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Thought your favorite healthy food was actually good for you? Well, think again. Of course you already know you can’t go wrong with fruits and veggies. But some foods that are widely accepted as healthy may not be as good as you think. Who are the good snacks gone wrong? Some of the unhealthy culprits include granola bars, tea drinks and pretzels.

You may be wondering, “but how can a granola bar be had for me?” Some granola bars aren’t healthier than some high-calorie candy bars. Because a lot of granola bars are drenched in sugary syrups or jam-packed with delicious chocolate chips, they lose a lot of their nutritional value. But if you love the all-natural, outdoorsy rep granola has going for it, try making your own trail mix with whole-grain cereals, whole nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

Other foods to watch out for include muffins, rice cakes, fruit-flavored snacks and frozen yogurt. Once upon a time, muffins averaged about 150 to 170 calories. Today’s muffins have about 500 calories, 20-plus grams of fat, and are almost the size of basketballs. Try whole-grain English muffins instead with some peanut butter and fruit for an appetizing and healthy snack.

Remember, when all else fails, stick to the real thing. You can’t go wrong with real fruits and veggies. Unlike grandma’s muffins, these yummy treats will never betray you.

by L’Oreal Thompson | 2/1/2016