In honor of the annual "prankster" day, here are some foods pulling an April Fool's Day joke on everyone, masquerading as healthy food and drink alternatives.
If you like munching on granola in the morning, washing that down with Vitamin Water and snacking on cold cuts in the afternoon, you may be in for quite a surprise as to how unhealthy that is.
The first prankster up is granola.
"If you can see past the health halo on this crunchy breakfast staple, you'll be faced with the harsh reality that many commercially prepared picks are loaded with fat, sugar and calories -- not the way to start a morning," The Huffington Post reported. "Some of the fat is certainly healthy fats from nuts, but note the serving size on your favorite brand. Chances are you've been pouring with a heavy hand."
And how about the infamous Vitamin Water? full of all of those great nutrients that are beneficial for your busy day. With some misleading labels, it's easy to miss the unhealthy aspects of this beverage.
"The words "vitamin" and 'water' get a lot more real estate on the label than 'crystalline fructose,' which happens to be a fancy name for sugar derived from corn. At 50 calories a serving, and two-and-a-half servings bottle, that flavored sip isn't far from drinking a soda," The Huffington Post said. .
The next food up is a master prankster. Hiding behind the labels of high protein and low in fat, cold cuts are the next culprit.
"Lean meats and protein, sure. But we could do without all that sodium," the Huffington Post said. "A number of deli meats are surprisingly salty, with some varieties packing half of an entire day's worth of salt...Some also contain nitrites and nitrates, forms of sodium used as preservatives and coloring agents, that may act as carcinogens...All that's without saying that processed meat in general is bad news. Regular consumption has been linked to increased risks of pancreatic cancer, diabetes and dying of heart disease."
One of the best "nutritional pranksters" McDonalds, is up next with their "healthy" oatmeal.
"What could make for a healthier breakfast than oatmeal?" The Huffington Post said. "A lot, if the oatmeal in question came from beneath the Golden Arches.
New York Times columnist Mark Bittman wrote that this breakfast offering was far from the natural, fruit-filled dish promised, and more like "oats, sugar, sweetened dried fruit, cream and 11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchen."
"Incredibly, the McDonald's product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald's cheeseburger or Egg McMuffi," Bittman's article said.
Last up are those pranksters labeling their food as made with "natural ingredients." Well, don't be so quick to grab that product.
"...There's actually no FDA guideline for what can and cannot be labeled natural -- it's just a ploy meant to sell more products," The Huffington Post said. "At least meat and poultry require additional labeling to explain why they're deemed natural."
Other jokers include sports drinks with their extra sugar's, smoothies, KIND bars and muffins.
