7 Bad Foods That Are Actually Good for You (2024)

There are two ways to eat pizza: The unhealthy way (with extra meat like pepperoni and sausage), or the healthy way loaded with veggies.

Regardless, one slice of regular crust pizza has about 285 calories, which, with a side salad and a piece of fruit is a pretty decent lunch — especially since it also delivers about 20% of your daily value for calcium and a healthy dose of protein. But since pizza is still a source of saturated fat (about five grams) and chock-full of sodium, limit it to once a week and load up on those veggies.

Calorie for calorie, the difference in vanilla ice cream versus frozen yogurt is pretty small (114 in frozen yogurt versus 137 in ice cream per half cup). The real differences are in the fat and sugar content (ice cream's higher in fat; fro-yo's got more sugar).

My advice when you're craving a frozen dessert? Choose a half cup of the real deal to satisfy your cravings. But make sure to skip the sugary toppings and choose brands with as few ingredients as possible.

Research has been pretty consistent on the multiple benefits of eating chocolate. They're rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that protect cells from damage, and can help boost immunity.

Plus, since research has linked daily intake of chocolate (about 150 calories for a one-ounce square) to lower body mass index, it can also help stave off the weight gain from other higher calorie and fat desserts. Just be sure to choose chocolate with at least 65% cacao to maximize health benefits.

Fancier coffee and espresso drinks get an often well-deserved bad rap for being loaded with calories and sugar. But cappuccinos deserve a toast for their excellent, no-frills nutrition profile.

Since the foam cuts down on the amount of milk, even a 12-ounce cappuccino is 110 calories when made with whole milk. And that means you get an added six grams of protein making it an easy go-to choice for your afternoon caffeine-fix without derailing your diet.

While cream cheese isn't exactly winning an Oscar for its role in healthy breakfasts, it's easily a better choice than butter when choosing a spread. In fact, butter is double the calories and fat per serving.

The only hitch: If you're buying a bagel at a local deli, make sure you ask for your cream cheese on the side, since the tendency to be heavy-handed with the butter-knife can easily rack up the calories quickly.