25 Unhealthy Foods To Avoid Starting Today

Last Updated on September 4, 2019 by Femniqe

Just like there’s good and evil in the world, it’s the same thing when it comes on to food.

Not that some foods by itself are evil, it’s just what it does to your body makes it bad.

One of the reasons why people love unhealthy foods is because they’re very savory and connects well with our internal reward system.

Most us are used to being rewarded for our achievements, even as kids we were always being rewarded with candies or cookies for good behavior or for doing our chores.

There are just some foods you should stay away from completely as they only seek to slowly destroy your body!

Okay so maybe you shouldn’t completely avoid all of the foods we are going to mention, a few of them you can still eat but in moderation, like once in a while.

Keep in mind also that some of these manufacturers do put some questionable ingredients in their products.

Without further ado here are 25 unhealthy foods to avoid as much as possible!

#1. Energy drinks

Their packaging is cool, the commercials are appealing and promises to bring out your inner Usain Bolt. It’s very easy to think that these energy drinks are what your body needs to perform at its best.

But the bad news is, they aren’t healthy!

These drinks are packed with sugar, salt and more than enough caffeine than your body needs in one serving.

Some of these energy drinks have been linked to cardiac arrests and insulin spikes.

What should you do: Avoid them completely. Stop wasting your money on these unhealthy drinks. Instead make your own at home.

Read: How To Easily Make Your Own Energy Drink

#2. The Deadly Trans fat

Trans fat, one of the most dangerous ingredients popular in many foods today. It is quite unbelievable that food manufacturers still use this unhealthy substance.

It contributes to some of the world’s most deadly diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes and cancer.

You have to be very vigilant when looking out for this ingredient in foods that you buy at the supermarket.

Always read the labels to make sure it’s Trans fat free. This is one of the most unhealthy foods to avoid completely.

What you should do: Try to avoid trans fat foods as much as possible.

Note: Trans fat will be mentioned several times throughout the post as its used in most of today’s foods.

#3. Cake Frosting

We all have eaten cake frosting at some point in our lives but starting today try to be more careful. This tasty cake cover is jammed packed with Trans fat which only does harm to your body.

If you’re a cake lover try to avoid eating the frost and your body will thank you for it.

What you should do: Avoid cake frosting by scraping it off before eating the cake.

#4. Microwave popcorn

Popcorn is associated with fun as it’s normally eaten when watching movies.

However, our bodies won’t be having any fun digesting some of those prepackaged popcorn as some of them contain a lot of Trans fat.

What you should do: Always check the label for “Trans fat free”. Eat popcorn in moderation.

#5. Dried fruits

Yes, eating dried fruit has some benefits such as fiber, minerals and vitamins but most of the time they contain too much added sugar and sulfur.

Those are added to extend their shelf lives. It’s best to buy the unsulfured and unsweetened version at your local health food store.

What you should do:  Always buy the unsweetened and no sulfur added dried fruit packages.

#6. PROCESSED Turkey

They can be quite filling to be honest.

But…

The problem is, the turkey meat is highly processed and filled with nitrates and sodium.

Whenever sodium and nitrates knock heads together they are very harmful to your heart.

Plus, let’s not forget how the turkey sandwich is forged with high fat mayonnaise. This is more than your heart can handle.

Processed turkey is definitely one of the unhealthy foods to avoid.

What you should do: You can eat turkey as long as you get the turkey straight from the farmers market. It’s best to avoid packaged turkey all together. Instead, opt for a tuna sandwich.

#7. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

You might not have heard of this one before but it’s very sweet, easy to store and low cost to produce which makes it a darling for food manufacturers.

This sweet ingredient is what causes us to keep drinking a soda or eating sweets long after we should have stopped.

It’s like a substance that fuels the uncontrollable desire for sweets. A study done at Princeton University found out that it leads to massive weight gain.

What you should do: Always check the labels for this unhealthy substance.

RELATED: How To Get Rid of Sugar Cravings (12 Powerful Tips)

#8. Soda

Seriously, if you’re still drinking soda you then you have a early death wish.

After all the countless research and studies done about the dangers of drinking soda, it’s unbelievable that people still drink this deadly fizzy drink.

Soda does absolutely nothing for your body except tear down your stomach walls, add excess fat and increase the risk of incurable diseases.

There are many unhealthy foods to avoid but soda should be high up on your “bad” food list.

What you should do: For your health’s sake stop drinking soda once and for all. Drink homemade fresh fruit juice or lemon water for a quick quencher.

#9. Ketchup

It’s very savory and add the “tang” factor to your meals but you should think twice before using it next time. Ketchup is loaded with HFCS (mentioned at #7) an unhealthy sweetening ingredient.

Plus it has high sugar content that adds more than the needed calories to your foods.

What you should do: Use organic ketchup and avoid the ones at the supermarket.

#10. Packaged chips

Here’s the truth, the more tasty and flavored the chips are is the more MSG and artificial ingredients it contain.

Most manufacturers try to hide these ingredients on the labels especially MSG.

Some are required to put it on the labels, but what they do instead is write out the actual meaning of MSG which is “Monosodium Glutamate” to throw some people off.

Whether it’s potato, plantain or banana chips they all contain these unhealthy ingredients.

What you should do: Make your own chips at home and avoid packaged chips all together.

#11. Packaged cookies

Most of these packaged cookies are normally packed with trans fat despite the labels being labeled trans fat-free.

Even if they insist on that claim 90% of these cookies are made with hydrogenated cooking oils.

This is one of unhealthy foods to avoid especially for your kids.

What you should do: The best way is to make your own trans fat free cookies. There are many natural cookies recipes online that are easy to follow.

#12. Pancakes

Pancakes might seem Innocent but these normally have a lot of trans fat starting from its powder form. For example, look at Bisquick, it has nearly five grand of trans fat in each cup.

If you’re really serious about your health you might want to think twice about buying these premade mixes.

This is one of the unhealthy foods to avoid as it can lead to health problems because if its high trans fat content.

What you should do: You might want to start making your own healthy whole wheat oatmeal pancakes.

#13. Frozen meals

We get it, you’re busy so you have to rush out to work or send the kids off to school and that’s why most of us resort to frozen meals.

The issue with frozen meals is that they are heavily laiden with hydrogen ions which can turn into trans fat.

On top of that you will most likely be microwaving those meals which will be destroying any nutrients left in the food.

Frozen foods sold in supermarkets are some of the most unhealthy foods to avoid especially for the sake of your heart’s health.

What you should do: We know it’s very hard to avoid frozen meals because they are very quick and easy to prepare so going forward just make sure that you check the labels for both hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. These oils are very dangerous to your health.

#14. Light salad dressing

The next time you go to the supermarket look at the ingredient list on the salad dressings and you’ll realizes that it takes quite a while to just read all of the ingredients on that label.

It’s very long!

These light salad dressings are packed with preservatives and other Ingredients with names so hard to pronounce.

Remember also that they’re packed with too much sugar and salt. Processed salad dressings are one of the most unhealthy foods to avoid.

What you should do: Instead of buying those fancy looking bottles of salad dressings, it’s best to drizzle vegetables with extra virgin oil and balsamic vinegar.

#15. High sugar trial mixes

Somehow we are conditioned to think that nuts and dried food mixed together is always a healthy choice.

But the truth is not all trail mixes are created equal. The Issue with these types of trial mixes is that they are packed with sugar and salt which can affect your health negatively.

What you should do: Always go for trail mixes that have no sugar and salt added.

Remember that your diet throughout the day will contain some form of sugar and you do not want to add more than needed.

#16. Flavored fat free yogurt

Even though the commercials and label said it’s fat free that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Most of these flavored yogurts have about 15 grams of sugar In that little container.

What you should do: Always buy fat-free Greek yogurt and add flavor by adding fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and even oats.

#17. Cereals

We’ve all seen those nice homey commercials with the family sitting around the table eating a nice bowl of cereal.

The issue with these type of cereals is that they are packed with HFCS.

Some of the most popular brands such as Kellogg’s, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Special K and Corn Flakes are all packed with HFCS which is bad for your health.

Let’s not forget how they’re packed with sugar.

What you should do: Instead of buying these heavily processed cereals, you can make a nice healthy breakfast cereal using oats, banana, blueberries and yogurt.

You can even add some unsweetened almond milk to give it that creamy factor.

#18. Fried foods

By now everyone should know the dangers of eating fried foods as it has been backed by many studies. Most fried foods are packed with saturated fat, Trans fat, a large amount of calories and sodium.

Another reason why these are unhealthy foods to avoid is because they contain a lot of MSG. Many of the biggest brands in the world such as McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King are all guilty of using MSG.

But let’s not forget about those packaged food suppliers who put it in snacks and packaged goods.

What you should do: Avoid eating fast foods for the sake of your health.

#19. BOTTLED iced tea

This contains a harmful substance called propylene glycol alginate.

It’s basically a food thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer which can cause neuro toxic issues and be deadly to your heart’s health.

What you should do: Make some green tea, cool it down by adding some ice cubes. You’ll get the same health benefits as if you were drinking it hot.

Green tea helps you with burning fat and providing your body with antioxidants to fight off diseases.

#20. Sugar LOADED smoothies

Honestly, smoothies are very delicious and tasty. Even though some of them are made with whole food ingredients they have a dark side to them.

Smoothies contains a lot of high-calorie ingredients like chocolate syrup, Lots of added sugar and full fat ice cream being used as the base.

What you should do: Always make your smoothies at home as you will have complete control over every ingredients and the amount added.

#21. Flavored soy milk

Just to be clear, soy have many health benefits such as high protein, potassium and it also lowers your cholesterol.

However, the issues with the ones sold on the supermarket is that the added flavors such as vanilla and chocolate brings a lot of sugar and unnecessary calories.

This can lead to weight gain.

What you should do: Buy the unflavored and unsweetened version. This will ensure that you’re not consuming too much calories.

#22. FAST FOOD Pizzas

Pizza is one of the most loved foods around the world. Well, that’s simply because it tastes very good and it’s very convenient to eat.

However, the problem with it is that most of these commercially prepared pizzas are made with very unhealthy ingredients.

For example, the dough is made from refined wheat flour and the meats are highly processed.

Let’s not forget to mention that pizza is very high in calories which one of the foods that contribute to the world’s obesity problem.

What you should do: Not all pizzas are bad. You can make your own pizza at home which can be very healthy as long as you choose wholesome ingredients.

#23. Candy bars

No unhealthy food list would be complete without mentioning candy bars.

Candy bars are extremely unhealthy because they are very high in sugar, made with refined wheat flour and contains high amount of processed fat.

They have little to no nutrients and they basically do nothing for your body except give negative effects.

Candy bar makers put a lot of effort in making them very tasty so that it is almost impossible to ignore by majority of the public.

What you should do: Eat your favorite fruit or a piece of high cocoa dark chocolate. Gradually break yourself mentally from sweet treats and your body will thank you for it.

#24. Processed MEATS – ONE OF THE Unhealthy Foods To Avoid

You must have heard of or read about the studies that clearly found that processed meat Increases the risk of many deadly diseases such as colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and other cardio-vascular problems.

Some of the most popular processed meats are bacon, pepperoni and sausages.

These foods have been engraved in western culture which makes it hard for people to turn away from them.

But if you’re really serious about your health then you’ll make the effort to gradually cut out these dangerous processed meats completely out of your diet.

These processed meats are packed with sodium and nitrate making them unhealthy foods to avoid.

What you should do: There’s no way of “sugarcoating” this but you need to avoid processed meats completely. It will be hard but you need to make the effort. Eat seafoods such as tuna and salmon instead.

#25. WHITE BREAD

White bread is made from wheat which contains a substance called protein gluten.

This bread should be avoided especially by persons who are diabetic or has gluten sensitivity.

The main problem with white bread is that it is made from refined wheat. This type of wheat has little to no health benefits and does a good job at spiking your blood sugar levels.

What you should do: One of healthiest form of bread that you should be eating is Ezekiel bread. But if you can’t afford that you can settle for whole grain bread.

It’s your turn

Now that you know some of the most unhealthy foods to avoid, it’s up to you to gradually cut them out of your diet if you want to live a healthy life.

There’s always a tasty alternative to junk food. You just need to search as there’s a wealth of healthy food recipes online.

Always remember before you make a bad food choice that your health is your wealth so protect and take care of it.