12 ‘Unhealthy’ Foods Nutritionists Eat

7 minute read

Registered dietitians are experts in healthy eating, and you’ll usually spot them chowing down on a big green salad, whipping up a fruit and yogurt smoothie, or snacking on crudités. But many foods they eat will probably surprise you. Some are everyday foods you didn’t think were healthy (but actually are), while others are definite splurges—just done smartly and without guilt. Just follow their lead on these 12.

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Coffee

“Coffee has a reputation as being unhealthy, but in moderation and with the right add-ins, it’s actually a superdrink,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, Health‘s contributing nutrition editor. Your morning brew is packed with antioxidants, which may be why regular coffee consumption is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

To drink it and reap the rewards (without jittery side effects), Sass suggests drinking one cup in the morning and then switching to water or green tea. Skip the sugary flavored creamers and add in organic skim or non-dairy milks like almond or coconut.

QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?

Which is better for you: A 1/2 cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?Getty Images (4)
Answer: A 1/2 cup of ice cream
Answer: A half cup of ice cream If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat.Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Butter
Answer: Butter Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A sirloin burger or a turkey burger?
Which is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Sirloin burger Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Almonds
Answer: Almonds Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Eggs or Special K?
Which is better for you: Special K or eggs?AP; Getty Images
Answer: Eggs
Answer: Eggs In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
84505234
Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing?Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Regular salad dressing
Answer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt.Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Dark chocolate “People tend to believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies may be lower in fat, but higher in other ingredients like sugar. Try a nice piece of dark chocolate for those antioxidants.
Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead.Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Low fat Greek Yogurt
Answer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein.Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME

Bacon

If you love bacon, this will make you jump for joy: Rachel Begun, RD, a food and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colo. eats bacon. “It’s got such a salty, smoky flavor that you can use small amounts to jazz up veggies—in fact, a little bacon can make you love veggies more,” she says.

The key here? Small amounts. Bacon can be loaded with salt and saturated fat, which is why you want to use it more like a garnish than a main event. Sprinkle crumbled bacon atop a side dish of Brussels sprouts or a veggie-filled salad.

Eggs

The whole egg, yolk and all. “One egg contains just 70 calories with 6 grams of high-quality protein, and contrary to popular belief, most of the fat in the yolk is unsaturated,” says Sass. Plus, eggs are a weight-loss food, she says. Dieters who ate eggs for breakfast lost 65% more weight than those who ate a bagel for breakfast that was equal in calories.

Sass suggests picking up organic eggs (the chickens are fed a healthier, all-vegetarian diet without hormones or antibiotics). Begun is an egg-eater, too: she prepares them several times per week in a veggie omelet or scrambled with sautéed leafy greens.

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Whole-milk yogurt

Chances are you always pick the nonfat yogurt. Chicago-area registered dietitian Renee Clerkin, used to do that, too. However, today she enjoys full fat on a regular basis. In fact, the extra fat helps her keep her weight in check. For one, she enjoys the taste more, so she doesn’t have to eat as much to feel satisfied. Research also suggests that normal-weight women who consume whole-milk dairy products are less likely to gain weight with age, according to a Swedish study.

If you go for whole-milk yogurt, watch your portions—a cup of full-fat plain yogurt is 160 calories, while a cup of fat-free is 110 calories. Whole milk also contains more saturated fat—5 grams per cup, or about a quarter of what the American Heart Association recommends in a day.

Potatoes

People tend to fear potatoes because of their reputation as a waist-widening starch. But Sass sees them in a different light. They provide important nutrients like energy-supplying B vitamins and iron, plus vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and fiber, and they are also a source of a fat-burning carb called resistant starch, she says. “Like fiber, resistant starch fills you up but it doesn’t get digested and absorbed, and studies show it triggers your body to burn more fat,” she says.

Sass chows down on potatoes (her favorites are red, blue, and fingerling) once a week. Activate that slimming resistant starch by eating them in a cold potato salad. Roast, then chill taters and toss with a mixture of Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic.

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Ghee

If you’ve ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, you’ve had ghee, which is clarified butter. The good news: ghee tastes so intense that you need just a few drops to adds loads of flavor to any food. “It makes veggies more interesting,” says Rachel Beller, RD, author of Eat to Lose, Eat to Win. Plus, one teaspoon has only 45 calories (a teaspoon of olive oil, for comparison, contains 40).

Beller combines a teaspoon of olive oil with a half-teaspoon of ghee and uses it to toss roasted or steamed veggies. You’ll find ghee in the ethnic food section in grocery stores.

Pasta

“You can take foods that are meant to be enjoyed and make them nutritious,” says Clerkin, who eats fresh pasta a couple times a week. (Find fresh pasta in the refrigerated section at grocery stores, or at a farmer’s market.)

Balance out pasta with lean protein (like fish or chicken), healthy fats (like olive oil), and plenty of fiber-rich veggies, advises Clerkin. As a rule, Clerkin matches the quantity of pasta she eats with an equal amount of vegetables. Beller, another pasta lover, orders it with marinara sauce as a side to fish at a favorite Italian restaurant. “Ask for it to be cooked al dente,” she advises. “The firmer pasta will help keep your blood sugar more stable.”

French fries

They’re made from potatoes, but no one considers fries a vegetable. Still, Begun indulges in fries occasionally. Notice the word indulge? “These aren’t a health food by any means, but can still be enjoyed in moderation and with the right accompaniments,” she says. First rule: enjoy fries as a side to something lean and nutritious, like a salad with chicken or a bowl of steamed mussels. Second, watch portions, since restaurants serve up fries practically by the bucketful. Begun recommends eating half or sharing with a friend, and going light on the dipping sauce (especially if it’s mayo-based). Finally, to get every single bit of salty enjoyment out of them, order fries where you know they’re freshly prepared in-house.

See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America

Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another.Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis
San Francisco, California
San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural.Getty Images
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long.Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job.Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down.Getty Images
Boulder, Colorado
Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape.Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis
Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together.Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city.Getty Images
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all.K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital
Provo, Utah
Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease.Getty Images

Raisins

Unlike many dried fruits, raisins aren’t sugar bombs. Why? They’re just dried grapes. Though most dried fruits contain added sugar or fruit juice, raisins usually do not. You need to mind portions, however. One raisin contains the same number of calories as one grape, but a raisin is much smaller. A cup of grapes shrinks down to a quarter-cup of raisins, making it easy to go overboard.

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Sourdough bread

“It’s healthier than whole wheat,” says Beller. Shocking, we know, but here’s why: sourdough is unique because it’s made with a lactic acid starter that undergoes fermentation, which alters the bread’s starches. “This helps prevent your blood sugar from spiking better than white or wheat bread,” she says.

On a recent dinner out, a basket of homemade sourdough bread arrived at Beller’s table. She didn’t go to town on it (it’s still bread, after all), but she took a half of a slice and enjoyed each bite.

Hot chocolate

Yep, you’ve heard that chocolate is good for you, but many people still don’t believe it, says Beller. “It’s a health food that nutritionists prescribe,” she says. It’s brimming with disease-fighting polyphenols. You can find those same good-for-you nutrients in a cup of hot cocoa. Skip the pre-made hot cocoa packets, as these are packed with sugar. Beller makes hers with pure cocoa powder, a teaspoon of dark raw honey or pure maple syrup, and unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

Doughnuts

Doughnuts, cakes, and cookies will never be good for you, but the occasional sweet treat won’t wreck your diet and, perhaps more importantly, will prevent you from ever feeling deprived. “You can eat anything as long as you balance it out,” says Clerkin. “I eat a really great doughnut two or three times a year. To splurge smartly, she has half a glazed doughnut with a green smoothie for a special breakfast.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.

Read next: 3 Breakfast Rules to Follow to Lose Weight

QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?

Which is better for you: A 1/2 cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?Getty Images (4)
Answer: A 1/2 cup of ice cream
Answer: A half cup of ice cream If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat.Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Butter
Answer: Butter Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A sirloin burger or a turkey burger?
Which is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Sirloin burger Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Almonds
Answer: Almonds Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Eggs or Special K?
Which is better for you: Special K or eggs?AP; Getty Images
Answer: Eggs
Answer: Eggs In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
84505234
Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing?Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Regular salad dressing
Answer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt.Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?Getty Images (2)
Answer: Dark chocolate “People tend to believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies may be lower in fat, but higher in other ingredients like sugar. Try a nice piece of dark chocolate for those antioxidants.
Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead.Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Low fat Greek Yogurt
Answer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein.Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME

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