10 Health Foods that Aren't...

And 10 Foods that Are Healthier Than You Think

Sandra Gordon is the author of "The Reunion Diet," www.thereuniondiet.com.

Eating right is no picnic. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, along comes a new report trumpeting the benefits of yet another good-for-you food. Sure, some of them are winners. But many are not: They're simply victims of too much health hype. (Don't worry— we're not afraid to name names.) Here are ten supposed superfoods whose powers you may be overestimating—and ten that aren't getting the credit they deserve.

GREAT PRETENDERS

Canned Soups. Many are virtually salt water. Even if your high blood pressure (linked with salt) isn't a worry for you, it's still good to limit your intake. The healthiest soups have about 480 milligrams (mg) of sodium and five or fewer fat grams per serving.

100-calorie snack packs. Research shows that buying snacks in single-serving 100-calorie packs can help you eat less. "They're effective for portion control for about 70 to 80 percent of the population," says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell Food & Brand Lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and author of Mindless Eating. But what if you're among the 20 to 30 percent who may actually eat more by buying these products? "Because 100-calorie packs are small and convenient, they might actually lead you to eat them more frequently than you otherwise would," Wansink says. They do a fair job of limiting how much you eat at a given situation, but the fear is that you might end up eating them more frequently because they're portable and heck, they're only 100 calories, Wansink says.

Cottage Cheese. You'd think those creamy curds would be full of calcium, but they rate only 106 mg per cup. Better: calcium-enriched cottage cheese (400 mg) and low- or nonfat yogurt (350 mg).

Diet Soda. Zero calories, yes, but zero nutrients, too. For only 90 calories, you can have a glass of skim milk—and 350 mg of calcium, points out Liz Marr, R.D., an American Dietetic Association spokesperson in Denver. Regularly drinking soda instead of milk now could lead to osteoporosis. Moreover, scientists in Boston found that drinking one or more regular or diet colas every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, and excess fat around the waist, that increase your chance of heart disease and diabetes. One culprit could be the additive that gives soda its caramel color, which upped the risk of metabolic syndrome in animal studies. Scientists also speculate that soda drinkers regularly expose their tastebuds to natural or artificial sweeteners, conditioning themselves to prefer and crave sweeter foods, which may lead to weight gain, says Vasan S. Ramachandran, MD, a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and the study's lead researcher. Better choices: If it's fizz you're after, try sparkling water with a splash of juice. By controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, preventing diabetes, and not smoking, you can add 6 to 9 l/2 healthy years to your life.

Granola. The fat content of a half-cup serving rivals that of a McDonald's hamburger—and the fiber count is mediocre. A better bet: any unsweetened cereal with "bran" in the name. Other potent fiber sources to pack in include beans, peas, lentils, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, pears, bulgur and raspberries. Most of us get just 14 to 17 grams of fiber per day, but adding just 10 more grams to your daily fiber quota can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease (the nation's number-one killer) by 17 percent and from dying in general by 9 percent, according to a Netherlands study. Researchers credit dietary fiber's super powers; it reduces total and LDL (the bad) cholesterol, improves insulin sensitivity and blood pressure.

Honey. Nutrient-wise, it's roughly equal to table sugar. A sweeter deal: molasses— with traces of potassium, calcium, iron.

Rice Cakes. Not only do they taste like cardboard, they have about the same nutritional value—"very little," says Colleen Pierre, R.D., a dietitian in Baltimore.

Spinach. It's full of iron—but also full of oxalic acid, which keeps iron from being absorbed. Don't skip spinach entirely, though—it's still high in fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Tofu. For years, soy protein has been thought to be good for your heart. But a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (an arm of the National Institutes of Health), which evaluated 68 randomized studies, found that no conclusions could be drawn on the beneficial or harmful effects of soy protein and cardiovascular disease. "Soy protein just doesn't have a big effect on heart disease risk," concludes Alice Lichtenstein, DSc. Still, if you eat soy foods like tofu, which are low in artery-clogging saturated fat, instead of say, red meat (which can be a sat-fat haven), you may come out ahead. Or, you could just eat more vegetarian meals. "If you have high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease, aim for one meatless meal per day," advises Mikelle McCoin, R.D., senior nutrition director at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in San Francisco.

Wheat-Grass Juice. Other than chlorophyll, which humans don't need, this healthy-foody drink has no nutrients.

Zucchini. Squash the thought that zucchini is anything more than 95 percent water. Reach for yellow butternut or acorn squash instead.