The top 5 fake health foods to avoid ever buying even if they are certified organic and prominently displayed at a health food store with the label emblazoned with marketing buzzwords.
Consider yourself warned! Not all products at the health food store are healthy!
In fact, much of it can be classified as organic junk food.
You can always tell health food store newbies as their shopping carts are typically loaded up with these types of foods.
This pattern of behavior likely indicates that they have only recently made the transition from grocery store junk food and are simply replacing one type of highly processed boxed food with another.
Having shopped at health food stores for over 30 years and seen many a food fad come and go, here is my top five list of supposedly “healthy” foods that are anything but nourishing to you and your family.
Protein Powder (all of them are bad!)
Most people do not realize that protein is a very fragile macronutrient.
When you forcibly separate protein from its whole food source in a factory, it becomes denatured.
This is the case even when done at low temperatures. For example, the simple act of drying and powdering whey protein is denaturing!
Denatured foods are toxic and allergenic to the body. This is because digestive enzymes do not work as effectively on them. This results in an incomplete digestive process for protein powder.
Undigested food rots in the gut and is the perfect food for pathogenic yeasts and bacteria to thrive upon. Over a period of time, this leads the body down the path to autoimmune disorders (most of the immune system is in the gut!).
To reiterate this important point…whey protein is especially fragile and cannot be powdered or dried even at low temperatures.
For more information, this article includes additional details on the dangers of protein powders and other high protein foods.
Incidentally, I don’t recommend bone broth protein powder either. They do not offer the same healing benefits as homemade bone broth.
If you need a protein boost, go for Real Food! Skip the processed protein powder and eat a grass-fed steak, some pastured poultry, or an egg instead!
If you must have a powder to add to your smoothie, choose a third-party certified glyphosate-free collagen powder (such as this brand).
Plant-Based “Milk”
Soy milk and other types of alternative “plant-based” milk are not ancestral foods. Nor were they ever considered of value in traditional societies, contrary to modern claims.
Not only are there zero health benefits from soy milk, but commercial alternative milk brands are almost without exception completely toxic due to the processing and packaging.
These products are a quintessential modern fake food invention…a cheap, mass-produced product with an undigestible form of calcium and synthetic Vitamin D2.
Unnatural fortification of processed foods is linked with hyperactivity, coronary heart disease, and allergic reactions. (1)
Packaging is another very serious problem with alternative milk. Drinking them risks ingesting microplastics from the thin plastic lining hiding inside the tetrapaks.
The leaching occurs from the boiling hot liquid sealed in to sterilize the cartons for ultra-long shelf stability.
The horrible taste is covered up with sugar, “natural flavors” with solvent residues, and/or innocuous-sounding alternative sweeteners allowed under USDA Organic. (2)
Perhaps the most concerning aspect is the devasting impact of these beverages on the thyroid gland. Soy is one of the most goitrogenic (thyroid-suppressing) foods on the planet. Ingestion of endocrine disruptors from the microplastics and solvent residues is also a risk to this delicate gland. (3)
Interestingly, Dr. Harry Miller, the man credited with popularizing gag-worthy soy milk in China in the late 1930s which then spread to the rest of the world, specialized in goiter surgery in his medical practice!
Canned (and Tetrapak) Broth and Soup
Canned soups and broths even if organic are never a healthy food choice. Most brands are nothing but water, sodium, and MSG.
Organic bouillon cubes are no improvement and the tetra packs of organic broth should be avoided as well due to the same packaging issues described above for plant-based milk.
Anything that is in the store that is soup-related will usually have MSG in it.
Organic MSG is still MSG. The same damaging effects occur on the neurons in your hypothalamus.
Remember that the hypothalamus is the Master Controller of the endocrine system.
Thus, if you don’t want your metabolism messed up, then avoid canned soup of all kinds as this is a very big source of this toxic ingredient.
To get a sense of how big this problem is, just read the label of your favorite organic soup and then read the list of the dozens of MSG pseudo-names manufacturers use to fool consumers. (4)
There are a few brands of organic soup that appear to be free of MSG with no offending names on the ingredient list. However, I am skeptical that this is truly the case given that regulations allow unlabeled MSG in certain situations (same situation as unlabeled transfats).
Even for soup and broth brands that seem to not contain MSG, the packaging continues to be an issue. BPA or BPS cans are not safe nor are microplastic-laden tetrapaks.
If you want a decent bowl of soup, embrace the fact that you probably need to make it yourself unless you have a local business that makes it from scratch. Consider one of these healthy soup and broth recipes to get you started.
Fish Oil Supplements
Fish oil is a very delicate oil highly subject to rancidity due to the high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fats can never be heated. Even exposure to light and air hastens their rapid breakdown to a rancid state.
With this in mind, how could plain fish oil supplements be anything but unhealthy given that they are all processed at extremely high temperatures?
They are then packaged in capsules or bottles that sit for goodness knows how long on store shelves until the unwitting customer buys them.
The best type of marine oil is virgin cod liver oil from sustainable and clean waters. The delicate omega-3 fats are completely unheated and raw. In addition, natural vitamins A and D are present for a legitimate health boost.
Krill oil is marginally acceptable if low-temperature processed.
For those allergic to fish and seafood, these alternatives to cod liver oil are worth considering.
Gluten-Free Foods
Gluten-free went mainstream in 2010 when Chelsea Clinton requested a gluten-free cake at her wedding reception.
Since then, the gluten-free boondoggle has continued to expand with some health food stores dedicating entire aisles to products certified free of this loathed plant protein.
Don’t be fooled by the hype.
In most cases, gluten-free processed foods are a crutch for those who are very allergic to processed foods but aren’t yet ready to switch to Real Food.
The mark-up on a product that is gluten-free is also quite ludicrous, especially given how high in carbs and lacking in nutrition they are!
If you are allergic to gluten, it is much better to work on your gut health by focusing on a legit traditional diet (from sourcing to preparation) rather than the band-aid approach of buying gluten-free processed foods.
Once you rebalance and rebuild your gut (aka, “heal and seal”) so that beneficial bacteria dominate rather than the pathogens, you will likely be delighted to find that food sensitivities that you had before are greatly minimized or even completely resolved!
Conclusion
I hope this list helps you become a savvier health food store customer.
Beware of falling for the siren song of highly processed organic junk food marketing with faddish buzzwords.
Stick with organic or (even better) local produce grown in rich soil and minimal ingredient foods such as sprouted nut butter and traditional sourdough bread.
If you are allergic to wheat, prepare nutrient-dense gluten-free dishes at home (here is my recipe for gluten-free flour blend with no gums).
This simple change will put you far ahead of the pack and well on your way to loading your pantry and refrigerator with foods that will really enhance your health and not just give you a false sense of security.
(1) Not Milk and Uncheese: The Udder Alternatives
(2) Neotame: USDA Organic’s Dirty Little Secret
(3) How Common Chemicals Are Harming Your Thyroid
(4) MSG Aliases
I want to eat healthier and feed my children real food…but I don’t know how. Take away all the ‘bad’ foods and I don’t know how to make a meal. I was raised on fast food. I’ve been eating and feeding my kids frozen meals and take-out. I don’t know how to shop healthy, what to look for, how to cook it, etc.
I need someone to give me at least a week or two of meal plans and how I make it and where to buy the groceries.
I also need to stop the soda habit…I drink 3 to 5 bottles of Dr. Pepper a day. When I don’t, I get headaches and feel fuzzy and tired. 🙁 it’s killing me but I don’t know where to turn. I have only been to a health food store twice in my life…and I got the ‘healthy junk food’. That was me…cart full of junk from the health store.
Right there with you Amanda!! Completely overwhelmed with just trying to eat less fast food, fewer preservatives, fewer frozen quick fix meals, etc. I too read these blogs and think “what’s left to eat?”. I have found that the cost and time involved to eat “real foods” is also a huge stumbling block. I now read labels carefully and try to make better choices. Real food IS more expensive, contrary to what many claim (ground beef $2.89/pound, grassfed organic ground beef $7.29/pound). I can barely get dinner on the table most evenings, and certainly don’t have entire days to spend in my kitchen cooking chicken bones for 12 hours, soaking stuff for 3 days, kneading bread, etc. Yes, I need meal plans and shopping lists too, shopping lists for REAL stores, because I have no “health food” stores or farms anywhere near me. And meals that don’t take hours in the kitchen. And quite honestly, my motivation is low because my family is HEALTHY, no allergies, no intolerances, no autism or behavioral problems, etc. and are completely unphased by what goes into our bodies.
I did ditch the soda and do coffe or tea instead. I work night shift so there is no way I could do life without caffeine 🙂
The Standard American Diet with foods bought at a chain grocery is about the same cost as a healthy diet with foods bought at a chain farmer’s market. Greek yogurt, free-range meat, and wild-caught seafood cost more. But the rest of a healthy diet is fresh produce and unprocessed grains like oats and bulgur, which is much cheaper than the packaged food that makes up the rest of the American Diet. So its roughly a wash.
Also, this statement:
Gluten free processed foods are made for folks who aren’t ready or are unwilling to switch to Real Food but are very allergic to regular processed foods.
Wrong.
Check out ELISA allergy testing. Many people find that need to START a gluten-free diet in order to aid in gut healing. Eating whole foods is an integral part, assuming people CAN digest them. You’re not taking into account that some people cannot jump right into eating ‘Real Food’ right away. They may need a gluten-free rotation diet.
You need to do more research.
Angie,
There is nothing, and I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing a person gets from processed gluten-free foods that cannot be gotten in a better, more nutrient-dense, more digestible form in whole foods. That’s a line of garbage. Dump the grains and eat whole food- prepare them ancestrally, cook them longer, puree if necessary. No one needs “gluten-free” anything, and it only prolongs the dependance on processed foods and drags out the misery.
Totally. Pot, meet kettle. Except, she’s not actually the pot because she’s correct.
~Huntress
Are you being paid by Big Agriculture to write this nonsense? Soy is very much a health food, ask a huge population of Asians. Your blog is largely filled with scare-tactics used to deter people interested in plant-based diets.
Angie,
If you were actually knowledgable about soy consumption in Asia, you’d know that historically, it was fermented and averaged about 2 TEASPOONS/day in the form of a condiment, rather than the cupfuls that Americans are now eating. As Asians follow this trend, their health is suffering for it too. If the author was “being paid by Big Agriculture” as you suggest, she’d be far more likely to PROMOTE it’s third largest product (next to wheat and corn) soy rather than suggesting people avoid it.
FWIW, the reason soy-based “fake foods” have flooded the fod market is because when soybean oil was first being produced, the leftover mash was actually considered a “toxic waste product” and it was becoming difficult to dispose of. Some very clever marketing folks came up with a way to sell us the waste product, and “textured soy protein, defatted soy flour and a myriad of other fake foods was born.
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. There is NOTHING healthy in soy. Even the American Heart Association withdrew it’s recommendations citing no evidence.
~Huntress
I’m Asian, and we do actually do drink and eat lots of soy, and always have. Soymilk is a staple – although the soymilk I get from the market in Asia does taste different to the soymilk that’s available in cartons in Europe, though I think it’s partly due to the honey/sugar syrup in Asian soymilk. We have a sweet soy curd for breakfast or dessert, and soy was a large part of my diet when I was growing up. I don’t know if soy is actually super healthy or not, but saying it isn’t a traditional food in Asia isn’t true. If you were actually knowledgeable about soy consumption in Asia, you would know that historically we haven’t eaten a lot of soy-based products, particularly as meat substitutes for a vegetarian diet or where meat is scarce, and it isn’t a recent health trend.
Well how kewl that you’re “Asian”. Which Asian culture specifically do you hail from? Do you feel that your experience represents that of ALL Asian cultures? This is why we call it an AVERAGE.
For example, according to Japan’s National Nutrition Survey, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, older Japanese adults consume around 10 g (1 tsp) of soy per day- about half of that comes from the fermented food miso and natto and half comes from tofu and dried soybeans.
Soy was considered a “great grain” LONG before Asians began eating it. Others includes rice and wheat. Interestingly, the other grains are shown in their seed form in pictograms, however, soy is shown as a root. It was likely plowed under to enrich the soil and not eaten.
No one was suggesting soy was a recent health trend… just a bad one.
~Huntress
On the subject of “organic MSG”- I did some extensive research on this topic and learned that the deliberate cooking down and concentrating of broths creates a concentrated source of free glutamic acid- which is the part of MSG that has been referred to as an excitotoxin. In my eyes this makes organic bouillons and stocks (at least those made with sea salt) quite similar to what I make at home. I keep a supply in my pantry, because even though I make my own bone broths and stocks, sometimes I’m just out, and I like having the option.
~Huntress
Not all soy milk is made with additives, Eden and West soy brand are the best ones to buy. Soy milk may taste aweful to the westerner but for asians its a wonderful flavor. Asians don’t drink and eat soy as the westerners do, and that is the problem with their health, a little tofu in some miso, not the entire block, or a bit of edamame and not the whole bag, etc. anything in moderation is fine.
I am lactose intolerant, in turn became a big soy drinker! no longer!! I would like to make lactose free yoghurt, the culture ive been advised is Glucoden powder and Dairy free yoghurt starter culture (SYAB 1) can you advise on this?
Dianne, you might enjoy making “nut milks” as well. I love them. I find raw nut/seeds that I like such as sunflower seeds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and hemp seed. There are several recepies on-line for various types of nut/seed milks that are delicious, easy and low cost. The nice thing is you can have the nut/seeds in the fridge, soak them overnight when ever you want to make the milk, and then you are ready to go! Then you can spice it up with a dash of cinnamon and cardamom, or heat it on a warm winter day, with a touch of saffron and ghee (clarified butter), and it is delicious and warming. Enjoy!
Not all soy milk is loaded with sugar or other bad ing. West Soy and Eden Soy has a very high standard of reputation. Just a bit in your tea is fine
I live in Alberta, Canada and I bought an organic cream of tomato soup. It’s called Amy’s Organic Soups (made in the USA). On the label it reads – no added MSG – no preservatives. The ingredients read: organic tomato puree, filtered water, organic cream, organic evaporated cane juice, organic onions, sea salt, organic black pepper. Am I missing something?…. because it sounds okay to me.
I had never thought about the GF food being junk too. But yea, it basically is! Glad we switched to traditional cooking!