Never judge food by its appearance.

Introduction: Choosing food is a "task" that many people must do every day. Today, it is not just a life skill, but a survival skill. I've noticed that many people pay great attention to the "appearance" of food when selecting it, preferring items with a good texture and attractive color. In doing so, they are actually committing a major taboo in food selection.

Soft Bread. When choosing bread, the principle to remember is "choose hard over soft." Harder breads generally have relatively lower energy content because soft breads typically have higher sugar and fat content. From a health perspective, whole wheat bread with a relatively "coarse" texture, a "hard" feel, and a high content of dietary fiber is a good choice. Not only is it filling after eating, but it can also help with bowel movements.

Soft Bread

Crispy Biscuits. Just like bread, when choosing biscuits, one should also pay attention to selecting varieties with a light taste and low fat and sugar content. The simplest way to determine the fat content of a biscuit is to observe its crispiness. Biscuits with low crispiness (i.e., harder biscuits) generally have lower fat content, and vice versa, with a higher oil content.

Crispy Potato Chips. This type of fried food is very high in energy and fat content, and its nutritional components such as protein, vitamins, and minerals are greatly destroyed. It can easily lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and other diseases. Reports have pointed out that the thinner and crispier the potato chips, the higher the frying temperature, and the more harmful substances such as acrylamide are produced. This type of snack is not recommended for consumption.

Seasoned Roasted Potato Chips

White Steamed Buns. Buns that are snow-white, soft to the touch, and have a delicate texture are favored by many people. However, from a health perspective, such buns may have adverse effects on human health. Truly good flour is not too white, but creamy white or slightly yellow. Therefore, overly white buns may have had whitening agents added, and overly soft buns may contain excessive "aluminum leavening agents."

Fatty Pig's Trotters. Plump, white pig's trotters always look so tempting. However, such trotters may have been prepared through chemical methods. Pig's trotters soaked in a sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) solution become bloated and fat. They are then bleached and preserved with hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide), and finally colored with sodium nitrite to make fatty pig's trotters. These three chemicals can all be harmful to health. A truly good trotter should be light yellow and relatively small in size.

Braised Pig's Trotters

Green Seaweed. Currently, there is a large variation in the color and thickness of seaweed on the market. Normal seaweed should be brown-green or yellowish-green. Seaweed that has been processed through blanching, cooling, salting, and dehydration is dark green. Some seaweed on the market that is emerald green may have been soaked with artificially added pigments (such as basic green and copper sulfate). Special attention should be paid when selecting, and it is best not to buy them.

Red-Cooked Meat. The braised meats and pig's trotters in supermarket counters are red, bright, and tempting, but these cooked foods may contain a significant amount of nitrite, posing a major health risk. Nitrite can act as a preservative and coloring agent, and its addition makes the meat tender and pink, making it look better. Normal braised meat only has a darker color on the skin, while meat with nitrite is red from the inside out and has a ham-like taste. When selecting, you can judge based on color and taste.

Red Yeast Braised Meat Skin Rolls