Do you blindly believe that food labelled a "healthy" is really better for you?

dee_mc · 10-01-2014 01:43PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Surly levels of fat and sugar should be secondary to the amount of calories per 100g or whatever? Eat less calories than you burn = lose weight. Does it matter where the calories come from as long as you burn more than you eat?

That depends: is the aim to lose weight/maintain a low weight, or to have a healthy body? Calorie counting can lead to weight loss, but if you want to be healthy you need to look at where exactly those calories are coming from.

Chefrio · 10-01-2014 01:44PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Surly levels of fat and sugar should be secondary to the amount of calories per 100g or whatever? Eat less calories than you burn = lose weight. Does it matter where the calories come from as long as you burn more than you eat?

Yes obviously, you need a variety of vitamins and minerals to be healthy. Eating 10 mars bars a day won't give you that.

wolfpawnat · 10-01-2014 01:45PM

Temptamperu wrote: »

Low fat crisps and chocolate make me laugh. Even diet drinks are ridiculous. If your dieting and eating sweets and drinking sodas you are not dieting.

Diet drinks have all this crap in them that makes me think you are better off with the sugar versions.

And if you are dieting, it is recommended to have one day a week where you have some junk foods, it keeps you on the diet longer knowing that there is one day where you can eat most foods and it makes sure the body is able to deal with different intakes of food.

Chefrio · 10-01-2014 01:45PM

dee_mc wrote: »

Special K contains 17% sugar, and more than 1.1g salt per 100g.
There's a good study here (Which/NHS) giving a rundown of sugar, salt and fat levels in popular cereals: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/02February/Pages/breakfast-cereals-still-too-high-in-sugar.aspx
I've always found Special K's 'low fat cereal' advertising strategy laughable, but so many people are sucked in by it!
Shredded Wheat and Weetabix seem to be the purest cereals out there, although even Weetabix has relatively high salt levels.

Plus weetabix contains wheat so steer well clear.

Toto Wolfcastle · 10-01-2014 01:45PM

dee_mc wrote: »

I've always found Special K's 'low fat cereal' advertising strategy laughable, but so many people are sucked in by it!

Brennans have been advertising their bread as being low in fat recently too.

chopper6 · 10-01-2014 01:45PM

bluewolf wrote: »

"Low fat" always means "high sugar". If it says low fat, run away screaming

Seriously, who thinks special k and cereal bars are good for ya

This.

People think "low fat" means it's in some way healthy but it actually means "high sugar".

Obesity isnt caused by fat its caused by refined carbohydrate or processed sugar that converts to fat due to its effect on body insulin.

Dravokivich · 10-01-2014 01:47PM

SV wrote: »

but the ad said that if I eat them I'll be a newer slimmer me.....

Yes, but the idea is that you don't eat anything else.

wandatowell · 10-01-2014 01:48PM

bluewolf wrote: »

"Low fat" always means "high sugar". If it says low fat, run away screaming

Seriously, who thinks special k and cereal bars are good for ya

I always wondered why I never liked putting sugar on my Special K.

The one "plain" cereal that I couldn't stomach adding sugar to.

Pumpkinseeds · 10-01-2014 01:53PM

People should just look at the ingredients label to see what the sugar, salt and fat contents of a product are. I looked at a dear enough packet of soup recently and the salt and fat content was insanely high. Fat free just means the manufacturer is going to lace it with sugar or salt. Not all fats are bad fats.

Dravokivich · 10-01-2014 01:54PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Surly levels of fat and sugar should be secondary to the amount of calories per 100g or whatever? Eat less calories than you burn = lose weight. Does it matter where the calories come from as long as you burn more than you eat?

Yes, as you need protein to sustain muscle mass and carbs for energy.

Otherwise you'll just end up a wreck and feel worse than you thought you looked initially.

longshanks · 10-01-2014 01:55PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

I only eat cereal grown in the African forests of China, handpicked by Indian farmers, with milk-free milk gluten-free soya, flower extract, sugar.

But is it fair trade certified?
Is It?

You animal!!

y0ssar1an22 · 10-01-2014 01:56PM

dee_mc wrote: »

That depends: is the aim to lose weight/maintain a low weight, or to have a healthy body? Calorie counting can lead to weight loss, but if you want to be healthy you need to look at where exactly those calories are coming from.

I'm no expert but was always under the impression that it doesn't matter.

eg: burn 2000 calories/day. Eat 1000 calories of fat or sugar. Net calorie loss = 1000.

I suppose thats probably an over-simplification.

ScumLord · 10-01-2014 01:57PM

topper75 wrote: »

If it ran around, swam, or grew on a plant, then it is food.

Everything else is processed junk.

Clue - nobody is paid to pick Special K off a plant.

Nobody went and picked spaghetti bolognese or samwidges of a plant either. Just about every food eaten by humans goes through some form of processing. What do you think they make processed food out of? Animals and plants, they just stretch the ingredients by adding in cheaper bulking agents.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-01-2014 01:57PM

thats true if allyou're concerned about is weight loss. but you'd be malnourished and skinny at the end of it

10-01-2014 01:58PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Surly levels of fat and sugar should be secondary to the amount of calories per 100g or whatever? Eat less calories than you burn = lose weight. Does it matter where the calories come from as long as you burn more than you eat?

Well, if you try getting most of your calories from sugar, you'll probably be tired, grouchy, and starving. Same calories from steak and veg, you'll be more content.
Plus muscle

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-01-2014 01:59PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Nobody went and picked spaghetti bolognese or samwidges of a plant either. Just about every food eaten by humans goes through some form of processing. What do you think they make processed food out of? Animals and plants, they just stretch the ingredients by adding in cheaper bulking agents.

yeah, like stinger bars, monster munch and findus crispy pancakes. good nutrition doesn't have to be expensive

the_syco · 10-01-2014 01:59PM

bluewolf wrote: »

cereal bars are good for ya

Would they be better or worse than a Yorkie bar? I've replaced the Yorkies with the cereal bars.

humbert wrote: »

Article summary: Fruit contains a lot of sugar.

Laughed at that one as well.

Dravokivich · 10-01-2014 02:00PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

I'm no expert but was always under the impression that it doesn't matter.

eg: burn 2000 calories/day. Eat 1000 calories of fat or sugar. Net calorie loss = 1000.

I suppose thats probably an over-simplification.

Calories is just a unit. You can fill yer fuel tank with 40 litres of petrol or 40 litres of water. The tank is full, but it wont work with water.

the_syco wrote: »

Would they be better or worse than a Yorkie bar? I've replaced the Yorkies with the cereal bars.

Look at the two side by side and compare what's in'em. Anyway it's not the 1 item taken sparingly that'll be the problem.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-01-2014 02:00PM

the_syco wrote: »

Would they be better or worse than a Yorkie bar? I've replaced the Yorkies with the cereal bars.

wouldn't be a huge amount of difference in them tbh. theyre basically just "candy" bars but with a more health food focused packaging and less chocolate

dee_mc · 10-01-2014 02:00PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

I'm no expert but was always under the impression that it doesn't matter.

eg: burn 2000 calories/day. Eat 1000 calories of fat or sugar. Net calorie loss = 1000.

I suppose thats probably an over-simplification.

You're repeating what I said. If you decided to go on a calorie controlled diet, you could eat (for example) 1000 calories worth of Special K per day, OR 1000 calories worth of Smarties per day, OR 1000 calories worth of fruit, veg and lean protein per day. Your weight loss would be the same no matter which of these plans you followed, but following the Special K or Smarties plan will leave your body a wreck because of the 'empty calories' from sugar, and the lack of protein, vitamins and minerals needed to keep the body healthy. Calorie counting is very basic, as we've both said eating a certain number of calories per day will lead to weight loss/gain/maintenance, but if your aim is to be healthy, you need to look at more than just the calorie content of foods.

--Kaiser-- · 10-01-2014 02:01PM

I don't much care for cereal (especially the 'healthy' sawdust type that people tend to eat) but I do like Coco Pops. So much so that if I buy a box of coco pops, whatever size, I will not stop until it's empty.

I have a problem

kylith · 10-01-2014 02:01PM

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

I'm no expert but was always under the impression that it doesn't matter.

eg: burn 2000 calories/day. Eat 1000 calories of fat or sugar. Net calorie loss = 1000.

I suppose thats probably an over-simplification.

Calories are calories, yes, but if you don't take care where they come from you'll wind up with malnutrition. You could get enough calories from Mars bars but you won't get anything like the vitamins, minerals, and proteins that you need to not get things like rickets and scurvy.

homemadecider · 10-01-2014 02:01PM

Do adults eat boxed cereal for breakfast???

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-01-2014 02:02PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

I don't much care for cereal (especially the 'healthy' sawdust type that people tend to eat) but I do like Coco Pops. So much so that if I buy a box of coco pops, whatever size, I will not stop until it's empty.

I have a problem

im the same with cheerios

i went through one of the massive boxes on my own one day. I actually had to go out and buiy another 2 ltrs of milk.
I hated myself going to bed that night

10-01-2014 02:03PM

the_syco wrote: »

Would they be better or worse than a Yorkie bar? I've replaced the Yorkies with the cereal bars.

Hmmm

yorkie 300 cals of which 32g sugar
nutri grain 140 cals of which 12g sugar

If it's literally 1 for 1 and you want to reduce calories, then it seems better yeah

I love purple yorkies though

looking_around · 10-01-2014 02:03PM

the_syco wrote: »

Would they be better or worse than a Yorkie bar? I've replaced the Yorkies with the cereal bars.

I found I was better off with the Yorkies, They're chunkier. Which I love**

If you're eating one for one, that I suppose the cereal bar is "better". (however an apple would be even better :P...)

Meh, I have a love for chocolate and eating a bar or 2 a day(or none), seemed to make very little difference to weight loss or weight gain. (assuming everything else stayed the same...)

vitani · 10-01-2014 02:04PM

Remember the Special K diet plan? Wasn't it something like a bowl for breakfast, a bowl for lunch and a healthy dinner.

*shudders*

longshanks · 10-01-2014 02:08PM

homemadecider wrote: »

Do adults eat boxed cereal for breakfast???

No, they eat the wild organic cereal that roams the countryside.

SV · 10-01-2014 02:11PM

bluewolf wrote: »

Hmmm

yorkie 300 cals of which 32g sugar
nutri grain 140 cals of which 12g sugar

If it's literally 1 for 1 and you want to reduce calories, then it seems better yeah

I love purple yorkies though

Yorkie has 300 calories? :eek:
I think I just realised how I gained so much weight before.

Duggy747 · 10-01-2014 02:11PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

I don't much care for cereal (especially the 'healthy' sawdust type that people tend to eat) but I do like Coco Pops. So much so that if I buy a box of coco pops, whatever size, I will not stop until it's empty.

I have a problem

I love Dunnes Stores Coco Pops, bought the Kelloggs one a few weeks back and surprisingly didn't like it as much.

Nothing makes a Saturday morning like a bowl of Coco Pops and morning TV, for the weekday it's dreary porridge :pac:

Do you blindly believe that food labelled a "healthy" is really better for you?

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