Most of the times, you are told about the healthy foods that you can eat to keep yourself fit and super active. But you definitely can’t stick to a specific list of items for all your life, right? So, have you ever thought that there must be a list of unhealthy foods so that you can leave those specific foods aside and have a greater choice when making the decision regarding what to eat? Keeping this point of view in mind, we are highlighting 50 unhealthy foods that could be harmful to your body.
50 unhealthy foods that you should avoid:
You can have a look at the list of unhealthy foods below. We have tried to categorize them in a way to make it easier for you to remember them and keep them away from your normal diet:
High level of Sugar – unhealthy foods:
The following food items have been included in unhealthy foods because of their zero nutritional value and high sugar content. Have a look at the list of these items and try avoiding them.
1. Sweet Cereals:
One of the most liked food product that we consume daily is breakfast cereal. We are not claiming that each of the cereal that is available in the market is harmful to your health. But yes, there are certain cereals with high sugar content. They are definitely harmful to your body as they are providing with excessive sugar. This excessive sugar can make your morning meal taste good but it is definitely not the best option to start your day with.
2. Sugary drinks:
You might be fond of a specific juice or a special drink. But have you checked the sugar content in it? Do they add preservatives? You need to be sure about the answers to consider it as a healthy drink.
3. Carbonated Drinks:
You can include fizzy drinks and the famous brands of cold drinks including Coca Cola and Pepsi to be the part of this drink category. No matter how calorie-free or diet versions are introduced by these brands, these drinks would remain unhealthy for human health.
4. Cereal bars:
A lot of sugar is added in these bars to make them taste good. It is better to get a handful of nuts or your favorite cereals instead of having these bars.
5. Cakes and Pastries:
They are rich in sugar content and can make you obese because of this high sugar content and excessive cream used in it. These cakes and pastries don’t give any nutritional value to your body but increase the daily calorie count.
6. Cookies:
Cookies are also made from processed wheat and contain unhealthy fats and sugars too. So, it is better to avoid all such sort of unhealthy food in your life.
7. Low-Fat Yogurt:
The real taste of the yogurt is in the full-fat form. Removing fats from it actually results in a lack of taste. So, in order to compensate it, additives and sugars are added, thus making these low-fat yogurts one of the unhealthy foods that must be completely avoided.
8. Milkshakes:
If you aren’t making your milkshake home with probably no sugar added, then you are adding a lot of calories and sugar content in your body. Moreover, you might find unsaturated fats in the packaged milkshakes as well. So, now the decision for buying the next pack of milkshake is your own.
9. High sugar coffee:
If you can’t drink your coffee without sugar, then you are increasing the sugar content in your blood without even noticing it. Most of the people drink 3-4 cups of coffee daily. Imagine consuming 2 teaspoons of sugar with each cup thus making 8-10 teaspoons of direct sugar intake daily.
10. Agave Nectar:
This is an artificial sweetener that can be used instead of sugar. But if you haven’t read the ingredients before using it, then you’ll be alarmed. Agave nectar contains 85% of fructose, which is higher than the common sugar that we use daily. So be attentive while making such purchases.
11. Doughnuts:
Everyone loves donuts. But they are rich in carbohydrates and contains a high amount of sugar in them. The dressing – to make doughnuts presentable- is self-sufficient in the sugary content. So, you shouldn’t be making them the part of your daily routine.
12. Sweets:
The traditional sweets can again give you great taste. But the high sugar content is dangerous for your health. So beware.
13. Instant oatmeal:
The original oatmeal is good for health but the instant oatmeal that allows you to cook it within no time is dangerous and is included in the unhealthy food items. Such a serving of oatmeal has no fiber in it and fillers such as wheat or flour are added in it. Thus, reducing the nutritional benefits of the original oatmeal to zero.
14. Bottled green tea:
High sugar content and fructose corn syrup are often the part of the bottled green tea. Make sure to read the ingredients of the products before buying.
15. Coated Candies:
These candies are claimed to be made with real chocolate but apart from chocolate they contain corn syrup and artificial flavors.
16. Dried Cranberries:
Although, they must be included in the healthy food items but the problem is that being in the dry form, they can be consumed without a specific limit, thus leading to more nutrients in your body, which aren’t even needed.
High-fat content – unhealthy foods:
Following food items have been regarded as unhealthy because of the presence of unhealthy fats present in them.
17. Margarine:
It is one of the products that most of us consider healthy and continue eating on a daily basis. However, in reality, it is made up of hydrogenated oil. Hydrogenated oil contains unhealthy fats that aren’t needed by your body. Apart from making you obese, consuming such food items can also lead to other diseases as well. So, avoid margarine.
18. French Fries:
One of the most favorite foods of any individual is French fries. We are sure that you would be included in this list too. But consuming fries can be dangerous for your body. Potatoes are good to be consumed daily, but they do contain carbohydrates, which can impact your healthy routine. Moreover, in order to convert the potatoes to French fries, you need to fry them in some oil. Thus, leading to high-fat content in the prepared food.
19. Fried Chicken:
Frying a chicken can give it a nice taste but increases the fatty substance. Simple chicken is rich in protein but low in cholesterol. However, eating it this way make it high in cholesterol too, thus destroying the real advantages of consuming chicken.
20. Fried fish:
Similar to chicken, fish has a lot of nutritional value in it. But consuming it as a fried item just increases the level of cholesterol that you are adding to your lives.
21. Onion Rings:
Another fried item that is non-beneficial for your health is the onion rings. They can add up to the cholesterol level and can also contain an excessive level of mineral contents because of seasoning and sauces that are mostly used with this dish.
22. Spring Rolls:
They may consist of vegetables and chicken, but the oil in which these rolls are fried in can increase the level of fat in your body, and thus it is included in the unhealthy food items.
23. Ice cream:
You might not believe that research has shown that high-fat content in the ice creams can be a probable cause of cardiovascular diseases.
24. Vanilla frosting:
Without any doubt, it is sweet, thus indicating sugar content along with the presence of additives to give it the right texture and shape. An unhealthy food option!
25. Mayonnaise:
If you are consuming mayonnaise with everything, then you are probably making it one of the unhealthy foods for you. Mayonnaise contains a lot of calories, and they are rich in fat. So, without moderation, they can lead to weight gain and other such diseases.
26. Veggie Wraps:
Flour and vegetable shortenings are the two major ingredients that make up a vegetable wrap. Both the major ingredients are processed and have higher chances to spoil your health.
27. Vegetable Oils:
Although, the general impression about corn oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil is that they are good for health. But actually, this is again a misconception. These oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, which aren’t very good for the human body.
28. Nachos:
Corn chips with cheese and cream often accompanied by meat and beans is a deadly combo that will increase your fat level to a considerable degree. You should think of some alternative to such high-calorie food and choose a healthier meal.
29. Cheese flavored popcorn:
Oil, cheese, and buttermilk are amongst the major ingredients of this popcorn. After knowing the main ingredients, you can yourself analyze what type of health effects it would create on you.
30. Mozzarella sticks:
Rich in fat, these sticks can be a problem for you in the long run. Think before consuming them or otherwise obesity is the ultimate result.
31. Peanut Butter:
Peanut butter is again a processed food that includes preservatives. Moreover, eating it with other food items won’t let you specify the optimal quantity that you must consume daily, resulting in overall high-fat content for your body.
32. Frozen Pie:
Frozen pie have saturated fats in them. Additionally, high quantity of sodium is also present in it to make it an unhealthy food.
High mineral content –unhealthy foods:
Minerals are, no doubt, important for your life but consuming them in large quantities can destroy your metabolism and efficient functioning. So, you must have a close look at how much minerals are you consuming every day. Here is a list of food items that contain more minerals than the recommended daily dosage.
33. Canned soup:
Canned soups can save a lot of your time, but should you really consume them? The answer is a big no. Why? Because the quantity of sodium present in one can is more than the optimal amount of sodium that you must consume in a day.
34. Caesar Salad:
The salad is definitely a good food item to consume. But seasoning it with sauces, dressing and salt is a problem. As the dressings contain a number of salts when mixed with, additional salt can create an overall excess quantity of minerals, which isn’t required by your body.
35. Taco:
Another food item with high mineral content is Taco. A lot of sauces are used in it to give it the right taste. Additionally, some of the ingredients used in tacos are fried, thus increasing the fatty substance in your body too.
36. Macaroni with cheese:
Like many other cheese dishes that are discussed above, macaroni with cheese can have a lot of problems in it, starting from excessive fat and carbohydrates to a high level of minerals present in it. Make sure you are aware of what you are consuming.
37. Noodle Soup:
The dehydrated noodles available in supermarket is one of the most prominent junk food that people eat. But it is filled with additives and has high mineral content, especially sodium. Moreover, it also contains TBHQ, one of the preservative from petroleum industry. so, make sure you don’t fall in prey for it next time.
38. Tomato Ketchup:
Making ketchup without additives at commercial level is nearly impossible because of the extensive shelf life it has. Moreover, the presence of sugar and sodium are the added ingredients that make ketchup a food harmful for your body.
Highly Processed Food – unhealthy foods:
Processed items must not be on your list in any way if you are looking for healthy food. Here are a few common processed foods that you should completely avoid.
39. Pizzas:
Pizza is one of the famous junk foods that everyone knows about. It is made up of refined flour and cheese, thus making the overall dish high in calories and a reason for a number of diseases.
40. Burgers:
They are yummy. But contain processed meat, and burger buns (made of flour). So, you can’t expect them to provide you with healthy nutritional value. So, you’ll have to avoid them to live a healthy life.
41. Processed Meat:
You can find a number of processed meat options in the market. We know that most of them are tasty enough to tempt you to buy them. But one thing that you should keep in mind is that they are highly processed and contain a large number of preservatives and minerals that are not necessary for your body. Rather when taken in high quantities can also result in serious problems.
42. White Bread:
Another food item that makes the list of unhealthy foods is white bread. It does not contain any of the essential nutrients i.e., it is an empty calorie. But at the same time, it can increase the blood sugar level to a considerably high degree.
43. White Rice:
If you consume white rice as the major food item, then you should switch to a brown one. Why? Because white rice is included in, the processed food and can enhance the level of carbohydrates considerably in the bloodstream.
44. Candy Bars:
The candy bars are low in the essential nutrients, and this is why often termed as junk food. They contain a lot of sugar and are highly processed with a lot of additives and additional calories in them. Thus making them bad for health.
45. Processed Cheese:
You can find the regular cheese in the list of healthy food items. But the processed cheese with different flavors. In most of the cases, the processed cheese is made from filler ingredients just to give the necessary shape and texture to it. So, it is definitely harmful to health.
46. Jellies:
Jellies are highly processed with a large number of additives added in them to make the right shape and texture that you enjoy. But have a look at the harmful substances that you are taking in with the consumption of jelly.
47. Chicken nuggets:
Nuggets are made from mechanically separated chicken rendering the raw material of nuggets unsafe to be used. Even in the making process, a large number of processed ingredients are included and to make it ready to eat; you need to fry them in oil. So, you can yourself decide if this is the type of food that you are looking for to include in your daily diet.
48. Low carbohydrates junk food:
The processed food that shows low carb label on it is highly processed. They do add some extra ingredients to keep up the taste and to keep them fresh for a long time. Thus, you must avoid such food.
49. Gluten-free junk food:
The food claiming to be gluten-free may be free of gluten, but it contains unhealthy oils and high sugar content. Moreover, it is more processed than the simple gluten food so it can increase the blood sugar level instantly without giving any essential nutrient items.
50. Bouillon Cubes:
These cubes consists of fat sugars and soy protein. Although, they are taste enhancers but they can spoil your health at the same time.
Conclusion:
We do understand that all the items in the food list are amazing enough to tempt you to eat them. But you need to be conscious about your health. So, it is better to start eliminating all such foods from your life. Which food item would be most difficult for you to leave? Mention in the comments section below and share your thoughts.