Many foods are falsely advertised, said to provide health benefits and necessary vitamins. Below are several of many snacks that are misrepresented to the mass consumer.

Smoothie:

Smoothies are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, but the amount of fruit and sugar that these beverages contain is alarming. Smoothie shops often add extra sugar in addition to the natural sugars found in fruits. This causes an overflow in servings of sugar and fruit. Avoid this problem by making your own smoothies at home and bringing them to your next workout.

Instant Oatmeal:

A quick and easy way to prepare breakfast in the morning calls for instant oatmeal mixes in packages with flavorings. Oatmeal is known for its high number in fiber and protein. Nonetheless, instant oatmeal is refined, making the meal low in fiber and protein, while the main ingredient is sugar. Stick to plain steel cut oats and add your own toppings to ensure freshness.

Reduced-Fat Processed Food:

Processed foods are loaded with preservatives such as MSGs or artificial flavorings. When foods are processed, the nutrients are stripped away until their amounts are insufficient. Sometimes the low-fat label is only there for marketing purposes created by the company. It may say fat free, but do not fall into this marketing trick. Fat free does not mean calorie free. Although this way of eating may save time and money, treat your body with the right nutrition it needs.

Energy/Trail Mix Bars:

Anything mixed with a variety of tree nuts is healthy, right? Energy bars are known to be a quick wholesome snack for when your stomach growls in class. Yes, the trail mix provides carbs and proteins. The binding factor in the recipe, usually high fructose corn syrup, is what becomes a problem. Eating these bars daily as a source of energy can cause an accumulation of saturated fats consumed. A Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bar has a total of seven grams of sugar with 5.95 grams of the sugar added from the fructose corn syrup.

Frozen yogurt:

The choice of frozen yogurt over ice cream may sound healthier until analyzing the nutrition labels. Surprisingly, CNN reports that frozen yogurt on average contains 17 grams of sugar for each half-cup of a serving while there are 14 grams in a regular serving of ice cream. Companies attempt to mask the tartness of the yogurt by adding more sugar. The toppings placed for decoration add more sugars than the original frozen yogurt. Opt for regular yogurt filled with live cultures or ice cream.