Nine bad foods you should be eating

Peanut Butter

The bad rap: Peanut butter is super-fattening.

The good news: Peanut butter is high in fat, but that doesn’t mean it’s fattening. (Gaining or losing weight, and body fat, basically comes down to balancing calories.) That said, peanut butter is a concentrated source of calories, so you don’t want to go overboard. But you don’t need to eat tons to feel satisfied: just a tablespoon (90 calories) or two of peanut butter goes a long way. Plus, peanut butter provides protein and folate, a B vitamin important for the healthy development of new cells.

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Eggs

The bad rap: A significant source of dietary cholesterol, egg yolks are off-limits for those concerned about heart health.

The good news: Medical experts now emphasize that saturated fats and trans fats are bigger culprits in raising blood cholesterol than dietary cholesterol is. Plus, eggs are super-satisfying: in one study, people who ate a scrambled-egg-and-toast breakfast felt more satisfied, and ate less at lunch, than they did when they ate a bagel that had the same number of calories. Egg yolks contain lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds that research links with reduced risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

Beef

The bad rap: Beef is full of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, so people who care about their hearts should avoid it.

The good news: Lean cuts of beef are a low-fat source of protein and iron, a mineral essential for getting oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body—and one many women (of childbearing age) are deficient in. There are many lean cuts of steaks: filet mignon, sirloin, strip steak, flank steak. If you can’t remember the names, pick steaks that are deep red with a relatively small amount of marbling—a fancy name for fat—to find lean cuts.

Chocolate

The bad rap: Chocolate has lots of fat, lots of sugar—and it tastes amazing, so it must be bad for you.

The good news: Dark chocolate contains flavanols, antioxidants that seem to have a blood-thinning effect, which can benefit cardiovascular health. And, recently, researchers in Switzerland reported that eating dark chocolate (1.4 ounces of it) every day for two weeks reduced stress hormones, including cortisol, in highly stressed people. But be sure to account for the calories (1.4 ounces delivers 235)—or you may be stressed to see extra pounds creeping on.

Potatoes

The bad rap: Potatoes rank high on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly different foods raise your blood sugar. Foods with a high GI value tend to cause a higher spike in blood sugar—and in insulin, the hormone that helps glucose get into cells—which can be a problem for some people, particularly those with diabetes.

The good news: Potatoes are a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C. And unless you’re eating an absolutely plain potato all by itself, its GI value doesn’t matter. (It’s also worth noting that the glycemic index is an imperfect and controversial scale.) A high-GI potato becomes a low-GI meal if you simply add a little olive oil, because the added fat helps slow the absorption of the potato’s carbohydrates.

Coffee

The bad rap: Coffee can make you super-jittery, interfere with your sleep and, well, it’s just not good for you.

The good news: Studies show that compounds in coffee—including but not limited to caffeine—may reduce the risk of dementia, diabetes and liver cancer. Most benefits are associated with drinking 2 to 4 (8-ounce) cups a day. That said, coffee can make some people jittery—and if this is true for you, you should cut back. You should also limit caffeine if you’re pregnant—the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises no more than two cups a day while expecting—or nursing.

Nuts

The bad rap: Nuts are chock-full of fat.

The good news: Nuts are full of fats—but they’re the good, heart-healthy unsaturated kinds. Nuts, and peanuts, which are technically legumes, also deliver other healthy nutrients—which ones depends on the nut. For example, pistachios are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help keep eyes healthy. Almonds provide vitamin E and walnuts offer significant amounts of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. You do need to keep an eye on serving size, though: at around 160 to 200 calories per ounce, nuts do pack a substantial amount of calories.

Bread

The bad rap: Bread is bad for you, because it’s loaded with carbs.

The good news: Bread isn’t bad—eating too many refined grains is, and that’s why the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making at least half of the grains you consume whole grains. Switching to 100% whole-wheat bread, or other whole-grain breads, is one way to do that. And good news: research in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who eat more whole grains may live longer.

Corn

The bad rap: Sure, corn is a vegetable—but it doesn’t contain many nutrients.

The good news: Corn, while not as nutrient-packed as, say berries, is nutritious: it contains 4 grams of fiber per 1 cup of kernels, or about 1 large ear. Like most other yellow and green vegetables, corn is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin.