Top nutritionists reveal the 8 foods ‘pretending’ to be healthy that are brimming with fat and sugar – and what’s actually good for you

Salads, vegan meat alternatives and vegetable crisps should all be better for you — in theory, at least.

But that’s not always the case in reality. 

For sometimes you really are better off indulging in what you want rather than spending more on a ‘healthy’ dupe, according to leading nutrition experts. 

One product, touted by health gurus as a ‘nutritious’ alternative, often contains high levels of salt and fat.

It also tends to be stuffed full of additives and ingredients that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen.

Another breakfast staple even contains the same amount of sugar as a strawberry jam doughnut. 

Here, two London-based nutritionists reveal to MailOnline the eight foods you might think are healthy — but are in fact anything but. 

Agave syrup 

One of the more recent additions to the sweetener family, agave is a form of sugar derived from the same plant that tequila is made from. 

It looks like a thin honey, but tastes far sweeter — around one and a half times sweeter than sugar.

However, it contains ‘high levels of fruit sugars, called fructose’, Rhiannon Lambert, Harley Street nutritionist and author of The Science of Nutrition, told MailOnline.

This means it still contains roughly 70g of sugar for every 100g portion, which can add extra calories to the diet as well as damage the teeth.

‘Though some opt for agave for its milder impact on blood sugar, it is still classified as a “free sugar” by the NHS — the type we should limit to six teaspoons per day,’ said Ms Lambert. 

Kim Pearson a nutritionist who runs a London-based clinic specialising in weight loss, meanwhile said she would ‘not recommend’ agave syrup. 

Plant milk 

Interest in a plant-based diet has soared in recent years, with vegans citing ethical, environmental or health reasons for making the switch.

One recent survey suggested around 600,000 people are now believed to be on a plant-based diet, while another in 2021 claimed almost a third of Brits used alternative milks.

Many plant drinks, like almond, oat, or coconut, often have less saturated fat than cow’s milk and may seem like the ‘healthier’ choice. 

But it ‘depends on the brand you’re buying’, Ms Pearson said. 

‘While some just contain primary ingredients — almonds, water and salt in almond milk for instance — others contain a long list of undesirable additives.’

Ms Lambert added: ‘Certain types, especially sweetened versions, contain added sugars. 

‘Without being aware of this, it is very easy to over consume hidden sugars in plant-based drinks. 

‘It’s important to read labels and choose unsweetened, fortified versions to ensure these are a low-sugar choice.’

However, she added, Brits shouldn’t be afraid of seeing rapeseed oil crop up on ingredient lists. 

‘There is a lot of fear mongering around seed oils, but in the tiny amount that it’s found in in plant-based milks, it will not act as an inflammatory ingredient,’ she said. 

Avocados

When it comes to avocados, millennials may not have got it right. 

The fruit has become synonymous with the generation, who normally enjoy it smashed and on toast and defend its expensiveness.

The bright green fruit is filled with fibre and healthy fats that lower bad cholesterol and prevent plaque building up in the arteries. 

However, one medium avocado can contain up to 20g of fat and approximately 250 calories (about the same as a Mars bar), which can add up if frequently consumed in large portions, Ms Lambert said. 

‘While these are mostly unsaturated fats and are so important to incorporate into the diet, overconsumption may still lead to excess caloric intake, which can contribute to weight gain.

‘Calories aren’t the be-all and end-all as we know that not all calories are made the same.

‘It’s the perfect example of “everything in moderation”. Avocado is incredibly nutrient-dense and a really healthy food, however, too much of it isn’t so good.’

Granola 

It’s a breakfast staple for millions of Brits. 

Yet, ‘so many are high in added sugars and oils to improve flavour and texture’, Ms Lambert said. 

A 50g serving of one popular supermarket’s superberry granola for instance contains 8.4g of sugar — the same as one of their own brand cream and strawberry jam doughnuts. 

This also means you could hit a third of your recommended daily sugar intake by 8am.   

‘Choose low-sugar options or better yet, make homemade granola,’ she added. 

‘The higher the sugar content of your morning breakfast, the quicker it is to be released into the blood, which often causes a spike, followed by a crash. 

‘These dramatic fluctuations in blood glucose levels can leave you feeling hungry not long after eating breakfast and may cause mid-morning slumps in energy.

‘Therefore, granola that is high in sugar is best eaten in moderation, alongside protein, like yoghurt, and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds or nut butters.’

Coconut oil 

It’s often touted as a healthier option, but its high saturated fat content suggests this may not be the case. 

‘Approximately 90 per cent of its fat is saturated, which is a higher proportion than in butter, Ms Lambert said. 

It contains around 13g per 15ml serving — almost half the recommended portion of 30g of saturated fat per day. 

‘Diets high in saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels which can raise the risk of heart disease,’ she added. 

Veggie crisps

Crisps really are still crisps, even if they are made with a cauliflower or broccoli. 

For they often contain as much, if not more oil, salt and calories than their potato counterparts.  

‘Veggie crisps are typically fried in refined oils just like any other crisp,’ Ms Pearson said. 

‘Adding processed vegetable oils and flavourings to dehydrated vegetables does not make these chips significantly better than any high-fat snack food.’

Ms Lambert added: ‘Some contain 1.2g saturated fat and 0.44g salt per serving — higher than the same brand’s potato crisps containing less than 1g saturated fat and roughly 0.2g salt.’

Vegan burgers

Demand for ‘fake meat’ has undeniably taken the world by storm.

Fuelled by a deluge of alarming reports into the dangers of eating too much red or processed meat, supermarket shelves are now littered with vegan sausages, bacon and burgers.

But vegan burgers are, by their very nature, highly processed, containing a concoction of emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavour enhancers and artificial colourings designed to help them feel and taste and look like the real thing.

They can also be packed with higher levels of salt, sugar and fat, the nutritionists warned — all substances Brits have been advised to cut down on. 

‘One vegan patty may contain nearly 6g saturated fat and more than 1g of salt,’ Ms Lambert said. 

‘When considering the NHS recommends consuming no more than 6g of salt per day, this really is quite worrying. 

Ms Pearson added: ‘Vegans are better off getting their proteins from less processed foods like pulses, quinoa, tofu and tempeh.’

Caesar salad 

When you hear the word salad, you’d expect it to be healthy.

But the dressing, croutons and cheese that comprise a classic Caesar salad could make it as fatty and salty as your average sandwich or McDonald’s burger. 

One ready-to-go chicken caesar salad sold in Waitrose for instance, contains 5.1g of saturated fat. A cheeseburger from the fast food outlet has 5.4g. 

‘The inclusion of bacon in the salad also increases both the salt and saturated fat content further,’ Ms Lambert said. 

‘Bacon is a type of processed meat which is classified as a class one carcinogen, meaning there is enough scientific evidence from human studies to show that processed meat is carcinogenic — has the potential to cause cancer — to humans.’

That said, a caesar salad ‘can be a fairly healthy option if you make your own dressing at home and avoid the croutons’, Ms Pearson noted. 

‘The issue comes with shop bought dressings that can contain refined seed oils, sugar and other undesirable ingredients.’