Granola/Cereal bars

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Often marketed as a healthy snack or even a weight loss aid, don’t be fooled by these seemingly innocent snacks. Many contain large amounts of sugar or unhealthy artificial sweeteners while others which claim to contain real fruit actually contain a heavily processed fruit paste with no nutritional value whatsoever. Most use high fructose corn syrup as a binding agent. Avoid bars with a yogurt topping. These are generally made from powdered yogurt which is not the same as a fresh yogurt offering nothing in terms of nutritional or health benefits.

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Fruit Juice

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The fruit juice market is a minefield littered with some very well marketed products which actually contain as much or in some cases, more sugar than a traditional fizzy drink. Read labels carefully. Just because a drink claims to contain real fruit juice, it doesn’t mean it is good for you. Even genuine real fruit juice should be consumed in moderation. Due to the low fibre content, fruit juice is high in hard-to-burn calories not to mention the effect the natural sugars and acids can have on your teeth.

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Reduced fat/ fat free salad dressing

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When you are trying to eat well and possibly lose weight, its tempting to cover your salad in a delicious ‘fat free’ dressing. It’s good for me, its fat free, right? Fat free dressings are still high in calories and generally, very high in salt. As an alternative try a few drops of balsamic vinegar mixed with some extra virgin olive oil.

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Tinned vegetables

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Check the frozen section for long lasting vegetables rather than the tinned alternatives. Tinned vegetables are often full of preservatives and contain large quantities of salt.

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Soy products including soy milk

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Often considered a more healthy alternative to red meat or dairy products. Soy is generally sold as a processed product and often genetically modified. Consumption of processed soy has been linked to a multitude of conditions such as digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, heart disease and cancer.

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Fish

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This is a controversial addition to our list but the facts speak for themselves. The majority of fish sold in shops and supermarkets is farmed meaning they are raised in cramped tanks. To prevent disease in these cramped, unhealthy conditions the fish are treated with vast quantities of antibiotics and other chemicals. Farmed fish are also fed lots of filling, junk foods such as grains, soy and gluten meal which is then indirectly consumed by us.

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Wild caught fish is a better alternative but still not an entirely healthy choice due to the large quantities of mercury found in wild fish.

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Agave Syrup

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Touted as a healthy alternative to sugar, the reality is Agave Syrup is highly processed and high in fructose. With questionable heath benefits and little to no weight loss benefit, Agave Syrup is a good example of a well marketed product which is no better for you than simple, un-refined sugar or a natural fruit based sweetener.

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Olive Oil

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Olive oil served at room temperature as absolutely fine and a good, healthy addition to your diet. The problem with olive oil occurs when you heat it. When heated the oil turns carcinogenic (cancer promoting).

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Infographic

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Please feel free to share this infographic. If you use it you must credit Find Happy with a link back or just copy the embed code below.

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n<a href="http://www.findhappy.com/blog/"><img src="https://www.findhappy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/bad-good-food-infographic-findhappy-1.jpg" alt="Bad good food infographic by Find Happy"/></a><p>Credit <a href="http://www.findhappy.com" title="Find Happy Dating">Find Happy</a>n

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