How healthy are the foods you choose to eat? You might be surprised to discover that even some of the ‘healthiest’ foods contain high levels of hidden fat, sugar and salt. Check out these 10 culprits so you can make more informed choices.
By Hilary Pereira
How high is too high?
The Food Standards Agency classifies a product as having a high sugar content if it contains more than 15g of sugar per 100g (or 15%).
Pre-packed sandwiches
Even those sandwiches labelled ‘light’, ‘healthy’ or ‘low calorie’ can have unacceptably high levels of salt, and
Tinned fruit
Tinned fruit can be a good substitute for fresh: although some nutrients may be lost in the canning process and the fruits are usually peeled, meaning more los
Breakfast cereals
Pre-packaged breakfast cereals, although some have the added benefit of being fortified with iron and other nutrients, are often high in sugar and/or fat.
Oven chips
Some brands of oven chips are lower in fat and salt than others, with those labelled ‘fries’ or &lsq
Cereal bars
Despite their often healthy portrayal, cereal bars are, in many cases, no healthier in content than a bar of chocolate or a bag of sweets.
Low-fat yoghurt
Food manufacturers have to make things irresistibly tasty, so it’s not surprising that if they are able to take out most of the fat content of a sweet
Dips
Dipping a few breadsticks and raw vegetables into some hummus or guacamole may seem like a healthier alternative to a sandwich, but the main ingredients in hummus are
Bread
Bread manufacturers have reduced the amount of salt in their products after the outcry in the press about the very high levels, but some still fall short of the Food
Processed meats
Many pre-packed processed meats are notoriously high in salt as well as added water, making them a far from healthy choice.
Juice drinks and energy drinks
According to research from the University of Glasgow, people in the UK consistently underestimate the amount of sugar in juice drinks and ene
This post was originally published here and is republished with full permission.