are processed to remove or reduce the fat content, they often lose most of their flavor. To improve flavor, extra binders and/or sugar is added. Fat is important to help us feel satisfied at the end of a meal and it slows stomach emptying which keeps you feeling full longer. Additionally, fat is needed to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, E, D and K. Lastly, fat-free dairy products are far less nutritious than their full-fat counterparts. The main nutrient that is missing in fat-free dairy products is vitamin K2 which is essential for encouraging calcium to enter bones rather than add to plaque in the arteries. Eating full-fat dairy products helps support bone health and prevent heart disease.
Other products are marketed as sugar-free, but are often sweetened with fruit juice, honey, maple syrup, agave or brown rice syrup. These products are technically free of cane sugar, but the sweeteners they use will often have a fairly similar effect on blood sugar response and they are far more expensive. Staying mindful of your overall sugar consumption is likely to support your health more than choosing expensive, wisely marketed “sugar-free” products.
If a food has been processed in an effort to reduce the number of calories it contains, it is likely less healthy than it was before it underwent that processing. Choosing foods specifically because they are marketed as low-calorie supports the mindset being healthy means consuming as few calories as possible. It will support your health more to choose mostly whole foods, follow your hunger cues and consume the foods that appeal most to you. When you follow these steps, your body takes care of regulating how many calories you consume.
The Bottom Line
Enjoying some processed foods is healthy: it breaks away from diet-culture and allows for social connection around food. Even though this article criticizes some foods, all foods can be a part of a healthy diet. The main takeaway is that it is important to be aware of how marketing can influence the foods you choose to buy and eat. The best way to support your health with food is to consume mostly whole, minimally processed foods with plenty of space for guilt-free indulgences.
About the Author:
Alli Erdahl is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Chaska, Minnesota.
