Some of America’s most “innocent” favorites are hiding dirty little secrets. A colorful Cobb salad can rival a full dinner, banana bread may behave more like cake, and granola can turn into crunchy candy before breakfast is over. Even sushi is not always as light as it looks. These foods wear healthy disguises, pile on sugar, salt, and fat, and fool people every day. But one beloved classic may be the sneakiest offender of all.
#1: Cobb Salad
Created at Hollywood’s Brown Derby, Cobb salad combines greens, chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, and dressing. With vegetables, lean-looking chicken, and avocado filling the bowl, it can seem like a healthy lunch, but appearances are doing heavy lifting.
Bacon, cheese, eggs, and creamy dressing can load it with sodium, saturated fat, and calories, while oversized portions add even more. Try grilled chicken, extra vegetables, a little avocado, less cheese, and vinaigrette served lightly or on the side instead.