6 foods you think are healthy – but nutritionists wouldn’t eat every day

“It’s often marketed as a healthier alternative to other fats, and it can absolutely have a place in a balanced diet, but it’s worth remembering that coconut oil is particularly high in saturated fat,”

1. Healthy ready meals

   Bridget Benelam, communications manager at the British Nutrition Foundation "While they may tick all the green nutrition boxes, eating ready meals every day can mean you’re missing out on fibre for your gut health and not getting enough of your five-a-day," states Benelam. "The portions can also be smaller, have a more limited range of ingredients and may not deliver all your nutrition needs if they make up a big part of your diet," she states. Often, these meals may be low-calorie but not nutrient-dense, states Benelam. "They tend not to include wholegrains or pulses and have a limited range of fresh ingredients and may only contain one of your five-a-day," she explains. When you’re too tired to cook, having a healthy ready meal once or twice a week is fine if you add extras, she states. "Add frozen peas to curries, spinach to pasta dishes and top pizzas with sweetcorn, mushrooms, peppers, spinach,

2. Coconut oil

   Rhiannon Lambert – nutritionist, Sunday Times bestselling author, founder of Rhitrition Clinic, and co-host of the chart-topping podcast The Wellness Scoop. Her new book, The Fibre Formula , is out now. One food with a real ‘health halo’ that Lambert wouldn’t use every day is coconut oil. "It’s often marketed as a healthier alternative to other fats, and it can absolutely have a place in a balanced diet, but it’s worth remembering that coconut oil is particularly high in saturated fat," she explains. "We do need fat in our diets, but for everyday cooking I tend to prioritise oils that are richer in unsaturated fats, such as extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil." Evidence consistently supports replacing some saturated fats with unsaturated fats as part of a heart-healthy diet, so it’s really about what we choose most often rather than completely cutting anything out, states Lambert. Nutrition

3. Protein shakes and bars

   Rob Hobson, Registered Nutritionist and author of The Low Appetite Cookbook Most people can get enough protein from a balanced diet without needing protein shakes or bars, states Hobson. "UK adults are getting around 70g of protein a day on average – about 124% of the recommended intake. So, as a population, we’re certainly not protein deficient!" "I’m not necessarily against protein shakes and there may be a time and place for them, especially if your needs are quite high, which I see with sports clients," explains Hobson. "Clear whey can also be useful for people on GLP-1 to top up on protein, but I see these things as a convenient tool rather than something everyone needs to eat daily," he states. "The issue for me is when people start relying on these products and begin replacing whole foods in the diet, or thinking that somehow they’re a superior source of protein just since they have “hi

4. Fruit juices

   Amanda Ursell, registered dietitian "There’s no harm in a smoothie or fruit or vegetable juice from time to time, although the British Dietetic Association reminds us that crushing fruit into juice releases the sugars it contains," explains Ursell. For this reason, juice is considered a free sugar, so a 150ml glass can only count as one of your 5-a-day, even so many you consume. "Also, to reduce the impact on our teeth, we should drink at mealtimes and wait 30 minutes before brushing our teeth after drinking juice or smoothies, as the juice softens enamel and causes teeth to erode. I tend to be a ‘whole’ fruit fan," she explains. Fruits and vegetables are nature’s powerhouses when it comes to delivering vitamins, minerals and a range of naturally occurring plant chemicals, often known as ‘super nutrients’, which investigation shows deliver an extraordinary range of potential benefits to our health. "

5. Refined carbs

   Gopi Chandratheva, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist White refined carbohydrates – bread, pasta and rice – aren’t inherently bad, but nutritionists generally wouldn’t recommend them as your main carbohydrate source at every meal, explains Gopi Chandratheva. "The refining process removes much of the grain’s bran and germ, which reduces fibre and some micronutrients," she states. "Compared with wholegrain alternatives, refined carbohydrates tend to be digested more quickly and can produce a faster rise in blood glucose," she explains. Make wholegrain bread, oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, barley, quinoa and potatoes with their skins your go-tos, states Chandratheva. "If you’re having refined carbs, serve with protein, fibre and/or healthy fats for a more more nutritionally balanced meal." For example, white toast with eggs and avocado, or white pasta with bolognese and vegetables.

6. Salmon

   Ian Marber, nutritional therapist and health writer Oily fish plays an weighty part in our diets as they contain omega-3 fats, of which there are three types: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). "Both EPA and DHA can help lower levels of blood triglycerides and thus reduce the risk of coronary heart disease," explains Ian Marber. "Fish such as salmon, but also mackerel, pilchards, kippers, sardines and herrings, contain both EPA and DHA omega-3 fats. But it is possible that some fish, including salmon, contain small amounts of contaminants such as mercury, PCBs and other heavy metals," he says. This can apply to both farmed and wild salmon, and is somewhat dependent on the quality of the feed for farmed salmon and in addition where in the world the wild salmon are sourced. So whilst salmon shouldn't be eaten every day, there is no reaso