Whole Foods is health food central, but that doesn’t mean each and every item on the shelves is good for you. Health experts warn that a few select items sold in stores can do more harm than good–particularly in the bakery and dessert aisle.
“Most consumers shop at grocery markets like Whole Foods as a means of purchasing healthier food options. This is a great goal and motivation to have, but shoppers must still read nutrition labels carefully, especially when purchasing desserts,” registered dietitian Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD of Balance One Supplements tells us.
One item, Abe’s vegan muffins, and vegan baked goods in general can have a common misconception of being healthy when in fact they are packed with an unusually high calorie, carbs and sugar content. Here’s everything you need to know:
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Abe's Vegan Muffin
Best warns that the popular vegan muffin brand Abe's, in particular their Vegan Wild Blueberry muffin, should be avoided.
"A serving of this dessert is 2 muffins and they provide the consumer with 200 calories, most of which is from carbohydrates and fat. The carbs found in these muffins are largely from added sugar, which is known to lead to adverse health reactions and weight gain," she warns.
In fact, health experts warn of “vegan” desserts in general. "People think if something is vegan it all of the sudden is better for you," celebrity health and wellness expert Joey Thurman, CES CPT FNS of kuudose tells us. "Now it might have more quality ingredients but it doesn’t mean it is nutritious."
Thurman offers the example of the vegan raspberry cake slide. "This calories bomb has 450 calories per slice, 19g of fat, 68 grams of carbs, and 40grams of sugar. Basically, this thing is a candy bar wrapped in vegan clothing." Yikes!
