It’s not all doom and gloom, don’t give up! The first thing you need to do is realise through making these simple changes your overall health will vastly improve. We’ve compiled this check list of healthy foods that turn out to be not so healthy so you can avoid them and get the best from your new fitness regime.

There can be nothing worse than ditching the foods you enjoy for healthier blander alternatives then finding out you are doing more harm than good. We are here to help dispel some common myths surrounding apparently healthy alternative foods that are probably causing you more harm than good in the long run.

So let’s take a look at what foods you should really be avoiding no matter how healthy you thought they were, oh, and remember you can refer back to this article anytime!

1. Meal replacement bars

This is probably one of the most conflicting foods on the list as it is marketed as a healthy option for people undertaking new diets. These bars are designed to replace a whole meal so can be packed full of calories but don’t actually fill you, some people say you are in fact no better off than if you ate a regular chocolate bar. One thing to also consider is some nutritionists who have monitored their clients for years even claim they develop toxicity symptoms due to the ingredients in these so called health bars. They are full of hydrogenated oils too which load up on cholesterol. Rather than missing meals and replacing them with these bars, look at what you are eating and portion sizes. You will stand a much better chance at success.

2. Smoothies

So, the label says it’s 1 of your 5 a day right? Perfect! Why not drink 2 even? Much like the meal replacement bars these super smoothies can be quite the opposite of healthy. Now don’t get me wrong, they are probably more beneficial to you than 5 pints of beer on a night out but they aren’t actually that good for you. Smoothies are jam packed full of sugar, this sugar does a number of things to your body, the sugar in these drinks will spike your insulin much like a chocolate bar would. This will cause you to crash and crave more fatty foods. Now yes, the sugar is from fruits but in terms of the effect on your body it’s really no different from refined sugar since the fruits are blended most of the time stripping a lot of fibre in the process. Smoothies that market themselves as green are slightly better but you really need to focus on the ingredients. They more often than not feature a concentrate as the main ingredient with very small percentages of leafy goodness added in. You’d be much better off eating an extra portion of veg in the long run, it’ll cost less too! Another option is to make your own smoothies so you have control over what you are putting into your body.

3. Jacket spuds

Again, you are probably surprised to see this on the list. They have graced countless diet plans and cookery books over the years as they are natural, from the ground and extremely convenient. You can have potatoes pretty much anyway you like. So let’s be straight with you, they aren’t necessarily the worst thing in the world you can eat when trying to lose weight but you need to educate yourself in order to meet your targets. We want you to succeed and become the best version of yourself. So as previously stated, they are natural and from the ground but a jacket potato has relatively large amounts of carbs and calories. Both are going to hinder your weight loss, especially if you don’t burn those carbs off. This is before you even get to putting any tasty fillings on your potato. Food for thought, right? If you are looking for a great tasting alternative try sweet potatoes.

4. Trail mix

Mind blown yet? Even we were surprised by this one! I mean come on, nuts? Really?? Yes. Really. Ok maybe were being a little sneaky, not all nuts are bad for you but we are talking about trail mix. So it’s actually the combination of the nuts and what they are coated with, accompanied by the rest of the ingredients. They have tonnes of sugar and salt, some even include crackers, pretzels and worse yet, chocolate! So i guess one way around this hazard is to make your own. Include a few super fruits with nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts and you’re on to a winner!

So, how bad was that? How do these foods measure up to what you are eating as part of your “healthy” diet? I hope we haven’t just made things a whole lot worse! The key is understanding and moderation. Don’t starve yourself but be aware of what you are putting in your body. A bit of research goes a long way. Subscribe to the blog whilst you are here for articles just like this one, sent directly to your inbox.