http://www.rd.com/slideshows/the-worst-foods-you-can-eat/
Here, I've reprinted portions of the original article and added my 2 cents.
According to Webmd.com, the American Institute for Cancer Research says meats preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or that contain chemical preservatives, are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. These products also tend to have lots of salt, fat, and cholesterol, and very few nutrients, like fiber.
My two cents: If you eat meat, stick to organic, preferably less fatty turkey & chicken instead of red meat. Or skip the meat altogether, eating veggie burgers, meaty mushroom burgers, and seitan (wheat gluten with a meaty texture) which can be subbed in any meat dish. I pretty much live on organic veggie burgers, fruit & green smoothies, eggwhites & raw veg spring rolls these days, but I find it difficult to get my kids to eat this way so the only processed meats I'll buy for them are all beef hot dogs (not great, I know) and Plainville Farms brand turkey breast from the deli counter (minimally processed, no artificial ingredients, antibiotic-free). I've found that this brand tastes and looks most like actual turkey. Also try: Al Fresco All-Natural Chicken Sausage instead of hot dogs.
#2 Worst Food: Frozen Meals
They may look tiny, but frozen dinners can be loaded with calories. Livestrong.com found one popular national brand of chicken pot pie contains 64 grams of fat and 1,020 calories per serving. And while the diet versions of these frozen foods may be low in fat, they are heavily processed and are often high in sodium.
Maybe America should run from Dunkin’, and any other outlet selling these nutrition bombs. Store-bought doughnuts contain the unholy trinity of unhealthy ingredients, reports livestrong.com: trans fat, sugar, and refined flour. Many contain a whopping 10 to 20 grams of fat each and between 250 to 300 empty calories.
My two cents: There is absolutely NO reason to eat donuts! I can't remember the last time I had one, but I remember the feeling in my stomach was as if I had eaten a brick. (If I cheat, it's with a donut hole only but even with that I quickly regret it). My latest favorite sweet tooth saviors are Savoy Truffles, (recipe from RAWvolution). Just a few ingredients make a little individual craving quenching donut hole-esque snack, that has no refined flour or sugar.
You already know that these fat-filled “bad carbs” are no good for your waistline. What you may not know is potato chips (along with French fries) contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures. "I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans,” Clark University research professor Dale Hattis is quoted as saying at sixwise.com.
Don’t be fooled by the “Low-Fat” label. Makers of cookies, salad dressings, yogurt, and other foods labeled low-fat often substitute sugar, salt, and unhealthy fillers to add flavor and texture to otherwise bland processed products. Author and TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz advises you to always choose real foods over processed, low-fat options.
My two cents: READ READ READ LABELS!!! And don't be fooled by labels in the organic aisle. Sugar, refined or organic... it's still sugar! Here's my recipe for low -fat, non-dairy chocolate chip cookies without butter, sugar or white flour.
#6 Worst Food: Margarine
My two cents: Instead of margarine and butter, use Earth Balance natural spread.
#7 Worst Food: Soda
Chugging soda is one of the easiest ways to pack on the pounds (the average can contains 10 teaspoons of sugar). But drinking as few as two soft drinks a week can nearly double a person’s risk of getting pancreatic cancer, too. That’s the finding of a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, according to a report on e-how.com. Want more bad news? Consuming more than 2.5 sugary sodas per day significantly increases your risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as your risk of developing diabetes.
My two cents: Just drink basic filtered water... all day... every day. I drink water with lemon (hot or cold) all day. No caffeine, no sugar & no guilt. I was also inspired to drink cucumber infused water at the glorious Mirbeau Spa. Just slice up some cukes, add them to a pitcher of filtered water & refrigerate. Note: Many of the fruit flavored bottled waters on store shelves contain added sugar - FYI.Read my Fab Food Finds page here.
I didn't photograph the images in this post - they are from google.
I didn't photograph the images in this post - they are from google.
