6 “Healthy” Snacks That Are Just as Bad as Potato Chips

Your bottled green juice isn’t getting any brownie points.

By Liz Ritter, Executive Editor · Jun 13, 2016

If your version of “healthy snacking” is reaching for a bag of something that rings in right around the 100-calorie mark and doesn’t contain pretzels or chips, you may want to reconsider. According to celebrity nutritionist Cynthia Pasquella, there’s a whole bunch of not-so-great-for-you fast fixes out there that you’ve probably thought were giving you points in the healthy-eating category all this time. Take a look:

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Veggie Chips

Two words: Big offender! “While people think they’re eating vegetables, these chomp-able morsels generally contain very little veggie powder to begin with and the nutritional value of which often gets lost in the processing, so they wind up just being packed with fat and sodium. You can bake your own kale chips or sweet potato fries for a much healthier alternative,” Pasquella says.

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Greek Yogurt

You may think Greek yogurt is really healthy for you, but it’s actually packed with added sugars, according to Pasquella. “I advise my clients away from dairy altogether because it’s one of the most common food intolerances.”

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Yogurt Parfaits

Piggybacking on Greek yogurt is its evil cousin, yogurt parfaits. “Parfaits are over-processed and void of nutrients, then topped with gluten and sugar—guaranteed to overtax your adrenals, send your blood sugar through the roof, make you hungry again in just a few minutes, and zap your energy all at the same time!”

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Trail Mix

While nuts are wonderful, ready-made trail mix can often be loaded with added salt, candy-coated pieces, deep fried banana chips, etc. “Make sure to choose trail mixes with raw nuts and dried fruits and to limit your handfuls to one or two,” Pasquella advises.

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Protein Bars

Protein bars, or, as Pasquella prefers to call them, candy bars, are one of the most destructive snacks in the health and wellness industry. “While they often contain redeeming nutrients like protein and fiber, the amount of sugar they contain counterbalances any good they could do. Also some bars include cheap forms of soy protein to boost the protein content.”

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Bottled Green Juice

Lastly—and the one we found most surprising—bottled green juices. “The ones that are heavy on fruits and processed to last for several days can include shocking amounts of sugar,” Pasquella says. Her tip: Opt to juice at home, where you can ensure you’re using only fresh, organic vegetables and ingredients.