6 Food No-Nos You Can Say 'Yes' To

There are foods that it is not good for us to eat but sometimes we eat it for some reasons. Here are some food that we eat:

1. Chock Full of Nuts
Bad Rap: Nuts are cholesterol-rich and unhealthy, and they make us fat.

Good Rap: If you’ve been longing to nibble on nuts, go right ahead. Most medical experts agree that eating a small handful of nuts every day is a healthy habit. After reviewing more than 15 major studies, researchers from Pennsylvania State University-University Park concluded that eating an ounce of nuts more than five times a week could reduce the risk of heart disease by 25-39%.

2. Avocados
Bad Rap: Avocados are nothing more than pear-shaped balls of fat. Putting avocado on your turkey sandwich or chef salad just adds fat and calories. And don’t even think about guacamole.

Good Rap: Although this creamy fruit crams about 29 grams of fat into each avocado, most of it is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Sometimes called an alligator pear due to their shape and bumpy green skin, avocados are sodium-free.

3. Eggs
Bad Rap: Eggs should be avoided because of their high cholesterol content, which can up the risk of heart disease.

Good Rap: Eggs are an economical source of protein, and they’re easy to prepare. The American Heart Association, however, recommends that healthy Americans limit their pleasure to three or four egg yolks a week, holding their daily total of cholesterol below 300 milligrams. The fat and cholesterol is found in the yolks, not the whites: Each yolk has a whopping 212 milligrams of cholesterol. If you want to reduce dietary cholesterol, substitute one egg plus two egg whites for every two whole eggs in your recipes.

4. Rice and Pasta
Bad Rap: Carbs are bad, and both rice and pasta are fattening.

Good Rap: Too many calories from any source – carbohydrate, fat or protein – get stored as body fat. But whole-grain rice and pasta – brown rice, 100% whole-wheat pasta and bulgur, for example – are good sources of filling fiber lacking in many American diets. Fiber found in whole grains can also help lower cholesterol and aid in digestive health. And the American Heart Association recommends that at least half of grain intake come from whole-grain foods.

5. Bread
Bad Rap: Bread is fattening – just empty carbohydrates promoting insulin production, which in turn results in weight gain.

Good Rap: Not all breads are created equal. Although most are low in fat and calories, whole grain varieties offer more nutrients like vitamin E, folate and magnesium. They also offer more taste than plain old white bread, and the plentiful fiber not only fills you up but can decrease the risk of heart disease.

6. Chocolate
Bad Rap: Chocolate is a treat for kids and a guilty pleasure for adults. And from a nutritional standpoint, chocolate is nothing more than a fat- and calorie-laden dessert.

Good Rap: Food scientists have found that cocoa (which is chocolate, minus the sugar and milk) has nearly twice the cancer-fighting antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea. However, that milk chocolate Hershey bar doesn’t necessarily make the cut as health food. Dark chocolate with concentrated cocoa is the most beneficial.

Source: By Lisa Mosing, MS, RD, FADA, Special to LifeScript