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If something has the word “vegetable” in its name, it’s a healthy option, right? Wrong! A lot of seemingly harmless vegetable-labeled dishes are packed with sugar and calories. Next time you’re reaching for a healthy snack, be sure to check the label and avoid these six secret saboteurs.
1. Ketchup:
Even though ketchup is seemingly harmless, it’s packed with high fructose corn syrup and sugar. Next time you’re looking for something to dip into, opt for salsa, spices, or nothing.
2. Corn:
Corn actually isn’t a vegetable. It’s a grain. While corn does have its fair share of B and C vitamins, it’s also loaded with sugar. An average-sized ear can have up to 15 grams of sugar. As with most grains, corn is best enjoyed in moderation.
3. Vegetable Juice:
When trying to reach the five-a-day fruit and veggie requirements, it’s easy to reach for a can of veggie juice. When fruits and veggies are juiced, the majority of their nutrients and fiber are compromised. Veggie juice boasts a whopping two servings of veggies per serving, however, those veggies are smothered with sugar-enhanced fruit juices. As delicious and tempting as store-bought juice might be, check the label before ingesting.
4. Veggie Chips:
If you’re addicted to the crunch of potato chips but avoid ’em because of the grease and carbs, veggie chips would seem like a logical options. Unsurprisingly, most veggie chips are deep-fried and primarily made with corn and potatoes. Those rich red and green hues come from food coloring, not bell peppers and zucchini.
5. Canned Vegetable Soup:
Canned veggie soup seems like a healthy, low-cal meal option, right? Not always. They’re often laden with excessive amounts of sugar and sodium. While soup is a great option, stick to the homemade variety.
6. Vegetable Tempura:
While it seems like common sense that any veggie that’s thrown in the deep fryer should not be included in any diet regimen, many people think tempura is ok because tempura is touted as a light batter. Wrong. Tempura is loaded with sugar, oil, and cornstarch, a sure-fire way to sabotage your diet.
Edited by Jody Smith
Add a Comment56 Comments
So Anonymous at August 23, 2011 - 11:34am is either a corn farmer or in the corn business? Which is it?
August 25, 2011 - 12:50amThis Comment
Firstly, the title of this article appears to be deliberately misleading, though I supposed putting "vegetables" in quotes should have been a clue. I agree with much of what you have written here except:
August 23, 2011 - 11:34amField corn is a grain used for feed for cattle, fuel and for making liquors. What we eat is a different variety that is called "sweet corn"and is considered a VEGETABLE.
Writing that corn is "loaded with sugar" gives people the impression that sugar in some form has been added to corn, this is of course not the case. 1 cup of cooked yellow corn has only 4 gms of sugar which is naturally occurring. In fact it has more FIBER than sugar. Corn is also a good source of B vitamins and is a rich source of zeaxanthins and lutein - carotenoids that prevent macular degeneration.
This Comment
That's hilarious if you truly think field corn is a different plant than sweet corn. And you're wrong on the vegetable classification: everyone from the U.S. Government to any Agricultural school backup the fact that corn is a grain.
September 23, 2011 - 4:20amThis Comment
"Vegetable" isn't a scientific classification; botanically speaking there are no "vegetables" at all.
The article pretty clearly uses the word in the way most people in the English language use the word, and in the way the legal community (see Nix v. Hedden 1893) uses the word. Corn is an "edible part of a plant with a savory flavor" and it is taxed as a vegetable.
So if you're in a class about growing grain you're probably going to hear corn referred to as a grain. But corn is a vegetable in the context this article is set in.
September 30, 2011 - 3:49amThis Comment
So "technically speaking" ketchup shouldn't be on the list either; tomatoes, from which ketchup is derived, are actually fruits, not vegetables.
October 19, 2011 - 12:38amThis Comment
sweet corn is still a grain, primarily starch to sustain the seed. guess what makes it sweet?
August 24, 2011 - 11:46pmThis Comment