Nutrition News: NYC Salt Proposal, "Healthy" Foods to Skip, Real vs. Artificial Sugar

 

During his long reign as mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg introduced public health initiatives, including banning trans fats in food prepared in NYC restaurants and requiring restaurants to post calorie counts. Now, his successor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, has proposed requiring chain restaurants to print a warning symbol (a little salt shaker) next to menu items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the recommended daily intake per U.S. guidelines. The Wall Street Journal reports that restaurants aren’t happy about the plan, which the city’s Board of Health will vote on in September. “Every single ingredient if it’s in excess could obviously cause you problems,” restaurant industry advocate Melissa Fleischut griped to the Journal. “Do we label every ingredient?”

What widely considered “healthy” foods do diet experts steer clear of? Time magazine offers a list, which includes: agave nectar (“not at all better than sugar”), fiber-added foods (“can cause gas, bloating, nausea, flatulence, stomach cramps and even diarrhea”), veggie chips (“many varieties are fried”) and smoothies (depending on what’s in there, may have “as many calories as a burger”). Good to know!

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. A regular contributor to The Los Angeles Times, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Wine Spectator, among others, as well as for Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish .