10+ Foods We Should Always Avoid

1. Fruit Canned in Syrup

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Any way to increase our fruit and vegetable content should be encouraged. When that fruit is covered and stewed in in sugary syrup, it kind of defeats the object of a nutritional snack. The high sugar intake can increase the possibility of diabetes and health struggles later in life. An alternative option is canned fruit covered in water or 100% juice.

2. Vegetable Shortening

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Many of you may not have heard of vegetable shortening, If you are a keen baker then you probably have! This is due to the to hydrogenated oils in the vegetables making them hard at room temperature. The hydrogenated oils create products with longer shelf lives but the consumption can increase LDL also know as 'bad' cholesterol and decrease HDL, 'good cholesterol' which can lead to an increase risk of heart disease.

3. Non- Dairy Coffee Creamer

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A milky coffee can be a thing of beauty at the beginning of the morning. For people that struggle with lactose they may turn to a non-dairy coffee creamer. The issue with this is that they contain hydrogenated oils which can increase the chance of heart disease. Another implication is that it contains high- fructose corn syrup what can damage your liver.

4. Diet Soda

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After a warm, sunny day there is nothing better than a refreshing, cold can of your favourite drink. People may think that choosing a diet version of a drink is the best thing for their bodies, however there is some sneaky ingredients that are equally as harmful than the full sugary drink. The artificial sweeteners that replace sugar have been linked by medics to cancer and gastrointestinal issues.

5. Low Fat Peanut Butter

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Nut butters have lots of nutritional value including high amounts of protein and unsaturated fats. However, when you take these nutrients out you are left with lots of sugar and filler ingredients. To avoid so much unnecessary sugars and unwanted minerals look for natural peanut butter with only three ingredients on the label: peanuts, oil and a slight addition of salt.

6. Tilefish

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Fish is an excellent source of minerals with a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients. These vitamins include iron, Omega-3 and vitamin D. Fish such as salmon and sardines have a all these nutrients as well as a low-mercury level. However too much of a particular fish with high mercury levels can have detrimental effects. Tilefish is one of them fish that in high concentration can cause poisoning.

7. White Flour-Based Cereal

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There is no better way to start off your morning than a bit bowl of cereal and slurping the leftover milk up afterwards! Although full of fibre and refined carbohydrates, these carbohydrates can cause a spike in blood sugar. This in turn can contribute towards low energy, mood swings and cravings for more food later in the day as it has not filled you adequately enough.

8. Non- Organic Strawberries

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Strawberries are in the top group for the most dirty food and are subsequently covered in pesticides when conventionally farmed. Even they are sprayed to get rid of bacteria, these pesticides can have a harmful effect on our health. Pesticides can potentially affect hormonal function being especially dangerous for women who may experience thyroid problems.

9. Cured Meats

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A Charcuterie board surrounded by good company and nice weather can be the cherry on top of the icing of any day. Although the meats are delicious the fact that they are cured may cause us health issues in the future. Hypertension and heart disease have been two of the health problems linked to cured meats as well as many containing high saturated fats.

10. Juices

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Juice are the sneaky refreshment in the healthy food world and they should not be trusted as much as they are already. The amount of natural sugar in fruits is extremely high, but when companies add additional sweeteners and sugar in, this innocent fruit juice turns more into a 'juice cocktail'! When looking for juices ensure you opt for 100% fruit juice instead.

11. Packaged Donuts

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Similar to our milk covered friends, the white flour-based cereals, donuts contained refined carbs providing very little nutritional value. Donuts that are deep fried contain a lot of trans fat which in turn will raise your LDL and lower your HDL. Experts don't think you shouldn't eat refined carbs at all, but they recommend to only eat them in moderation.

12. Pre-Made Dough

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A lovely activity to do with children is pizza making. As chaotic as this sounds, pre-made dough will make your life infinitely easier. Pre-made dough is however high in artificial trans fat specifically those hydrogenated oils. Consuming too many of these in your diet can increase your risk of heart disease and strokes. So maybe next time you are with the kids, you could make the dough yourselves!

13. Packaged Butter Popcorn

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You put hundreds of different dishes in your microwave and wait for the famous ping, but there is one smell that rivals the rest- freshly popped popcorn! But have you ever wonder what starts the chemical reaction in the bag? Chemicals are used to encourage the kernels to pop, along with the artificial butter flavouring which can cause inflammation.

14. Instant Noodles

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The word 'instant' should serve as a warning to not consume. There is so many different chemicals needed to make it 'instant' and in the process the nutrients of the food have been taken away or nullified. Noodles like this will contain a serious amount of sodium and monosodium glutamate (MSG). This will make the noodles addictive as well as making you more hungry and thirsty.

15. Artificial Sweeteners

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When people have artificial sweeteners, they are seen to be taking the healthier option over granulated sugar. Although this makes sense, the artificial sweeteners are made by man by big corporations in recent years. This makes them somewhat of an enigma in terms of their long term impacts on health. Lots of health professionals have argued that is healthy to eat normal sugar in moderation than the sweeteners more often.

16. Table Salt

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Warm, crispy fries with a sprinkle of salt is delightful. In moderation, salt is perfectly fine as a seasoning for our favourite foods. However it is always better to opt for sea salt or Himalayan salt over table salt. This is due to table salt being bleached and stripped of minerals that can be naturally found in the salt. Table salt is high in sodium that can lead to inflammation.

17. Packaged Gelatin

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Due to their weird texture and bright, vivid colour, it is no surprise, that like our energy drinks, gelatin is packed full of artificial flavourings and sugar. Gelatin also contains carcinogens which in European countries, governments have put warning stickers on the boxes. The warning says, 'May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.'

18. Microwaveable Rice

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Microwaveable rice is very convenient and tasty however it does come with words of warning in regards to your health. There is so much sodium in these packets and due to them being so small, you normally eat more than the serving size recommended. A days worth of our recommended sodium intake (no more than 2,300mg) would make you feel bloated, weighed down and lethargic.

19. Mayonnaise

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Mayonnaise has grown in popularity in the last few years with this egg based condiment being paired with near enough every savoury dish. With 10 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat in just one tablespoon which is high considering you probably have more than one with your fries! Making your own mayo using low fat Greek yoghurt, mayo and spices is a healthier way to enjoy mayonnaise.

20. Low- Fat Ice Cream

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Low fat ice cream may seem like the a good options compared to full fat ice cream and I would maybe eat a full pint of it for that reason. However, the amount of sugar in both ice creams is very high. When consumed there will be a laxative effect on your body with people with sensitive stomachs feeling those effects quicker. So I may need to lay off the pint size ice cream!

21. Frozen Pizza

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Being a great convenient meal and cheaper than purchasing a pizza from a takeaway, millions of pizzas are consumed around the world every single day. With an increased amount of sodium and saturated fat as well as a multitude of ingredients such as sodium nitrite, L- Cysteine hydrochloride and ammonium sulphate, there is lots of potential health problems if the pizzas are consumed too regularly.

22. Mozzarella Stick

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Similar to the frozen pizzas, mozzarella sticks contain a high amount of sodium and saturated fat leading to cholesterol and heart difficulties. Due to them being fried and coated in bread, a healthier problem would be to eat pure cheese sticks which you could pair with some grapes and nuts. As with everything: count calories and eat in moderation.

23. Canned Soup

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During the cold, winter months there is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup or stew to warm your soul. Deemed as a healthy, soothing meal due to the amount of vegetables, there is copious amounts of salt in canned goods for increasing the shelf life. Sodium sits in the blood stream, attracts water, causing retention and bloating. Making your own soup or looking at low sodium containing soups are healthier alternatives.

24. Sweet Tea

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Tea by itself has plenty of health benefits in a large amounts of different varieties. Sugar sweetened beverages on the other hand are very high in sugar with a link to contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As we know sweeteners are not much better with their own health implications. Alternatively, do not sweeten your tea or choose some water.

25. Pre-Made Pie Crusts

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Extremely similar to pre-made dough, pre-made crusts contain hydrogenated oils which can rails your LDL "bad" cholesterol and lower your HDL "good" cholesterol which can lead to an increase in heart disease. One way to avoid this to look for hydrogenated oils on the ingredient list and avoid them or to make your own crust. Make sure you save me a slice!

26. Junk Food

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Lots of food taken from fast food chains or takeaways is fried. Whether it be fries or fried chicken, they are foods that we should avoid eating. Fried meat contains Advanced Glycation End (AGEs) which are formed when animal products are cooked at high temperature for a long period of time. This can lead to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body which can contribute to an increase in diseases.

27. Hot Dogs

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A key staple of a family BBQ is a hot dog. With hot dogs made with process red meat, it contains additives such as nitrates which research shows can lead to certain certain cancers. Instead of eating these, pure red meat on the barbeque has less additives and therefore less health risk. Another alternative is eating some meat-free hot dogs to satisfy your craving.

28. Pretzels

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Lots of food has positive and negatives when consuming them. Pretzels are a high calorie snack with no fiber, protein or healthy fats. Eating too many of these fat filled snack will have an impact on your cholesterol and and potential heart issues. Even though they are delicious, you should vary your snacking options by getting a mixture of minerals and vitamins.

29. BBQ Sauce

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This smoky and sweet condiment enjoyed up and down the country, however you need to know about the effects on your waist size. The taste comes from the added sugar and high fructose corn syrup and when you are pouring it on you roast chicken it is the equivalent of four sugar packets. Condiments such as mustard or low-sugar bbq sauce is a better alternative.

30. Margarine

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The creamy taste of margarine is easily recognisable due to the addition of vegetable oils. The blend used is often includes palm oil which has a high saturated fat content. Research shows that there is a connection between palm oil and cardiovascular disease. When possible use olive oil to avoid palm oil and if you need to use margarine control how much you use.