Healthy eating …I wish it was that simple …Don’t you??
We are continually bombarded by “Healthy Food” ads through the TV and social media. I know when I went shopping with kids in tow or in my lunch hour I didn’t have time to scour the shelves or read the labels and to be honest some of those labels even if you had 20/20 vision you wouldn’t be able to read it…
So…Is it healthy or not?
I hope this helps…
Yoghurt…How many different types of yoghurt and yoghurt drinks are there on sale? Who knows… All packaged to catch your eye or the kids eyes we have Miss Kitty drinks, Barbie yoghurts, Ben 10 Yoghurts, Munch Bunch, you name it and they have that yoghurt…Kids are the manufacturer’s dream and our nightmare…
Most fruit flavoured yoghurts have alarmingly high levels of sugar they are high in calories and fat. A good example of what sounds healthy is the Total fat-free yoghurt and it contains 18.8gm of sugar that is nearly 40% of our daily sugar allowance in one go.
Weight watchers and Shape yoghurts if you want something you can eat on the go hover around the 3.1g of sugar so are better.
UK NHS guidelines:
- Adults should have no more than 30 gm of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to seven sugar cubes).
- Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24 gm of free sugars a day (six sugar cubes).
- Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19 gm of free sugars a day (five sugar cubes).
- There is no guideline limit for children under the age of 4, but it’s recommended they avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it.
Myself I use natural yoghurt or Greek Yoghurt I haven’t as yet ventured into making my own …
Natural yoghurt is higher in calcium than Greek yoghurt and cheaper but I also use it when I make an Indian curry and I like it with fresh fruit it has a sharper flavour than the creamy Greek yoghurt but I like the taste. I also use it when a flatbread recipe calls for yoghurt so I find it more versatile than buying fruit flavoured yoghurts.
Greek Yoghurt I love it…It is more filling and higher in protein made from milk from grass-fed cows lovely with fresh fruit or my favourite frozen raspberries… I also use it when I make protein drinks or smoothies also if you use it instead of sour cream when you make dips, tacos or on your jacket potatoes you will save whopping 78 calories and 7 gm of saturated fat per 1/4 of a cup.
Although a big pot is initially higher in cost it is healthier, more versatile which then makes it cost effective as well as being good for you.
The bottom line for you and your families health ditch the fruit flavoured yoghurts.
Sugar-Free Sweets.
Nothing in life is free… It costs us somewhere along the line and in the case of sugar-free sweets, it is our health. What cost do you put on your health?
Although sugar-free sweets contain no carbohydrates they contain sugar alcohols which if eaten in excess can cause stomach discomfort and or diarrhoea.
What are they sweetened with aspartame, saccharin, sucralose or other non- calorific sweeteners.
Aspartame the controversy lumbers on some say it is safe and some say it is not…personally so many things once deemed safe are now proving not to be …I don’t trust a government agency to keep me safe…
Saccharin...Another artificial sweetener and more research and testing have been carried out on both of these over the years. Drug and food agencies swear they are safe however health professional and consumer safety groups do not agree. Scientific studies conducted on animals have found links between both these sweeteners and cancer.
The bottom line for you and your families health ditch the sugar-free sweets.
This brings me on to low-calorie sweeteners or artificial sweeteners it seems everyone wants sweetness but without the calories of sugar. A popular natural low-calorie sweetener is Stevia.
The worry among health professionals is that with using these in excess is that many people will then find foods which are less sweet like fresh fruit and vegetables unpalatable thus healthy, filling and nutritious foods are being replaced with artificially flavoured foods with less nutritional value to health. The sweetness then may cause many to stop thinking of sweetness with a higher calorie intake and veer towards eating a sweeter diet and gain rather than lose weight.
Personally, I think this is a dangerous road to take with our health… Many chronic ailments are preventable… That is it in a nutshell… not everything can be put down to unhealthy diets and added sugars but much can and that is a major worry for future generations.
https://blondieaka.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/healthy-eating-no-to-diets-sugar-is-it-your-worst-enemy/
We are guardians of our children’s health and we have a duty as parents to guide them. Children learn habits and if they see us consuming and letting them consume all of this unhealthy sugar-laden food they will see it as the norm… We need to teach them good eating habits …To teach them to love food, to teach them the joy of watching things grow and then cooking and eating it…We owe them the best start in life we can give them.
Let’s be clear on this all this sugar-laden food and drink has a cost on our purses and our health…
I hope this has helped clear up a few points on what foods to avoid …Do your own research and see what you find out I scared myself and the more I research the more I want to know and also wonder how much I don’t know how much is being kept from us which affects our health.
Connect to Carol( Moi)
Blog: https://blondieaka.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422
Pinterest ( 1): https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/
Thank you for reading and have a lovely week x
I agree. Yogurts have a lot of sugar in them. I like protein powder because I put it in my cereal and oatmeal. It tastes great. I buy a tub and it lasts me for a long time. I like the flavors too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t use protein powders at all, Erica..I am suspicious of anything touted to be good for you and then finding out a few years later that it actually isn’t…I make my own protein drinks using natural ingredients not powders… Everyone has their own preference and my daughter uses protein powders..she knows I am not happy about that but it is her choice and not mine… I just think there are viable options 🙂 Thank you for joining in the conversation all comments are valued and a different opinion is good 🙂 Have a lovely week 🙂
LikeLike
I like that the protein powders have vitamins in them. I also make my own shakes with milk, honey, bananas and berries. Both are filling and much better than most breakfast foods especially here in America.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ok…Yes I am sure it is… I have just finished reading a book called Food Forensics and it horrified me about what is allowed in food in the US…much of which is banned in other countries quite scary
LikeLike
I don’t even know why people try to use artificial sweeteners. 😝 They taste so… Well, artificial! If they really want to sweeten things a bit, using a bit of honey or agave syrup is so good!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t sweeteners so I don’t know what they taste like but in cooking if I need to I use honey anyway
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is tough because every body reacts individually. I try to go by the option of prepare it yourself where you can, eat fresh local produce and keep portions small. I am still 35 lbs heavier than I want to be but sometimes we have to put life before weight. Great post Carol.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you, Ellen, and yes it is not easy but I do think as you say the key is preparing food yourself and yes life comes b4 weight and I think as long as you are healthy and eat properly your body finds its own best weight for you…No two people are alike are they? 🙂 x
LikeLiked by 1 person
No they really are not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Retired No One Told Me! Weekly Roundup…Pork Crackling, Red Bananas and Noodles… | Retired? No one told me!
Hi carol
I have habit of reading label ingredients for eggs, whey so i like to buy things having less ingredients. As most of things are in codes which general people can’t understand.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, If I see loads of ingredients I just don’t bother trying to read and leave on the shelf…Yes codes can be a nuisance I had a list codes somewhere which I used to refer to try google ..Now I go by the length of the list 🙂
LikeLike
😊👍
LikeLike
Great reminder Carol… it is ain’t broke don’t fix it. As nature intended with a little processing for health reasons an keep clear of anything industrial.. hugsxxx
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know so much is in everything now Jay picked up a packet of spice mix today ..I said I thought we were making it and he said ok if we can ? as we were one ingedient short and when he read packet bearing in mind it was just a normal one meal mix it had over 50% sugar 20% chilli and I can’t remember what else but he was gobsmacked as I am sure sometimes he thinks I go over the top but 50% he put it back pronto..That is excessive isn’t it? Hugs xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is and unfortunately buying something savoury does not mean it is not loaded with sugar.. pasta sauces in jars, tomato ketchup, baked beans.. and if they take the fat out they add more.. hugsxxx
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know but how excessive …scary 🙂 xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
That image of a cow is very appropriate, Carol! There is so much controversy about absolutely everything we put in our mouths that the healthiest option is to eat grass. I totally agree with you on not trusting my health to government agencies.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Dolly…I don’t trust manufacturers or anyone …so often ” safe” has been proved to be just the opposite hasn’t it? …Thank you for stopping by 🙂 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
With my background, I certainly don’t trust governments.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am sure you don’t 🙂 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Terrific article…a new study just revealed that whole milk, real cheese and butter have NO negative impact on your heart, and in fact that nutrients that are very beneficial…this is in line with your point – eat natural foods, not food that has been modified and “enhanced” with sugars and artificial ingredients!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you very much, John I really appreciate your comments…I do truly believe what I write and I practise it at home…I rarely buy anything ready made unless I am sure of its origins and always buy local produce. It seems like we are going backwards in many ways but that is good 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person