It’s easy to get confused about which foods are healthy and which aren’t. You generally want to avoid certain foods if you want to lose weight and prevent chronic illnesses.
1. Sugary drinks
Added sugar is one of the worst ingredients in the modern diet. However, some sources of sugar are worse than others, and sugary drinks are particularly harmful. When you drink liquid calories, your brain doesn’t appear to register them as food. Thus, you may end up drastically increasing your total calorie intake.
2. Most pizzas
Pizza is one of the world’s most popular junk foods. Most commercial pizzas are made with unhealthy ingredients, including highly refined dough and heavily processed meat. Pizza also tends to be extremely high in calories.
3. White bread
Most commercial breads are unhealthy if eaten in large amounts, as they’re made from refined wheat, which is low in fiber and essential nutrients and may lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar.
4. Most fruit juices
Fruit juice is often assumed to be healthy. While juice contains some antioxidants and vitamin C, it also packs high amounts of liquid sugar. In fact, fruit juice harbors just as much sugar as sugary drinks like Coke or Pepsi and sometimes even more.
5. Sweetened breakfast cereals
Breakfast cereals are processed cereal grains, such as wheat, oats, rice, and corn. They’re especially popular among children and frequently eaten with milk. To make them more palatable, the grains are roasted, shredded, pulped, rolled, or flaked. They’re generally high in added sugar. The main downside of most breakfast cereals is their high added sugar content. Some are so sweet that they could even be compared to candy.
6. Fried, grilled, or broiled food
Frying, grilling, and broiling are among the unhealthiest cooking methods. Foods cooked in these ways are often highly palatable and calorie-dense. Several types of unhealthy chemical compounds also form when food is cooked under high heat.
7. Pastries, cookies, and cakes
Most pastries, cookies, and cakes are unhealthy if eaten in excess. Packaged versions are generally made with refined sugar, refined wheat flour, and added fats. Shortening, which may be high in unhealthy trans fats, is sometimes added. These treats might be tasty, but they have almost no essential nutrients, copious calories, and many preservatives.
8. French fries and potato chips
Whole, white potatoes are very healthy. However, the same cannot be said of French fries and potato chips. These foods are very high in calories, and it’s easy to eat excessive amounts. Several studies link French fries and potato chips to weight gain.
