10 foods you think are healthy but aren't

Imagine how infuriating it would be if you reluctancy ate something you really didn't like, just because you thought it was healthy - just to find it out it isn't.

Well, that's a lot easier to do than you'd think. Turns out we're easily tricked by food.

Here are ten foods to look out for: they're not as healthy as they look.

1. Granola

Granola sounds like a healthy breakfast option, but it’s high in calories, and some brands contain a lot of sugar. Nutritionists advise making your own homemade granola for a healthier option.

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2. Flavoured yogurt

And while you’re at it, go easy on the flavoured yogurt with that granola. Flavoured yogurts contain a lot of sugar, and many don’t really contain any fruit.

3. Dried fruit

Dried fruits might seem like a healthier alternative to sweets, but that's too good to be true, unfortunately. They’re loaded with sugar and preservatives like sulfur dioxide to extend their shelf life.

4. “Sugar-free” foods

Some sugar-free foods contain aspartame, which has been linked to weight gain. All sweeteners have undergone some type of chemical process, and some have also been linked to stomach upset.

5. Diet drinks

The artificial sweeteners in diet soda fool your body into thinking you’re eating real food. This causes a spike in insulin, which can turn into stored fat – not so ‘diet’ after all.

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6. Cereal bars

They sound healthy, they look healthy, but they’re packed with sugar. Diabetes UK looked at ten popular cereal bars on the shelves today and found the majority were high in sugar.

7. Fruit juice

It sounds like an easy way to get in some of our five-a-day, but fruit juices are packed with sugar. And they don’t contain the valuable fibre found in eating fruit whole. This fibre protects us against the effects of fructose (sugar) because of its slower absorption.

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8. Cereal

You may think it’s a healthy snack, but unless you're going whole grain, sugar-laden cereals can cause a surge of blood sugar in the body.

9. Popcorn

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The snack has really taken off in recent years, shedding its cinema reputation and appearing more as a healthy snack.

And it is – but if you eat a whole bag of salted popcorn in one sitting you’re easily going to exceed your daily recommended allowance. And a high sodium diet has all sorts of risk factors attached, including high blood pressure.

10. Hummus

This healthy dip is made from chickpeas so it can’t be unhealthy, right? Well, not exactly. Shop-bought hummus is laced with salt and fat, it emerged last year. Campaign group Cash tested 210 supermarket dips and found that some types of humour contained more salt than four packets of ready salted crisps.

Picture: Getty Images for Food Network Magazine / Matthew Eisman

More: 'Healthy' foods you should probably avoid