Don’t Fall for These 8 Health Food Store Myths!

Are you weary of going to health food stores because of the myth that they’re too expensive? You’re not alone. Many people believe that these stores are only there to take your money, but nothing could be further from the truth! Though there are some things you have to watch out for, with careful planning and shopping you can get everything you need at your local health foods store without breaking the bank. In this guide, we cover eight of the most common myths about health foods stores and give you some advice on how to avoid them so that you can save money while getting all of the nutrients you need!

Not all organic products are good for you

Many people mistakenly believe that just because an item is organic, it must be healthy. In fact, some organic products—such as soda or chips—might not be good for you at all. Organic foods are produced without pesticides and herbicides; however, they aren’t necessarily healthy foods (though they may be better than their non-organic counterparts). If you’re looking to improve your eating habits or have been diagnosed with a condition such as IBS or colitis, talk to your doctor about what kinds of healthy foods might work best for you. It’s also worth mentioning that many health food stores carry supplements and vitamins—many of which have their own dangers.

Not all-natural means better

I see a lot of people from my generation go through phases where they’ll eat healthy food. Most people have healthy foods like fruit, veggies, and granola. But when most people think of health food stores, they think about restaurants or markets that sell only natural and organic products. Unfortunately, not all natural things are good for you—and in fact, some things like corn syrup are technically natural (but not as healthy). As part of eating healthier, you need to be aware of certain store myths that might make it more difficult to stay on track with your diet.

Fats, carbs, and proteins are not the enemies

Going to a health food store and stocking up on fat-free foods or carb-free snacks is not going to promote good eating habits. Even if you stick to your diet, restricting certain foods can be detrimental. Fat and carbs are essential, so even when cutting calories from these macronutrients (or others), you should still be consuming fats and carbs—they’re just a smaller part of your diet. Fiber is also extremely important, but with only 5 grams in almost all types of nuts, it’s easy to go over that number if you don’t measure. And though protein is indeed essential for building muscle mass and keeping your body healthy, there are only 20 to 25 grams in most nuts and seeds.

The secret formula to getting healthier with food stores

A health food store or whole foods market is a grocery store that primarily sells health foods, organic foods, and natural products. While most of these types of stores carry some common household goods, their focus is on unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, and fish; as well as healthy packaged foods such as brown rice and quinoa pasta; unsweetened nut butter; whole-grain crackers and granola bars; natural yeast bread and other baked goods that do not contain artificial preservatives or colorings. There are many varieties of these stores including smaller markets that cater to individual dietary needs like gluten-free products or low salt. Many offer cooking classes teaching healthy recipes using fresh ingredients found in their stores.

Just because it’s in a market doesn’t mean it’s good for you

It’s easy to get sucked into a market mindset when shopping at health food stores. We naturally assume that if it’s being sold in a store, it must be good for us (especially if we’re paying more money to buy it). But what we don’t realize is that most of these so-called healthy foods are just more foods. Sure, they may be higher quality and better prepared than what you’d get at your local grocery store, but unless you’re an expert, it can be difficult to tell which ones are healthier than others. This means that your hard-earned dollars might not be as much of a bargain as you thought.

The best way to start eating healthy is to eat more vegetables

I hear so many people talk about eating healthy and they often say I need to eat more vegetables. I feel like they are saying they’re bad at eating healthy, but that’s not always true. There are some people who think that in order to eat healthy you have to eat salad or some other raw veggies but what if someone has a gut issue? If you have an issue with your gut, eating large amounts of salad is not going to be good for your health and can actually make things worse. You might even want to check out my post on 10 Ways Healthy Eating Really Helps Your Gut and Life for more information. With all of that said, here are eight health food store myths and how you can move away from believing them

Sugar substitutes aren’t that bad

Those sugar-free candies and cookies? They often contain sugar substitutes like aspartame and saccharin. It’s been proven that too much sugar isn’t good for you, and eating excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners can be even worse. The truth is that most sugar substitutes don’t cause cancer, but they do pose other health risks. Read your food labels carefully, and if you see any on-pack claims such as zero calories, fat free, or carb free, do some research to make sure those claims are true. It’s all about understanding what you’re putting into your body! To eat healthy foods, cut out processed foods altogether – not just refined sugars.

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