Dieting is tough, and it gets more complicated when you can see your favorite food in your kitchen cabinets. We have all watched movies or shows when someone who is on a diet and wants to lose weight throws all the junk out in the trash. We will do the same by listing all the food items in your kitchen which are not suitable for your health.
Packaged Fruit Juice
We all know that fruit juices are considered to be healthy. As kids and even as adults, we have always thought that it is good for our health. The fact is, it is not.
Have you ever wondered why the fresh juice we make at home tastes so different from the bottled one? Most preserved fruit drinks contain added flavors, food color, and sugar that make the juice taste as it does. Sure it takes some time but drinking freshly squeezed juice helps the body to maintain cholesterol and blood pressure. Sugar and concentrated juices lead to obesity, stroke, and heart diseases. So instead of getting these juices, you may as well buy fruits and make the juice at your place.
Nutella
Nutella is one of the most popular chocolate spreads, mostly seen as a dessert topping, but it is widely used for breakfast toppings just as a jam. The first thing in its ingredients list is sugar because that is the primary ingredient. It is not nutritious and high in calories, sugar, and fat.
Baked Goods
Now, we all enjoy having cookies and storing them in the jars, and who doesn’t like the occasional trip to a bakery. They are not suitable for health as it contains a higher level of sugar and carbohydrates.
It also has artificial flavors and colors, and preservatives to keep them fresh.
Diet Sodas
We all believe that diet soda is suitable for our diet because it does not contain high sugar content, and that’s why we may have cans stocked up in our refrigerator. All sodas contain aspartame, which is like a steroid to lose weight. But lately, it has the opposite effect on the body; it overloads the liver and causes the conversion of excess into fat. Instead of keeping diet sodas, you can drink detox water or teas.
Deep-Fried Food
There are instant food packages available in the market where you have to deep fry them, and your lunch or dinner is ready. This instant food also contains inflammatory oil, and no matter how much extra oil you remove from blotting it with a paper towel, there will still be oil that will jeopardize your health. You can eat grilled chicken or steak or pork, or you can also bake them if you have some time. This procedure does not need much oil and is healthier for you.
Some Cereal
Because of our busy schedule, sometimes we only have the time to pour a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Some sugary cereals are not suitable for your health, and you should avoid buying them. Sugar intake can lead to heart diseases; we may not even realize it initially, but consuming sugary cereal every day affects your body slowly and gradually.
White Sugar
You may be taken aback by seeing this name in the list, but sugar is something that is used daily in your kitchen. If you say goodbye to sugar, it will be a hello to your flat belly.
Try buying a natural sugar substitute next time you’re at the grocery store, like honey or agave.
Fast Food
We all know how junk food affects our bodies. Fast food contains Phthalates, which increases the level of inflammation and weight gain. If you are on a diet, it will be better not to visit any restaurants and cook at home instead.
Energy Drinks
These drinks are frequently used in our day to day lives. These are just cocktail drinks with a lot of caffeine content, making our body feel charged up and not tired—drink green tea or protein smoothies instead of these.
BBQ Sauce
It is shocking how even small packets of sauce can cause an increased risk of heart disease. This sauce is made out of sugar and corn syrup, and the content of sugar in it is equal to four packets of sugar.
Imagine applying this sauce on your chicken and not even knowing that it will cause you a week’s diet plan.
Diet Ice Cream
Whenever you have a craving for ice cream, you go out to buy a diet ice cream, believing that it wouldn’t cause much harm. Let’s be straightforward; there’s no such thing as diet coke or, for this matter, a diet ice cream. Even if the sugar content would be less, other preservatives are used in it, which affects the body as much as regular ice cream.
Margarine
There are many spreads used for our bread. Margarine is one of them; we have not yet realized that it contains palm oil, including high saturated fat leading to inflammation. Olive oil is a healthier option for bread.
Taco and Pie Bowls
One set of any of those, and you may not even know how much calories, fat, and sodium you have consumed. Along with these bowls would be added toppings, and you will not be able to count the calories.
You can make some at your place as they are easy to make and that way you will know all the ingredients you have added to them.
Mayonnaise
Another very basic spread that you can find in every kitchen. Have you wondered how for months of being placed unrefrigerated, it is still soft and smooth? That is because of the preservatives and sugar in it.
Croissants
A buttery and flaky croissant is hard to resist. But do you know why it’s buttery? That’s because it contains margarine and vegetable oil, which is not acceptable even to be kept on your kitchen counter. So even if you follow this list and throw margarine out, a croissant can spoil your diet altogether.
Canned Soup
What can a soup do now? It’s the healthiest of all the other food items you may have in your kitchen. Well, the problem is that it is canned. One can of soup contains 1,000 milligrams of sodium. One can of this soup can exceed your standard limit of chicken intake you should have in a day. They also have added preservatives.
Deli Meats
You wouldn’t believe how much deli meat could affect your health. Can you imagine two slices of meat in your sandwich would be equal to the amount of sodium you find in a bag full of pretzels? A higher sodium intake leads to high blood pressure and heart disease. To control it, you can reduce processed meat intake and eat only 18 ounces a week.
Candies
Research shows that the artificial colors used in candies make it difficult for children to concentrate on other things. You can eat chocolates occasionally if you want to eat anything sweet instead of candies.
Cake Mix
Cakes are the most important part of birthdays, and whenever we go for homemade cakes, we often buy cake mix instead of collecting all the ingredients and whipping them. Cake mix is the easiest way of baking a cake, just like those available in the bakeries. When you bake a cake using cake mix, you are indeed just eating chemicals and artificial colors.
American Cheese
The yellow color slices that tempt you to buy a few while they are in the supermarket is the worst choice you can make for your health. Those cheese items are not even close to being dairy products. They are filled with icky additives and artificial colors that are harmful to your health. They also contain sodium citrate, which may affect your kidneys. You should always go for organic cheese whenever you crave it because they do not add preservatives or artificial colors in those.
Conclusion
Many things in your kitchen affect your health in one way or another. You may not even know how a basic thing such as a sauce can do to your health. Intake of sugar can affect your cardiovascular health, and you may gain weight through it. If you eat something that is deep-fried or baked or even a simple thing such as candy, your body may be a victim of inflammation.
