Food

7 "Unhealthy" Foods That Aren't Actually Bad for You

You've been led to believe that all carbs are bad and coffee will be the death of you, but is it really as bad as it seems?

by Carmen Williams | COMMENT

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Certain foods are good for you and certain foods are bad for you... right? Well, it's actually a lot more complicated than that. We spoke to Laura Silver, a registered dietitian, and she confirmed that it's more of a spectrum. "There is too much talk about categorizing foods based on whether they are 'good' or 'bad'," says Silver. "Foods simply aren't black and white, there are many shades of grey. In general, the more natural and whole a food is, the healthier it is. The more processed a food is, the less healthy it is."

What about fats and carbs you ask? "There are healthier and less healthy types of fats and carbohydrates — we cannot generalize about all foods in those groups," says Silver. "Less processed carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and whole grains are absolutely healthy, whereas refined breads, pastas, and pastries are not." Even keeping all of that in mind, Silver says that you should keep in mind that all foods — even the more processed ones — can be enjoyed in moderation.

It can get confusing — and furthermore, certain foods have a bad reputation that's not entirely earned. So, with all that in mind, we've decided to put together a little list of some of the "bad" foods that you might have been avoiding — because it turns out, they might not be quite as unhealthy as you think.

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