Not all weight-loss struggles come from obvious junk food. Some of the traps are often the “healthy” products on supermarket shelves: the yogurts, protein bars, and low-fat snacks that look good on the label but can secretly sabotage your weight loss. A recent survey found 97% of products marketed as “healthy” include sugar or artificial sweeteners.
“The problem isn’t willpower,” says Maria AbiHanna, nutrition expert at the nutrition label maker company Food Label Maker. “They fail because marketing convinces them to eat foods that work against their biology.”
Here are the foods Maria AbiHanna and researchers at Food Label Maker say you should avoid, and the smarter swaps to make instead:
1. Veggie Chips
A 30g serving of veggie chips often has 140 calories and 8g of fat, which is almost identical to potato chips. The “veggie” label hides the fact that they’re usually made from starch and oil, not whole vegetables.
Smarter swap: Make air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast. It’ll be crunchy, low-calorie, and full of fiber.
2. Flavored Yogurt
One 150g flavored yogurt can contain 16–20g of added sugar (≈ 4–5 teaspoons), which is almost the same as a scoop of ice cream. The fast sugar spike raises insulin, which promotes fat storage. Research from the NIH shows that high-sugar breakfasts are linked with stronger hunger within hours.
Smarter Swap: Choose plain Greek yogurt (10g protein/100g, <5g sugar) and add berries for natural sweetness.
3. Granola & Protein Bars
A typical bar has 12–20g of sugar, which is exactly how much a Snickers bar has. The quick-burning carbs cause a blood sugar crash, triggering the hunger hormone, ghrelin, to rebound faster. By comparison, a 30g serving of almonds has 6g protein and 3.5g fiber. This combo has been proven to suppress hunger hormones, keeping you full for longer.
Smarter swap: Create your own “bar” with a handful of roasted almonds, a couple of Medjool dates, and a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips.
4. Low-Fat Packaged Foods
One low-fat muffin can contain 30g of carbs and 18g of sugar, often more than its full-fat version. Removing fat strips away leptin, which signals your brain that you are full. Research has shown that moderate fat intake regulates appetite far better than ultra-low-fat diets.
Smarter swap: Snack on full-fat sugar-free yogurt or cheese paired with fruit. The protein-fat combo stabilizes appetite and prevents sugar crashes.
5. Gluten-Free Snacks
Gluten-free doesn’t mean low-calorie. Many gluten-free cookies and crackers replace wheat with refined starches that spike blood sugar even faster. A 30g gluten-free cookie can have more sugar and carbs than the wheat version.
Smarter swap: Go for rice cakes – they’re universal and customizable. Top them with nut butter for a healthy fiber + fat combo that will keep your hunger levels low.
Be Aware of Creative Marketing
“These foods look good on the label,” AbiHanna says, “but, unfortunately, your body can’t be fooled. Marketing convinces people they’re making healthy choices, when in reality those foods are working against their weight loss goals.”
It’s easy to get tricked by shiny labels, such as “low-fat,” “gluten-free,” and “high protein.” But those buzzwords rarely tell the whole story. In reality, many of these foods hit your body the same way candy does.
“People get fooled because the packaging makes food look healthy,” AbiHanna says. “But your body doesn’t care what the label promises – it only reacts to what’s inside.”
M.A.H.A.
In the first update in decades, the FDA has updated the definition of “healthy” on food packaging labels. The FDA is also developing a new symbol/logo to help consumers identify items that meet the new “healthy” definition claim.
The previous definition of “healthy” centered on individual nutrients like amounts of vitamins, minerals, fat, and protein content in the specific product. This update includes criteria that foods need to meet if the manufacturers want to claim that their product is “healthy” to help consumers make better-informed choices.
The update is based on recent Dietary Guidelines and nutrition science to emphasize supporting a varied, balanced, and nutrient-dense dietary pattern. It also limits saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars to empower people with information to build healthy dietary patterns and to reduce chronic diseases that are related to diet, which are the leading cause of death and disability in America.
Although food manufacturers have until 02/25/2028 to comply, to meet the new definition, a product must contain certain amounts of items from the food groups, like dairy, fruits, or vegetables, while staying below specific limits set for sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats. Foods that can potentially qualify include fresh or frozen whole fruits, vegetables, seafood, lean game meat, trail mix with nuts and dried fruit, eggs, lentils, beans, and plain low-fat yogurt, with no added ingredients except for water.
Over 80% of the population in the U.S. does not follow the dietary recommendations in the guidelines. Updating the definition of “healthy” on food packaging is hoped to encourage more nutritious eating patterns and reduce the prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
If you start to see forms of the word “healthy” beginning to appear more on food packaging, keep in mind that health and nutritional recommendations are not always appropriate for each individual’s unique needs.
When it comes to nutrition, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While guidelines are a good start, nutritional needs change over our lifetime. Always consider your personal dietary preferences/needs and check with your primary care provider and/or registered dietitian to ensure what is best for you.
This article was created at the WHN News Desk in collaboration with Elizabeth Mitchell on behalf of Food Labor Maker, a cloud-based software that offers powerful recipe formulation, precise nutrition analysis, and guaranteed regulatory compliance, tailored to meet your unique needs.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
