Be wary of ice creams that promise the creamy pleasure of regular ice cream with low sugar and far fewer calories. Photo / Getty Images
Be wary of ice creams that promise the creamy pleasure of regular ice cream with low sugar and far fewer calories. Photo / Getty Images
Although they are marketed as giving us some benefit, there's no real reason to eat these foods, says Niki Bezzant
We eat foods we don't need all the time. The treat foods; the things we eat not for nourishment or health, but for pleasure.
For me it might be awedge of creamy, funky soft cheese; or the dark, earthy meltiness of my favourite chocolate. These are foods that bring us joy, and that's a wonderful thing. I'd suggest that relishing the foods we eat just because we love them is part of developing a healthy relationship with food. Enjoy them mindfully and we're unlikely ever to binge on them, or associate them with guilt or shame.
On the other hand, there are some foods we don't choose for pleasure, but which we might think we need. They're foods that are marketed as giving us or our family some benefit. But in fact, there's no real reason for these foods to exist at all. Here are some examples.
Although they're marketed as providing reassurance or peace of mind for parents because of the added vitamins and minerals they contain, special milks for toddlers are not necessary if young kids are eating a varied diet. This has been highlighted in a recent US study which found formula companies were spending up large on advertising toddler milk drink there. Advertising spending on toddler milks increased fourfold during the 10 years to 2015, despite toddler milks not being recommended in the US, the EU or here, for that matter. It's recommended babies up to 12 months drink only breast milk (or infant formula for those who can't be breastfed) and after that, plain milk and water. The cost of these toddler products (cans cost $20-plus) is probably better spent on healthy whole foods.
2. Sports water/energy drinks
Most of us don't need sports drinks – they're best reserved for intensely-exercising athletes – but what about sports waters? They're positioned as lightly-flavoured waters that also contain vitamins, and we might think of them as a healthier choice. But sports waters have a bit of a health halo. They don't necessarily offer the electrolytes and salt that help athletes rehydrate, but they still pack a punch of added sugar; up to five teaspoons per bottle.
Energy drinks really have nothing to redeem them. Offering a double-whammy of high sugar and a ton of caffeine, they're just another soft drink, none of which we need. Get your caffeine from coffee, if you need it, and skip the sugary drinks.
3. Protein bars
Protein has been a hot nutrient for a while; we know it's important and we should try to get protein throughout the day in our meals and snacks. But there are lots of better ways to do this than with an expensive, highly-processed bar. Protein bars usually contain soy or whey protein along with many other ingredients, including potentially problematic sweeteners (see below). We can get wholefood, high-quality protein in meals from foods like meat, chicken, fish and tofu. In snacks, we can have milk, yoghurt, eggs and nuts.
I'm sure you've seen lots of these in the freezer: gourmet-looking tubs in alluring flavours, promising the creamy pleasure of regular icecream with low sugar and far fewer calories. Sounds great, but the reality could be less appealing. Some contain alternative sweeteners, especially the ones known as sugar alcohols - look for words ending in "ol" like maltitol and erythritol. For some people, these can trigger some truly unpleasant gut symptoms: if you're prone to IBS it's probably wise to steer clear, as these sugar alcohols can cause pain and diarrhoea even in small amounts. Even if we don't have gut issues, we should ask ourselves: is this what I really want? Or would it be more satisfying for me to just have a little of the regular ice cream? Pleasure, after all, being an important part of health.
Niki's fact check: "No refined sugar" is healthier
Some products claiming they're low sugar still contain a ton in the form of coconut sugar, rice syrup, honey or raw sugar. Photo / Getty Images
This is scattered on many a label, but it doesn't make a food magically healthier. There's no real definition of what it means, for a start. Some products featuring this claim still contain a ton of sugar in the form of coconut sugar, rice syrup, honey or raw sugar. Our bodies don't see a difference between these sugars and the white stuff. Neither does the World Health Organisation, which classifies all these sweeteners as added sugars which we need to keep to a minimum. We're best to check out the "total sugars" column on the nutrition panel of a product, and ignore the marketing claims on the front.
* Niki Bezzant is a food and nutrition writer and speaker. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram @nikibezzant
