06/06/2025
Donât Shun These 8 Foods:
Their Bad Reputations Are out of Date!!!
Science and guidelines have changed, so your choices can too!!!
Do you fear the fat in avocados? The carbs in popcorn? The cholesterol in egg yolks?
If so, you may be missing out on some nutritional winners that, for one reason or another, have iffy, outdated images. Despite encouraging research and, in some cases, updated guidelines from health agencies and medical groups, certain healthy foods and beverages still have bad reputations with too many consumers, nutrition experts say.
Hereâs what you need to know about some perfectly nice foods that might be on your naughty list:
1. Eggs
Eggs are high in cholesterol, with about 200 mg in every yolk. Health groups, including the American Heart Association, long recommended eating no more than three or so a week for that reason. But it turns out that the cholesterol in our diets is only weakly related to the harmful, artery-clogging cholesterol in our bloodstreams. So, recommendations have changed.
Since 2015, the federal governmentâs Dietary Guidelines for Americans have set no specific cholesterol limit. The guidelines say eggs can be part of a healthy diet. More recently, in new rules, the Food and Drug Administration said eggs can be labeled a heathy food. The heart association now says that an egg a day is fine for most people and that older adults with normal blood cholesterol and a heart-healthy diet can safely eat up to two. People with high cholesterol should be more cautious about consuming cholesterol, the group says.
âThe egg is a packed nutritional powerhouse,â says Angel Planells, a registered dietitian in Seattle and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The nutrients in eggs include plenty of protein and vitamin D, he says.
Egg yolks also are an especially rich source of the âbrain nutrientâ choline, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a Chicago registered dietitian and author of TheSuperfood Swap.
2. Avocados
While it might seem that avocados are now a well-known superfood, Blatner says she still hears from people concerned about their fat content. And avocados do have a lot of fat: 22 grams in a medium one, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. But âthis is healthy fat ⌠the types of fats that help to lower your heart risk,â says Lena Beal, a registered dietitian in Atlanta and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Beal says she urges clients to âgo for the guacamole.â
A classic healthy recipe could include just avocados, cilantro, lime, salt and a little (sugar-free) salsa, if you like it a little spicy. Some people include onion and jalapeĂąos. Make it your own but skip the sour cream, spice packets and processed versions full of additives.
In addition to healthy unsaturated fats, avocados are surprisingly rich in fiber, Blatner says: âAvocados are so smooth and creamy,â she says, but they can have 14 grams of fiber. Even half an avocado has more fiber than an apple, she says. U.S. dietary guidelines say someone eating 2,000 calories a day should aim for 28 daily grams of fiber.
3. Popcorn
People often assume that popcorn belongs in the same category as pretzels and crackers, which are rarely made from whole grains, Blatner says. But popcorn âactually is this fun food that people already enjoy that happens to naturally be a whole grain,â she says.
Beal says popcorn âhas wonderful fiber in it.â The healthiest popcorn is a batch you pop at home with an air popper or a little vegetable oil, Beal and Blatner say. A tub of heavily buttered stuff from a movie theater is a completely different matter. That movie theater tub can contain up to 1,090 calories and 2,650 milligrams of sodium, according to the heart association.
Beal adds that itâs important to read labels when buying bags of grocery store popcorn: Some types are too high in sugar or salt for people with health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, she says.
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4. Coffee
A few decades ago, coffee was listed as a âpossible carcinogenâ by the World Health Organization. That changed when newer studies showed coffee actually reduced certain cancer risks and was probably wrongly maligned because so many coffee drinkers also smoked, according to Harvardâs public health website. Today, thereâs a âflow of pro-coffee research,â suggesting the brew lowers risks of diabetes and heart disease, as well as cancer, Blatner says. Coffee might also lower risks of depression and su***de, Harvard says.
One big reason coffee might boost health is that it contains high levels of antioxidants, substances that prevent or delay cell damage.
Of course, caffeinated coffee also is a stimulant, known for increasing alertness, attention and mood â as long as you donât overdo it or drink it too late in the day when it can interfere with sleep, Blatner says.
At least one large 2025 study, published in the European Heart Journal, has found that people who tend to drink coffee all day, instead of mostly in the morning, donât get the same health benefits, possibly because of effects on sleep.
Too much coffee also can raise blood pressure and lead to anxiety and heart palpitations, the heart association says. Coffee is healthiest with âzero or minimalâ add-ons such as cream and sugar, Blatner adds.
5. Frozen veggies
Decades of reminders that âfresh is bestâ have steered too many consumers away from minimally processed frozen fruits and vegetables âpicked at the peak of freshnessâ and full of nutrients, Planells says. âYou can have multiple servings of veggies with a microwave in a matter of minutes,â he says.
Blatner says that frozen fruits and veggies are ideal backups for days when you run out of fresh produce: âThe frozen spinach can be in your omelet. The frozen cauliflower rice can be in your lunch bowl. The broccoli can be your side dish, the frozen berries can go in your smoothies.â
6. Nuts
Like avocados, nuts are fatty foods. But most nuts, including walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans, are highest in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are good for your heart, Beal says. They also provide lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, she says. Macadamias and cashews are higher in saturated fat, she says, so should be more occasional treats. Just watch your portions: An ounce of nuts has 160 to 200 calories, Beal says.
The FDA says plain nuts and seeds could be labeled healthy, regardless of saturated fat level, under its new rules. Some products containing nuts â like certain trail mixes or granola bars â might not make the grade because of high levels of sugar, salt, or saturated fat from other ingredients.
7. Full-fat salad dressing
If you are still squeezing lemon juice on a bowl of greens and other veggies, you may not have heard the news: The nutrients in raw vegetables are better absorbed when your meal includes some fat. Avocados, nuts and seeds on a salad can help, Blatner says, but so can a dressing made with a healthy olive or avocado oil. âYou donât need to use fat-free salad dressing anymore,â she says.
In fact, Beal says, bottled dressings with reduced fat often have extra sugar or salt to add flavor, making them less healthy choices.
8. Whole milk
Milk and other dairy foods are rich sources of calcium, vitamin D, protein, and other nutrients. Fermented versions, like yogurt, may have even more health benefits. For the lactose intolerant, lactose-free versions offer pretty much the same nutrients. While current dietary guidelines suggest getting your dairy in nonfat or low-fat forms, a growing body of research suggests itâs just fine to mix in some whole milk, along with some full-fat yogurt and cheese.
For example, researchers who looked at more than 1,400 people enrolled in 19 studies found no link between eating dairy foods, with any fat level, and problems with weight, cholesterol, or blood pressure. They found a possible link between high-fat dairy foods and better levels of so-called good cholesterol (HDL).
Enjoying a creamy full-fat yogurt or cheese cube might even help control your weight by filling you up and curbing your appetite, say the authors of The Whole Body Reset, AARPâs diet plan for people at mid-life and beyond.
Still, nutrition experts worry about the saturated fat in whole-fat dairy. So, the Mayo Clinic recommends keeping your total saturated fat intake in mind when you indulge in it. The dietary guidelines say no more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. The heart association recommends less than 6 percent.
"Full-fat dairy foods like whole milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc., can certainly be part of your mix, as long as you are keeping overall saturated fat in mind," Blatner says.
So go ahead and have that whole milk latte â but maybe not on the same day you have a steak.
