As an avid, shameless reader of Cosmo, my roommate often likes to read the steamier passages out loud. But I could not have been prepared for the shocking, scandalous article she chose to read me the other day..."The Top Ten Most Dangerous Health Foods."
The list appeared in February's print issue (sorry folks, the article isn't on Cosmo's Web site yet, you either have to go out and buy it...or petition Cosmo to get their act together!) and aimed to inform the Cosmo reader that, "No! The diet products you're eating are actually making you FAT!" Those products included veggie burgers, juice, salads, tofu, microwaveable diet dishes and granola. Yes, some of these are no-brainers, but some required a little further reading. Oh right, salads can make you fat....if they're topped with massive amounts of meat, cheese, croutons, creamy dressings, etc.
I was disappointed in some of Cosmo's choices, because what if you didn't read carefully? Somewhere, someone is saying, "OK, salads and tofu will make me gain weight...Remind me to stay away from those demons of sin and get a burger for lunch."
Cosmo readers and nonreaders alike...what do you think of the list?
Are some health foods actually unhealthy? What are some other "dangerous" health foods??
Comments (83)
The only people who will start turning away from salads (and such) are either
A. Stupid followers who listen to anything.B. People who are already looking for a reason to get off their diet.I don't know, but those cupcakes look delicious. OM NOM NOM NOM
I absolutely LOVE the girls in the dining hall at my school that get the salad bar. They put creamy ranch or french dressing allll over the top, load up on cheese and hard-boiled eggs, two pounds of croutons, and barely any added vegetables.
That is NOT a salad. -____-
Cosmo is right, in some sense. But they're not health foods if they make you fat. Honestly. I mean come on now.
yeah,,, some things lilke juices are not that great- they are often rly sugary
People probably just eat too much of those 'diet' foods because they automatically think it's okay to eat as much of it as they want since it's supposed to be the healthier option. In reality, anything in excess is not going to be healthy and will only lead to weight gain. People need to learn moderation.
Anyone who makes a stupid inference from that article deserves to get fat, to be honest.
The point, I'm assuming, is that products promoted and marketed as "health food" are often not all that healthy. Buy some produce and some whole grains and some healthy meat, and you're cool. Make occasional indulgences, no biggie. But if your whole shopping cart is filled with boxes and bags labeled "Low-Cal!" "Low-Fat!" "Sugar Free!" "DIET!" "SUPER ULTRA MEGA HEALTHY!!1!1!" you're not that well off in the health department. It's called being logical.
@ThinPaperStars@xanga - yeah I was actually thinking that as I was reading
I think the point they were trying to get at in the article might have been that just because it's healthier for you, you can't eat a ton of it in one sitting or it will cause you to gain weight.
Usually a lot of health foods- even organic foods- will still have enormous amounts of sugar and carbs. Gauging between natural sugars and man-made sugars can be difficult, but if you're determined to eat healthier-- and to stabilize your blood sugar like hypoglycemics (me!), then just read the labels and the ingredients. Takes like, two seconds.
Usually granolas and juices are the main 'health foods' that can make people fat.
Plus, @ThinPaperStars@xanga - is totally right. Eat in moderation, when you're hungry, until you're full, and it should be fine.
@CuriousiTea@xanga - Whats wrong with hard boiled eggs? You only have to have one or two
@ThinPaperStars@xanga - Amen!
as I read this, I am eating granola. fail on my part, but it is very yummy!! Too bad a cup has around 500 calories in it... :c
@whitetrashpoet@xanga - Agreed!!! Yet how rare logic seems to be in this department...
I think granola bars are a big food in this category... people may see them as "free foods" and eat them without thinking of the calories, but most of them have quite a few calories and a lot of fat.
I don't like salad unless it's drenched in toppings, but I know that's counter-intuitive. I've gotten into the habit of just getting lettuce and eating it as quickly as possible, so I can get the health benefits while minimizing the bad taste.
haha, i don't trust cosmo for anything.
-sarcasm- Did you guys also know that apples have acid? OHMAGAWD, I need to pick me up a bags of chips and throw away all of my fruits immediately D:
I'll have 1 chip for breakfast, 2 chips for lunch and 1/2 for dinner :D I read in Cosmo that Mariah Carey portion controls all her foods and she doesn't get fat. Like we need vegetables anyway! Screw that, I'm still eating the muffin I bought in July ;D -sarcasm-
it's just cosmo is trying to sabotage stupid girls. duh (:
most of those are not HEALTH foods. like lean cuisine?? come on now. processed frozen shit in a box.
health foods are in the produce meat and dairy isle.
everything else are for the ppl who wanna lose weight but arent willing to sacrafice to do so.
@Snuphalufa_Neff@xanga - have you tried KASHI go lean crunch?? Now that is rele healthy granola.....if you are not used to it though it may taste like tree bark...but I have learned to love it. Put it in some yogurt and its rele good. I used to eat it for breakfast lunch and dessert.
Makes you very gasy though...lol
I'm starting to wonder if flavored yogurt is bad.
dehydrated fruits.
Don't buy all these so called "health foods." Just eat fresh foods that aren't processed. Stay away from processed junk like deli meat, chips, fried foods, artificial sugar such as zero cal foods (since it increases your appetite and eventually you eat more junk thinking it's okay hence the zero cal drink), limit you intake of creamy dressings.
If you have to buy the frozen processed "healthy foods" when you need the convnience, just check the calorie! If it's over 500 cal, you'll know it will make you FAT. There are some "healthy food" like salads or tofu that aren't bad. And I agree with you how some of these foods are considered bad because of the amount of fat and dressing that are inside.
What matters most is the nutritional facts....it's there for a reason...USE IT! Especially the calorie
Another thing, the bottom line is YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT IF YOUR CALORIE INTAKE GOES OVER YOUR DAILY CALORIC INTAKE.
Remember, 3500 calorie = 1 lb
If you consume 3500 within a week, you will gain about 1lb a week.
@milkywaynight@xanga - but you'll be losing the calories also when you're moving about so i doubt you'll actually gain that easily haha
cosmo is silly
well it wouldnt be much of a salad if there more stuff and dressing that lettuce, so no matter what, the unhealthy salad is still healthier than a big mac..
and juice, that depends on brand and quantity. i completely agree with granola, you cant just eat a little bit of granola, so it pretty much turns into a binge :/