# What foods did you once think were healthy, when they actually aren't? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435 "2006-02-07T19:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/21 "2006-02-07T21:39:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nuts. Good low-calorie, high-protein fare, right? WRONG! Mostly fat, and at 170 calories a ounce, they have more calories than cheese. > Peanut butter. Loaded with fat. True - they are high in fat, but they are really good for you. > **[Nuts Cut Coronary Heart Disease Risk](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010509083114.htm)** > > In the most comprehensive review yet of the available epidemiological and clinical evidence, Penn State researchers have concluded that eating tree nuts or peanuts can have a strong protective effect against coronary heart disease. _“The researcher’s review of the existing published epidemiologic studies shows that consuming 1 ounce of nuts more than 5 times/week can result in a **25 to 39 percent** reduction in coronary heart disease risk among people whose characteristics match those of the general adult U.S. population.”_ I love nuts, now I’m just careful to eat a carefully measured serving of them. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/4 cup of nuts. I ate a serving every day while I was losing weight (65+ lbs) and I still eat a serving every day. Didn’t stop me from losing weight (or maintaining a year after I reached my goal weight). Fat is not the enemy! I make sure to eat plenty of healthy fats every day - olive oil, nuts, dairy, avocado, salmon etc. My vote - Special K cereal (high fructose corn syrup and sugar) and “wheat” bread. White bread is wheat bread, too, it’s made of wheat flour! I avoid bread unless the first ingredient is “whole grain.” ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/22 "2006-02-07T21:40:18Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > Nuts may be high in fat, but the fat in them is healthy for you to consume, in moderation. (Anyone need a definition of that last word? 😃 ) Nuts have been found to have a great deal of nutritional benefit. The omega-3 fatty acids in them are protective against cardiac disease, if I’m not mistaken. > > Again, peanut butter (though peanuts are legumes, not nuts) is good for you, in moderation. A slice of toast with peanut butter is heathier for you than the same slice of toast with the same amount of butter or margarine or cream cheese. Yes. Although natural peanut butters are better than the Jif varieties that are also full of sugar. And the protein in peanut butter gives you more energy than say, jam on that toast. Also a handful of nuts such as almonds is a good afternoon snack and is good for your heart. I used to think tortilla chips were better than potato chips, and plain bread could not make you fat. Also many cereals are misleading, even many ‘adult’ cereals are full of empty calories and sugar. I also never thought white breads and rice could ever be considered bad, in fact white steamed rice to me was the ultimate diet food! All it is is empty starch and calories and it makes your blood sugar go way up. I’ll second the bagels also - they were supposed to be the healthy alternative to donuts but often a donut has fewer calories. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/23 "2006-02-07T21:42:40Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > \ **Fish** As in fish and chips. Hey, it’s fish right?\ I used to feel all righteous, eating fish and chips…sure, the french fries weren’t really god for me, but the fish was a great choice, right? Then I found out that my favorite fish and sides meal had more than a thousand calories in it. Not counting the drink. More than a THOUSAND CALORIES! I very nearly cried. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/24 "2006-02-07T22:02:14Z")
dates. Not the romantic kind, but the fruit. They have practically no nutritional value at all. I felt so righteous, sprinkling dried chopped dates into my granola and plain yogurt… Any salad with dressing-salad dressing is liquid fat. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/25 "2006-02-07T22:46:41Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > …How about raw eggs? No added fat, salt, everybody who ever saw Rocky saw how people ate for training back in the 70’s and 80’s. Now we can’t even eat raw cookie dough any more. I’m not going to claim that eggs are good for you, but if you want to eat them raw again, pasteurized eggs are now available in many markets. Finally, we can have real Ceasar salads again! (…speaking of something that sounds healthy, but isn’t…) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/26 "2006-02-07T23:03:27Z")
When I was a child in the early 1950s, it was common knowledge that liver was extremely good for you; lots of iron and blah blah blah. Now we know that you can get just as much iron from leafy green veggies. We also know that organ meats are jampacked with cholesterol. Well, it didn’t hurt me. All through childhood, I chose to go without supper rather than eat liver. It caused my parents a lot of grief, but it turns out I was right. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/27 "2006-02-07T23:38:26Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > IIRC, there actually have been studies done on athletes who do extremely dehydrating and endurance heavy sports (marathon runner, bikers, triathetes) and they have shown that Gatorade is, in fact, better for you than water because of those reasons. The last time we went backpacking (a few years ago) we ran out of water too early and had to start back a day early. The temperature had risen and it was around 80 degrees. So there we were, 3 of us, with almost no water (maybe a quart among the 3 of us), full backpacks on our backs and 9 miles to go down a mountainside in 80 degree weather. Everyone we passed commented on how I looked, and one elderly couple I passed when we made it down gave me a very worried look as I made my way to the bathroom. I was so dehydrated it took three 20 oz. Gatorades before I even needed to urinate. I’m pretty sure that on that day plain water would’ve been bad for me, unless I also had eaten something with a bit of salt in it at the same time. I don’t know if a soft drink would’ve been as good, but I’m sure the caffeine wouldn’t have helped me. I used to think white rice was healthy. That’s about all I ate in college. Like someone above said, it’s really not all that different from spooning sugar into your mouth. Same with pasta (hey, it’s low fat, right!). ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/28 "2006-02-07T23:51:22Z")
Pizza! It’s just bread (healthy), cheese (healthy) and tomato sauce (vegetable). What could be wrong with it? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/29 "2006-02-07T23:53:55Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > Again, peanut butter (though peanuts are legumes, not nuts) is good for you, in moderation. A slice of toast with peanut butter is heathier for you than the same slice of toast with the same amount of butter or margarine or cream cheese. The problem is that people perceive it as being healthy because it’s just peanuts and fruits and vegetables are good for you. (That’s a bit of a stretch, but a common one). So the moderation thing goes right out the door. Especially since we don’t buy jars of butter. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/30 "2006-02-08T00:40:05Z")
Growing up in Iowa, iceberg lettuce was synonymous with “salad” which is synonymous with “healthy,” but that stuff doesn’t have any nutritional value to speak of. > [@Glory](#): > > I love nuts, now I’m just careful to eat a carefully measured serving of them. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/4 cup of nuts. It totally freaks me out that 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is a serving. I like a PB&J with 1/2 Tbsp of peanut butter and a schmear of blueberry preserves on nice dense whole-wheat bread . . . A peanut butter sandwich with 1 Tbsp seems very rich and thick to me. I guess that means I get to have two sammiches, eh? 🙂 1/4 cup of nuts always looks too small, but when I get to the bottom I usually feel like that’s enough. They make a great, satisfying, high-energy snack for the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![TwistyLamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@TwistyLamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistyLamp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/31 "2006-02-08T02:27:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Six Proctologists In Need of A Tax Shelter Dave Barry fan are we? As for those salads…I don’t understand how two leaves of tasteless iceberg lettuce with some random molcules of carrots can be considered a “salad” ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/32 "2006-02-08T03:09:36Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Everyone agrees soda is bad for you. > But when you play sports or exercise you should drink lots of Gatorade right?? > Quench your thirst, replenish electrolytes, all that. > > Nah, it’s about as good for you as soda. Water and tons of sugar. Ever try to chug a carbonated beverage after heavy exercise? Instant recipe for vomit. When I had a high fever on and off for 2 weeks (yes, 2 weeks!) I was only able to hold down yellow Gatorade. Couldn’t even choke down water, and definitely couldn’t stomach soft drinks or fruit juice. I’m convinced that Gatorade saved my ass (not to mention the rest of me) until I was able to get the right medication. I know soda wouldn’t have done that for me. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/33 "2006-02-08T03:26:52Z")
Mrs. Evil Captor still gets a kick out of the time I told her about this great new diet fod I had found at Del Taco: guacamole. “It’s green and its delicious, and it’s really filling!” I told her. “I could et it for lunch every day.” “Yes, it’s made from avocados,” she said. “People call them the green butter plants. 'Cause they’re all fat.” If only I had known they were GOOD fat. But that concept didn’t exist then. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/34 "2006-02-08T04:18:12Z")
> [@TwistyLamp](#): > > Dave Barry fan are we? > As for those salads…I don’t understand how two leaves of tasteless iceberg lettuce with some random molcules of carrots can be considered a “salad” Yup! 😃 At least, used to be - but that particular column has stuck in my head for over a decade now, for some reason. I must confess, I wrote that while eating a chicken caesar salad: a cup and a half of romaine lettuce, at least 1/3 cup of bad parmesan, greasy croutons and pan fried chicken, topped with a bunch of Fat Full dressing. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/35 "2006-02-08T04:55:41Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > **Muffins** A great alternative to donuts. Didn’t realize they could top over 600 calories. Yeah, we used to have a word for those things. We called 'em … CAKE! (And I’m afraid it’s one of my Great Grudges against U.S. abuse of the English language that REAL muffins now have to be known as “English” muffins when we already had a perfectly good word for those gigantic sugar-laden monstrosities. Bah!) Someone’s already said fruit juice, haven’t they? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/36 "2006-02-08T05:18:03Z")
Don’t get me started on the fruit juice argument again. Yes, some juices, especially apple juice, are for practical purposes sugar water. But citrus juices, especially orange juice, have tons of good stuff. According to what’s on the Tropicana carton, an 8 oz serving contains: No fat of any kind, no sodium, 13% of the potassium you need, 2 grams of protein, 120% of your needed vitamin C, 2% of the calcium, 10% of Thiamin, 4% of riboflavin, 4% of niacin, 6% of Vitamin B6, 15% of folic acid, and 6% of magnesium. Yes, it has 26 grams of carbs and 110 calories. But it sure is better than soda. To add to the list of stuff we thought was good for us, canned vegetables. Green beans, for example – couple of dribs of vit A (4%), C (4%) and calcium (2%). Pinto beans, no A or C, bit of calcium, 10% of your iron (well, that’s a good thing). And children used to be tormented to consume this stuff. Yogurt used to be a health food. But then it got loaded up with a ton of sugar and thickeners. At least it’s got calcium. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/37 "2006-02-08T10:22:53Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Yogurt used to be a health food. But then it got loaded up with a ton of sugar and thickeners. At least it’s got calcium. I thought it depended on the brand of yogurt. Anything organic and/or naturally sweetened (Stonyfield comes to mind) is more akin to what _real_ yogurt is supposed to be. The first time I tried Stonyfield, I was like, yuck. That’s what fillers and artificial sweeteners do to one’s taste buds. But now I like it more than the other mainstream yogurts. I’ve always thought bagels in and of themselves aren’t inherently bad because they contain little to no fat – it’s the stuff one puts on 'em that makes 'em fat. One of my breakfast staples is a whole wheat or multigrain bagel with nothing on it but a thin coat of apple butter. That’s it. It holds me until dinnertime. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/38 "2006-02-08T13:09:05Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > I thought it depended on the brand of yogurt. Anything organic and/or naturally sweetened (Stonyfield comes to mind) is more akin to what _real_ yogurt is supposed to be. > > The first time I tried Stonyfield, I was like, yuck. That’s what fillers and artificial sweeteners do to one’s taste buds. But now I like it more than the other mainstream yogurts. Try mixing 1:1 unadulterated yoghurt with an equal amount of unsweetened commercial or homemade unsweetened applesauce with a sploosh of ground cinnamon. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/39 "2006-02-08T13:43:32Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Don’t get me started on the fruit juice argument again. Yes, some juices, especially apple juice, are for practical purposes sugar water. But citrus juices, especially orange juice, have tons of good stuff. According to what’s on the Tropicana carton, an 8 oz serving contains: No fat of any kind, no sodium, 13% of the potassium you need, 2 grams of protein, 120% of your needed vitamin C, 2% of the calcium, 10% of Thiamin, 4% of riboflavin, 4% of niacin, 6% of Vitamin B6, 15% of folic acid, and 6% of magnesium. Yes, it has 26 grams of carbs and 110 calories. But it sure is better than soda. And water plus a multivitamin is infinitely better than both. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435/40 "2006-02-08T13:49:40Z")
A lot of this stuff, there’s different kinds. There’s peanut butter that has the ingredients peanuts and salt. Then, there’s peanut butter with peanuts, salt sugar, partially hydrogentated oil (the bad stuff), etc. I buy granola that doesn’t have the trans-fat in it. What’s the Woody Allen quote? “Everything my parents thought was good for me turned out to be bad: red meat, milk, college.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-foods-did-you-once-think-were-healthy-when-they-actually-arent/343435.md?page=3)