Keeping our bodies and minds in check should be one of our biggest priorities, and that goes double for our kiddos. We are inundated on a daily basis with “be fit” messages while simultaneously being tempted to indulge on a constant basis.
It’s hard to manage all of those contradictory media conversations! But at the end of the day, we all know that being healthy is the best route to go—especially in the presence of our smallest athletes with their growing minds and bodies. And it’s important that we know what healthy actually means by not being tricked by taglines and great promos.
That’s why we’re revealing 8 “healthy” snacks that aren’t actually healthy so you can make better decisions in the long run. Take a peek!
Snack #8: Granola Bars
Chewy, Sunbelt, and even Nature’s Valley granola bars are all advertised as healthy options—even though they could be doing a lot better. Most packages of granola are full of sugar, unhealthy fats, and corn syrups. The Kind brand will do you far better—or you can just whip up some homemade versions instead!
Snack #7: Fruit Snacks
Every child loves a package of fruit snacks—or “fruities”, as my own little girl likes to call them. But in reality, it’s just a bag of candy they’re chowing down on. For example, Welch’s are a fan favorite and they are packed with corn syrup, added colors, and gelatin—with only a tiny portion of that being true fruit puree.
Snack #6: Juice
If you believe that drinking sugar is healthy, then juice is the route to take. Unfortunately, it’s also—well, not really true. The calories and sugar are so highly concentrated in these drinks that they are one of the main causes of childhood obesity (along with drinking pop on a regular basis). There aren’t actually many nutritional benefits in any store-bought juice drink. Instead, squeeze some of your own at home!
Snack #5: Yogurt
Most yogurts marketed toward children don’t offer anywhere close to the nutritional value they want you to believe they do. Not only have there been studies done showing that yogurt causes no significant benefit to overall health when consumed on a regular basis, but most brands are also full of sugar (sometimes over the recommended amount per day).
Snack #4: Veggie Chips
Veggie chips or veggie sticks—whatever you call them, they’re popular with little ones all over. And a lot of parents seemed to feel a little less guilty by offering up this snack to their kids because they’ve got the word “veggie” in the title.
Unfortunately, the nutritional value of the vegetables are destroyed in the processing of the chips themselves. And although they have lower calories than most of their counterparts, there’s not a lot of vitamins and minerals involved here.
Snack #3: Peanut Butter
A lot of organic, no-sugar-added, and freshly-churned peanut butters are a delightful addition to your diets. But the most popular brands on the shelf have been drowned in excess sugar, corn syrup, and additives—making this not as likely to get a high health score as we would imagine such a protein-packed snack to include.
Snack #2: Cereal
Cereal is such a hit among the masses, but it’s probably one of the most obviously unhealthy “healthy” snacks we know of. So many cereals are advertised as “whole grains and oats”—when in reality, they’re offset by that same obnoxious amount of sugar and carbohydrates you’ll find in many other snacks.
Snack #1: Applesauce
And finally, applesauce may seem like a healthy, fiber-filled option—but again, this snack can be filled with more sugar than goodness. If you purchase from the store, ensure that you pick-up the “no sugar added” version, since fruit has naturally occurring sugars that sweeten the deal for you without help!
