Whether you’re planning on losing weight or just staying healthy, some foods simply don’t belong in your diet. From fatty foods to very processed and nutritionally poor products, here are the biggest problem foods.
Check out 10 foods nutritionists won’t eat and decide for yourself if you should scale them back or drop them altogether. Here are the foods and drinks that simply aren’t compatible with healthy eating.
1. Highly Processed Meats
From hot dogs and spam to pepperoni and cold cuts, most processed meats have a very high content of fat and salt. They’re not just loaded with preservatives, they’re also poor sources of protein. All canned meats are highly processed, but lunch meats can also deliver plenty of saturated fat and sodium without much nutritional value.
2. Reduced Fat foods
Most low fat foods that have been processed overcompensate with sugar in order to keep the taste. Reduced fat foods don’t discriminate between healthy monounsaturated fats and more harmful fats, so they’re among the foods nutritionists won’t eat. Unless you have special dietary needs based on a medical condition, nutritionists will always recommend portion control when eating more natural foods, despite the higher fat content.
3. Fruit Juice
Even if you’re not drinking juice with added sugar, you’re still getting a sugary beverage without the benefit of fibers from eating whole fruits and vegetables. Squeezing organic fruit on your own is a much better option than store bought fruit juice, but you’re still getting a big dose of sugar, while the healthy fiber is left behind.
4. Non Grass-Fed Meat and Dairy
Corn-fed meat and dairy is fattier than grass fed and has less nutritional value. Whether it’s red meat, poulty or diary that comes from cord-fed animals, they’re some of the foods nutritionists won’t eat. Opting for grass-fed, means more nutritious meat and dairy, with a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids.
See also: Healthy Foods That Make You Fat
5. Ketchup
Loaded with sugar and salt, ketchup can also add a lot of calories to your food. Ketchup can also be loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to obesity. If you want a sweet tomato sauce with your food, you’re better off making your own. You’ll be skipping all the sugar, sodium and preservatives.
6. Fiber Bars
While they promise to deliver healthy fiber, these bars are also among the foods nutritionists won’t eat since they also pack a lot of calories from their high sugar content. Even if you stick to a seemingly natural fiber bar, made with honey instead of fructose and high maltose corn syrup, you’re not getting better nutritional value than by just eating a piece of fiber-rich fruit.
7. Flavored Coffee Drinks
While coffee has very few calories on its own, mixing it with high-fat dairy and sugar can mean starting your day with hundreds of calories. Keep your coffee under 50 calories by adding skim milk or soy milk to it instead of getting a large flavored coffee that can raise your blood sugar levels quickly, then cause cravings when it’s followed by the inevitable crash.
8. Cheesy Puffs
If they’re orange and crunchy, they’re most likely one of the foods nutritionists won’t eat. Carefully created to become an addictive snack, most orange packaged foods are loaded with preservatives and artificial flavors. Since they’re also very airy, you’re very likely to continue eating them even though you’re full.
9. Flavored and Non-Dairy Coffee Creamers
Even if you manage to say no to flavored coffees, you should also avoid most creamers. They usually have a high content of partially hydrogenated oils, which means you’re getting a big dose of trans fats in your coffee. Read the ingredients carefully and stick to creamers that are just made from milk and cream.
10. Diet Soda
Artificial sweeteners are present in many of the foods nutritionists won’t eat, but diet soda can be the most harmful. When you’re eating or drinking too many artificial sweeteners, you’re more likely to develop sugar cravings and make more unhealthy choices. You’re not getting any nutrients from diet sodas, so just replace them with a club soda with a dash of lemon.
