Things aren’t always what they seem, and the same cliché applies to choosing food. The following unhealthy foods list contains 10 of the most common food items that you should go easy on.
Chips
Let’s start with probably the most popular snack of the modern world. They are addictive and people are very unlikely to stop with just a handful of this calorie-dense food, so it’s too easy to lose control. A single service of potato chips can contain as much as 10 grams of fat.
Fruit Juice
Worthy of an argument, you might say, but most canned and bottled fruit juices are so full of sugar that the cons outweigh the pros. Essential fiber, mostly coming from fruit pulp, is removed during the process of making the drink.
Coffee Creamer
A serving of coffee creamer might not seem a lot, especially when some of the leading brands are advertised as trans-fat free; but if you’re a heavy coffee drinker, the calories can quickly add up in a day. Opt for healthier alternatives like nonfat, almond, or skim milk.
Diet Soft Drinks
This is another item that can spark a debate among health enthusiasts. Although they may contain no calories, diet sodas use artificial sweeteners that stimulate your appetite; so you tend to eat more, thinking that you are saving on the calories because of the drink. Go for plain water instead.
Vegetable Oils
They’re from vegetables; vegetables are good, so they’re also good. That may not always be the case. Most vegetable oils are highly processed and are subjected to high levels of rancidity. They also have shown to deplete your body from essential nutrients and can cause liver and reproductive organ damage that can ultimately lead to cancer.
Also read: Avoid Using These 5 Toxic Cooking Oils
White Bread
This is one type of bread you should never have in your kitchen. They’re cheaper to produce than their whole grain counterparts, but the nutritional value is almost absent in refined white flour. White bread is also full of sugar and other ingredients that seem suspicious.
Granola Bars
But these are full of fiber, all natural, and protein rich, right? They might be healthier than a bag of chips, but most of them are loaded with sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils. You’re better off with a handful of nuts and a whole fruit. And speaking of nuts…
Peanuts
Most nuts are healthy, but peanuts are not as good as the others. Most packaged peanuts are cooked with unhealthy fats and generously seasoned with salt. Peanuts are also full of Omega-6 fatty acids which may increase the risk of diabetes. Go easy on them and eat them raw as much as possible.
Ketchup
They have lycopene which can significantly reduce the risk of certain cancers. However, most varieties are also loaded with lots of sugar that around 26% percent of ketchup is carbohydrates. Most of the available brands are non-organic and processed making the lycopene levels almost negligible.
Processed Cheese
The last on the list of unhealthy foods list is processed cheese. Most cheeses are not really healthy but processed cheese is a variety that you should stay away from. It’s loaded with salt that with just 3 slices, you can exceed the recommended daily allowance for sodium.
References: Reader’s Digest, Byrdie, and ListVerse.
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