Worst Foods to Eat and What to Have Instead (2024)
One of the easiest ways to improve your diet is to learn how to identify the most unhealthy foods to eat — and how to replace them with better options.
However, viewing foods through a lens of “good” or “bad” can make decisions even harder, says Brogan Taylor, RD, registered dietitian at Banner Health in Phoenix, Arizona.
If it were as easy as knowing which foods were good or bad for our health, most people wouldn’t still be eating them, she says. Many of the most addictive (and unhealthy) foods are a tempting combination of carbs and fat — along with some added sugar, salt, or both — that are designed to keep us munching.
Here are 10 commonly consumed foods and drinks that Taylor and other experts recommend limiting:
Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and cold cuts
Sodas
White bread
French fries
Fast food burgers
Donuts
Processed cheese
Potato chips
Processed snack foods
Alcohol
When it comes to “the worst” foods, though, Taylor doesn’t forbid anything, but instead works with her clients to find long-term solutions for decreasing or replacing those foods. She encourages her clients to eat more of certain things — items packed with nutrients such as fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins. Focusing on the positive can help decrease the amount of low-nutrient food they consume, she says.
“It’s about understanding how different foods can impact our health and making informed choices,” she says.
Keep reading to find out more about the worst foods to eat, along with suggestions for healthier alternatives.
1. Processed Meats Like Bacon, Hot Dogs, and Cold Cuts
Foods with added sugars, low-calorie sweeteners, or no-calorie sweeteners are not recommended. ...
Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (e.g., lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners should be avoided.
The seven foods you should never eat and we would all do well to avoid are alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, coffee, soda, dairy and meat. To many people, that is their whole diet! There is enough evidence to write a book on each one of the big seven, and, in fact there are many books written on just such topics.
Raisins, dates, and similar fruits generally contain more carbs, calories, and sugar in one handful than their fresh fruit counterparts. For instance, 150 grams of dried dates contains around 101 grams of sugar and 451 calories.
The most hated food title goes to the anchovy, with 50% of those polled saying they hated the fish. Of that number, 58% of anchovy haters were women and 43% were men. With Halloween coming up, it might be prudent to stock up on any candy other than black licorice.
Generally, it's a good idea to limit deep-fried foods, baked sweets, ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, refined grains, processed meats, artificial sweeteners, alcoholic drinks, and candy.
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