Most Overpriced “healthy” Foods (and What to Eat Instead)
Sometimes food becomes fashionable on the basis of health claims that it turns out to not support. Here are some superfoods that aren’t all that great, and suggest alternatives that are healthier, cheaper, or both.
Now, as a fan of any food, I want to make it clear that they are all delicious and many are nutritious, so you don’t have to stop eating them if you love them. These foods made the list because they tend to be overblown by health claims. In each case, either the nutritional information of the product does not support this claim, does not support it or other less advertised products, or the product has other health problems that make it less than useful.
Quinoa
If you think quinoa is “one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat,” then you’ve been sucked. A full cup of cooked quinoa contains only eight grams of protein, or slightly more than one hard-boiled egg. This is, of course, more than a cup of rice ( 4 grams ), but far from a cup of lentils ( 18 grams ), let alone 43 grams of protein in a cup of sliced chicken breast.
In part, quinoa claims to be the protein fame because it is a “complete” or “high quality” protein, which means only that it contains all nine amino acids that we need in our diet. In the past, vegetarians worried about whether they were getting enough complete protein, but this turned out to be an overwhelming fear . If you eat a varied diet, you will be getting all the amino acids you need.
What to eat instead: If you just want protein, eat a steak or something. If you especially want high-protein grains or pseudo-grains that your friends haven’t heard of yet, quinoa is a great option, but you can also take it up a notch and try spelled, teff, or amaranth .
Agave nectar
The sweet liquid tequila is made from can also be made with low glycemic syrup. Low-GI foods mean your blood sugar (glucose) levels don’t rise much when you eat them. On paper, this looks like a better choice than sugar or honey, especially if you are diabetic or worried about moving in that direction.
Problem: Agave nectar achieves this by simply not containing glucose. Instead, it is made from a different type of sugar, fructose (the same fructose called high fructose corn syrup ). The details are still being debated in scientific circles, but there is some evidence that fructose is worse for you than glucose or other sugars . Either way, it’s still sugar, and sugar in general has been linked to all kinds of health problems.
What better way is there: other sweeteners, such as sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave is not worse, but many of them cheaper. For real health benefits, just stop eating that much sugar. (Sorry, but it’s true.)
Coconut water
It is known for two things: it moisturizes you better and more “naturally” than sports drinks, and causes deep divisions between the people who love it and the people who hate it. (I am a firm believer in the “love” camp, especially if I can get one with little squares of coconut pulp.)
But does it really replace a sports drink? Coconut water is high in potassium and low in sodium and calories. In a sports drink, in addition to water, athletes need … sodium and calories . You sweat a lot more sodium than potassium, so drinking coconut water without using it to wash down salted potato chips is kind of overkill.
What to drink : for a short workout – water. (You will change electrolytes the next time you eat.) For a long sweat workout, Gatorade is a great choice, or you can drink water with real food, such as savory snacks. You can also make homemade electrolyte drinks .
Acai berries
Acai berries have both of the hallmarks of a classic superfood: until recently, they were little known and are high in antioxidants. (They also have a made-up association with weight loss, but needless to discuss this further: this is a myth popularized by the cheating diet .) So why not buy acai juice, acai yogurt, or maybe a packet of acai powder to add to smoothies?
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, and free radicals are linked to cancer, so anything that contains antioxidants tends to gain a halo of health. But it doesn’t follow that antioxidant-rich foods are always good for you – in fact, several studies have shown health risks when taking large amounts of antioxidant vitamins. What’s more, antioxidants are a large family of compounds, each of which can affect health in different ways. Just knowing that a certain substance can neutralize many free radicals does not guarantee that it will be beneficial to your health.
And this is where the reputation of acai superfoods comes in jeopardy. Many fruits contain antioxidants, but acai berries are renowned for their incredibly high ORAC, indicating antioxidant capacity. But it turned out that there was no significant relationship between ORAC values and health. For this reason, the USDA closed their ORAC database several years ago. The placeholder page now states:
Data on the antioxidant capacity of foods obtained using in vitro (test tube) methods cannot be extrapolated to in vivo (in humans) effects, and clinical trials to test the benefits of dietary antioxidants have produced mixed results. We now know that antioxidant molecules in food have a wide range of functions, many of which are not related to the ability to scavenge free radicals.
Antioxidant foods are still often good for you, but not necessarily because of their antioxidant content. Without ORAC, there is no rating by which acai berries are better or healthier than, say, blueberries, which contain similar compounds.
Best to Eat: You probably did not originally eat acai berries. You’ve probably bought iced tea, salad dressing, or lotion with a little acai. (Pro tip: Don’t eat lotion.) So, buy any of these products that you would choose if the word acai wasn’t on the label.
If you really want more antioxidants in your diet and want to lower your risk of cancer, almost any fruit and vegetable will do (in part because we don’t have enough evidence to pinpoint specific ones ). Blackberries, tomatoes, cabbage – you get the idea. If you adhere to the ORAC values and stay away from juice, don’t forget that the good old Concord grape juice you ate as a child scores higher than acai juice.