Five 'Healthy' Snacks That Aren't So Healthy

These are all processed foods. Minimize the amount of what you eat, period. Show some self restraint. Don't try to get 'full' eating dried fruit, just have a few pieces for 'appetite suppressant'. Don't be a pig. Realize that we are an obsessive compulsive SOCIETY. It's not just an individual failing, it's the whole damn nation and a result of advertisement that is the spine of our capitalist system; you are a consumer, so consume, dammit! And we happily comply. Most foods offered to americans aren't bad until we decide to 'pig out'. Even McDonalds food isn't health threatening... unless you only eat there for dinner or several times a week. If you were going on a back packing trip and were going to burn massive calories, it may be just fine to eat a big old burger... skip the fries. Education is the key. End of story.

SO2+2(H2O)->H2SO4 Many dried fruits are also preserved with sulfur dioxide which turns into sulfuric acif when water is added.

Many dired fruits are also preserved with sulfur dioxide. SO2+2 H2O -> H2SO4 In otherwords, add water and you've got sulfuric acid. Great at promoting tooth dacay.

I think you have some good points. If someone is concerned mainly about calories they might as well go for the doritos if that is what they want, but if someone is trying to improve their health and eat healthy foods, it's much better to go for foods higher in antioxidants, even if they are higher in calories. www.health-outlook.com

Wow, so your saying that the nutrient dense food is bad for you and the foods that may have less calories but absolutely no nutritional value? That is RIDICULOUS! You really shouldn't be writing about a subject if you don't have all the facts. This is what is wrong with America and the media! If you read this, take everything she said and COMPLETELY FORGET THAT YOU EVER READ IT! GARBAGE!

Check ou this little nugget of good health - http://tinyurl.com/3l2ukt

Check out this healthy lil nugget - http://tinyurl.com/3l2ukt

whoever wrote this article is an f'n idiot who does not understand nutrition and poor health with high calorie consumption. get a clue moron.

whoever wrote this article is an f'n idiot

How about dry roasted peanuts? Anyways, I'm not going to give up my dried apricots.

To the author of this article: How do you account for the fact that a fistful of raisins equals one complete serving of fruit? This article is completely ambiguous...you are stating that dried fruit is no healthier than a bag of Doritos based on one factor only, calories? Wow. This article is aimed for couch potatoes who do little to no exercise. I had no idea that counting calories was now the major factor used to determine what is healthy and what is not. You are a very biased writer.

I believe the idea is not to label nutritious food as worse than a few of the more irreputable snacks, but to stress moderation and awareness in what you eat. Studies have shown that people often, when they believe they are eating food that is healthy, with consume far more calories than more indulgent dieters; because they amp up the portion size. Most of the items listed in this article are over processed, and the article did mention the importance of eating fresh food as a best alternative. With all the important nutrients that these foods provide, they also have their share of unnecessary fats and sugars. If you praise these foods so much, why not make them from scratch at home, where you can control what goes into them?

I think the idea of this article is not to lable nutritious food as worse than some of the more irreputable snacks, but to stress moderation in all that you do. Studies have shown that often people, when they believe they are eating low fat or healthy food, will consume more calories than a more indulgent dieter; because they amp up the portion size. Besides, most of the items listed in this article are overly processed, and the article did mention the importance of eating fresh foods as a best alternative.

This is a pretty terrible article. I'm a food scientist for a major nutrition company, and to put all the emphasis on the macronutrients is unwise. Many high calorie and high fat foods are also excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. I would say that most of these snacks are the correct choice when compared to the alternatives. I can't think of anyone in my profession who would recommend a person to eat "an old-fashioned cake doughnut" over a bran muffin just to save a few calories.

I agree with ludicristi.....Dried fruit is not unhealthy. I hike for days in backcountry and rely on things like granola, trail mix and, yes, dried fruit.

Guess what? I'm skinny because I do a lot of physical work. I suppose these oods are bad for the majority of lazy folks out there, but they are good foods. Not all of us are sedentary.

I agree with ludicristi.....Dried fruit is not unhealthy. I hike for days in backcountry and rely on things like granola, trail mix and, yes, dried fruit.

Guess what? I'm skinny because I do a lot of physical work. I suppose these oods are bad for the majority of lazy folks out there, but they are good foods. Not all of us are sedentary.

I could not agree more with the posters who note the article's inherent bias against fat and calories. What, should we eat nothing? People need fat and calories to survive-- if they're getting it from dried fruit (which, coincidentally, is NOT usually covered in sugar, and has tons of nutrients, vitamins, and fiber), that's a good thing!

Suggesting that things with equal calories/fat are, in fact, equally "healthy" (grab the Doritos!) is irresponsible and ill-informed at best.

By this reasoning, we should only eat chemicals and food coloring because they don't have any calories at all.

glad to hear newsweek is helping out on America's Obesity problem. I think the title of the next artilce should be "Eat Lard and Lose Weight!"