8 'Unhealthy' Foods That Are Actually Good For You

Chips

An average 5.3oz (150g) serving supplies 1.37mg of the 3-4mg vitamin E we need daily for a healthy immune system and also contains 0.2oz (5.3g) fibre, similar to the amount in two slices of wholemeal bread.

Cake

Yes, you read that right – some cake can actually be pretty good for you. There are enough currants and sultanas in a classic homemade fruit cake, for example, for a slice to count as one of your five-a-day.

Fried eggs

While fried eggs are higher in calories than poached, eggs are rich in protein, B vitamins, vitamin D and selenium – and frying doesn’t deplete any of that goodness.

Red meat

If you trim off all the visible fat, unprocessed red meats like beef and lamb can be a healthy choice. "Red meat provides easily absorbed iron and plenty of zinc.

Cheese

In theory, yes. But in practice, studies suggest that cheese eaters often tend to be slimmer and don’t have higher cholesterol levels, despite eating more saturated fat.

White bread

A healthy wholemeal loaf has 0.09oz (2.8g) fibre per slice, but that doesn’t make white bread – with 0.03oz (1g) of fibre per slice – bad for you.

Potatoes

Because of their high glycaemic index or GI – the measure of how quickly a carbohydrate releases sugar into the bloodstream – potatoes have often been labelled as less healthy.

Salad dressing

While would-be healthy eaters may have become accustomed to ordering their salads with the dressing on the side, make your dressing from scratch and it can add extra flavour and texture to a dish – without turning it into an unhealthy one.

SWIPE UP FOR MORE AMAZING STORIES