Boastful banners emblazoned on food products beckon shoppers as they stroll through the aisles at Fred Meyer. Avoiding fat altogether with too many fat-free foods isn't healthy, either. The complexity doesn't end there. Plenty of supposedly salubrious eats are loaded with refined sugar and salt to add flavor.
Sugar adds empty calories to the diet and promotes tooth decay.
Too much salt is a no-no for some with high blood pressure. Eating more whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables and grains does away with much of the detective work. When you do reach for processed meals and snacks, read the fine print. Pay more attention to the nutrition facts and the ingredients list on the back of the package than to misleading messages on the front. To give you an idea of the challenge, here are five supposedly healthful products that are neither as beneficial nor as benign as they appear.