Chips, hot dogs, pizza and ice cream are obvious unhealthy foods. They’re not considered healthy by most of us, let alone nutritionists.
But what about unhealthy foods masquerading as “health foods”? In the food industry, it’s long been a practice to sell their foods as healthy despite their foods being anything but. It’s called customer manipulation, with terms like “only natural ingredients,” “sugar-free” and even “organic” being tossed around in the effort to fool you.
Here’s a list of popular health foods you should never eat. Many of these aren’t really health foods at all.
Remember, you are what you eat. Choose food sources that are less processed and contain less sugar.
1. Fruit juice
Fruit juice is very high in sugar, as they contain as much sugar and calories as sugar-sweetened beverages. When you sit down to drink an 8-ounce glass of orange juice, you’re consuming the juice of four medium-sized oranges in literally seconds — or a few minutes at the most. Compare this to how long it would take to eat four oranges, and you can quickly see how eating fruit in its whole form is best. (Thanks, in large part, to all of that wholesome fiber.)
In fact, the average fruit juice’s fructose concentration is 45.5 grams per liter. As a comparison, soda is 50 grams. While glucose serves as a fuel for our body, fructose is processed almost exclusively in the liver, where it’s converted to fat.
2. Fruit canned in syrup
When you get canned fruit, often it says canned in “light syrup” or “heavy syrup.” Either is bad news for your diet, as that means added sugar.
Fortunately, you can still buy fruit canned in either water or juice. Best of all, of course, is fresh or frozen organic fruit.
3. Conventional strawberries
When it comes to strawberries, always choose organic. Non-organic strawberries rank No. 1 on the dirty dozen list, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Strawberries tested by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009 and 2014 contained an average of 5.75 different pesticides per sample. (That’s even after they are washed.) It’s also important to note that non-organic strawberry fields are often fumigated with toxic gases that were initially developed for chemical warfare.
The better option is to choose organic.
4. Pancakes from a box
Pancakes seem innocent enough. But when you look at the standard pancake mix at the grocery store (or in the back kitchen of a diner), you’d be appalled. Inflammatory hydrogenated oils and trans fats are still in some of the most popular pancake mixes in America. Add to that that most syrups are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, and it’s clear this breakfast needs a revamp.
Better option is to make your own pancakes and top with real fruit and maple syrup. Try any of these three pancake recipes:
5. Coffee drinks
The benefits of drinking coffee are real. But those incredible benefits are wiped out when you add unhealthy coffee ingredients into the mix, such as sugar syrups. Did you know a typical 16-ounce pumpkin spiced latte contains a whopping 50 grams of sugar? All of that sugar, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, can harm the liver and even contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Better option is making your own coffee and adding some unsweetened plant-based milk or regular milk.
6. Fat-free milk
It’s time to stop being afraid of full-fat dairy. An The American Journal of Nutrition makes a strong case for eating it instead of its low-fat dairy counterparts. Researchers studied more than 18,000 women and found the ones who consumed more full-fat dairy were 8 percent less likely to be overweight or obese compared to the low-fat dairy group.
One theory is that eating full-fat dairy helps people feel fuller longer. Aside from that, low-fat and fat-free dairy products are often laden with added sugar, a potent risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Also, be sure to always choose organic milk. Research shows organic milk has a much healthier fat profile. In a Washington State University study that investigated 400 samples, conventional milk had an average omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 5.8, more than twice that of organic milk’s ratio of 2.3. The researchers say the far healthier ratio of fatty acids in organic milk is brought about by a greater reliance on pasture and forage-based feeds on organic dairy farms.
7. Flavored yogurts
Regular, plain yogurt contains probiotics, a good level of protein and multiple minerals and B vitamins. But when you buy flavored yogurt, even the types that claim to be “all-natural” and “containing real fruit!”, you’re getting a product with a high amount of sugar in a relatively small serving.
For example, one 170-gram container of a low-fat fruit yogurt contains 20 grams of sugar.
A better way to go is plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, with some added fresh fruit on top.
8. Breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal remains a popular breakfast these days because it’s so convenient. Unfortunately, most cereals are very high in refined grains, lack protein and healthy fats, and are excessively high in sugar. Many are low in fiber as well as contain some ultra-processed ingredients.
If you insist on having a breakfast cereal, consider varieties that contain whole grains and are low in sugar but relatively high in fiber.
9. Granola bars
The granola bar is a standard snack that most of us think of as healthy. It’s usually made with oats, sugar, oil, and some blend of dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
But if you choose a brand that’s full of sugar or other sweeteners, refined grains and oil, that type of granola bar can spike blood sugar levels and lead to overeating.
10. Protein bars
Another bar that remains popular is the protein bar, which may be fueled by whey protein or soy protein, for example. However, many protein bars contain thickeners, artificial colors and flavors, unhealthy oils and sometimes are excessively sweet as well.
If you seek a protein boost, often it’s better to go with a protein powder in a fruit-based smoothie, for example.
11. Microwave popcorn
Popcorn is healthy, right? Well, not the microwaved variety. Why? Microwavable bags are coated with nonstick perfluorochemicals like perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — chemicals that are linked to cancer.
Another major concern is diacetyl. This fake butter flavoring compound causes serious lung disease when inhaled in large quantities.
A better option is to simply pop your own. Purchase plain, organic popcorn kernels at a natural foods store. Use coconut oil or organic butter to make.
12. ‘Atlantic’ salmon and other farmed fish
Another health food you should never eat is farmed fish, such as farmed salmon. It’s often called ‘Atlantic’ salmon or just salmon.
For example, a University of New York at Albany study found dioxin levels in farm-raised salmon to be 11 times higher than those in wild salmon. The environmental pollutants are linked to cancer, organ damage and immune system dysfunction.
You also want to avoid swai fish. This “river catfish” is most often raised in Vietnamese ponds with truly abysmal track records.
One study found 70 to 80 percent of swai fish samples were contaminated by Vibrio bacteria — the microbes behind most cases of shellfish poisoning.
Better fish to eat are Alaskan wild-caught salmon, Pacific sardines and Atlantic mackerel.
13. Farmed shrimp
Farmed shrimp also should be avoided, as it often contains 4-hexylresorcinol, a food additive used to prevent discoloration in shrimp. This additive has estrogen-like effects that could reduce sperm count in men and increase breast cancer risk in women.
Shrimp farm pond waters are often treated with neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides. Malachite green, a potential carcinogen, is often used to kill fungus on shrimp eggs. Once it has been used, malachite green will stay in the flesh of shrimp for a very long time – more than 200 days in water that is 50 degrees F.
Instead, go with wild-caught shrimp.
14. Factory-farmed meat
Essentially, as said above, you are what they eat. If the livestock that you’re grilling up for supper is fed hormones, drugs and an unnatural diet grown using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, well, that’s not good news for you, either.
For example, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) often overuse antibiotics to compensate for poor conditions. This can contribute to the global antibiotic resistance crisis.
It’s healthier to buy organic, grass-fed meat when possible.
15. Overcooked meat
All meats have amino acids, including creatine and sugars. Cooking them at very high temperatures produces molecules called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), though. These are carcinogenic, toxic compounds also found in cigarette smoke. Well-done meat contains 3.5 times more HCA than medium-rare meat.
Using thicker, store-bought marinades containing sweeteners like sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or even honey makes charing more likely, possibly increasing exposure to carcinogens.
16. Processed plant-based meat substitutes
Plant-based meat replacement products remain popular but are made from ultra-processed ingredients, sweeteners, salt, etc.
You’d be better served to make your own plant-based burger or meal from ingredients like tofu, black beans, tempeh and mushrooms, for example.
17. Seitan
Seitan seems like a health food and an amazing meat replacement — until you realize it’s basically a loaf of vital wheat gluten. In addition, it’s not a complete protein and is very high in sodium.
A better option is to opt for tempeh instead. The fermented soy offers probiotic benefits, and it can be used in many dishes.
18. Canned green beans
Canned green beans are consistently contaminated with some of the most dangerous pesticides, according to Consumer Reports. In fact, eating just one serving of U.S.-grown green beans a day is “high risk,” due to the toxicity of the pesticides typically used on that crop. Because those chemicals tend to be far more toxic than others, Consumer Reports notes that eating one serving of green beans from the U.S. is 200 times riskier than eating a serving of U.S.-grown broccoli.
A better option is to choose organic, fresh or frozen green beans.
19. Conventional leafy greens
Leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods to eat, right? Not so fast. Organic leafy greens are in the category but, according to the Environmental Working Group, conventional leafy greens like collard greens, kale and mustard greens contain the most pesticides.
20. Vegetable oils and margarine
Vegetable oils also fall onto the “health” foods you should never eat list. Hand-in-hand with margarine, vegetable oils like canola oil are highly inflammatory and not healthy by any stretch of the imagination. They are usually genetically modified, are partially hydrogenated and have been linked to many health issues.
And while trans fats have since been removed from most margarines, it’s important to note that most contain industrial, highly processed fats that would never be found in nature.
Better option is pure, cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil. Also choose butter or ghee from grass-fed cows.
21. Table salt
Pretty much everyone has heard that white table salt causes hypertension, yet that hasn’t stopped more than 95 percent of restaurants in the nation from stocking it on every table and food bar.
Originally produced from mined salt, refined table salt technically starts as a “real” food then quickly becomes fake. Manufacturers use harvesting methods that strip it of all its naturally-occurring minerals and then use a number of additives to dry it and heat it to temperatures of about 1,200 degrees.
Because it was destroyed, the naturally occurring iodine is then replaced with potassium iodide in potentially toxic amounts. The salt is then stabilized with dextrose, which turns it purple. Finally it is bleached white.
A much more suitable replacement is not even a replacement at all, but the original product: sea salt.
22. Artificial sweeteners
Being “artificial,” you’d think that artificial sweeteners would be used cautiously by people. Unfortunately, many doctors recommend them because they are supposedly safe for diabetics because they are low on the glycemic index.
Ironically, research has shown that artificial sweeteners cause a disturbance in gut flora and can actually cause diabetes.
Instead, go with natural sweeteners like stevia, maple syrup and coconut sugar.
23. Diet soda
While most people don’t consider diet soda to be healthy, they often think it doesn’t impact health much.
But artificial sweeteners in diet soda seem to confuse the body’s natural ability to manage calories based on tasting something sweet. People who consume artificial sweeteners are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
24. Most sport beverages
“Sports drinks” sounds like something you need and can only be healthy? But it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
While these drinks are marketed as natural “energy boosters,” often they contain stimulants like caffeine and excessive sugar that you simply don’t need to exercise.
25. Agave nectar
Agave nectar is considered a “natural sweetener” but has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener on the market. And remember, fructose is hard on the liver and puts our body into fat storage mode.
Instead, use raw honey or green stevia when you need a little sweetness.
