Put down the treats and step away from the pantry.
After weeks of overindulging and blaming the holidays for our seasonal sins, at some of us could do with a nice, long fast.
And still, even as we enter a new year resolving to do better, starving as penance isn’t really an option for most — as much as it might feel like the right thing to do in the moment.
To help us make better choices as we begin to reacquaint ourselves with best eating practices, more than a dozen nutritionists have given FoodNetwork.com their opinions on the absolute worst foods to be eating as part of any healthy diet.
While some of the naughty nibbles clearly have no business on the plate of someone trying to do better, other picks will be downright surprising. From the flavorful but forbidden to the delicious but darn near deadly, here are 15 foods to avoid at all costs if you’re looking to up your game in 2024.
Blended coffee drinks
“I am an avid coffee drinker who enjoys a morning and afternoon java run, but the assorted-flavor, sugar-loaded, blended coffee drinks are definitely something that I stay away from,” said culinary dietician and author Manuel Villacorta, M.S., R.D.. “These blends can go up to 81 grams of sugar! That amount of sugar is the equivalent of drinking two cans of soda, roughly 20 teaspoons of pure sugar, which can spike your insulin and build fat around your waistline. Aside from the sugar content, these drinks can have up to 510 calories, which can be a whole meal for some people.”
Bacon
“I enjoy the aroma and sounds of sizzling bacon. I’m still happy, however, to take a pass on consuming it,” said Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN and owner of BetterThanDieting.com. “68 percent of bacon’s calories come from fat, half of which is the saturated type. Each strip of bacon contains almost 200 milligrams of sodium, and most people don’t stop at one strip. But hey — even though everyone should have a splurge now and then, it’s not just the nutrient quality that bugs me about bacon. Bacon comes from the long layers of fat from the pig’s belly, running parallel to the rind. Not a pretty picture … and not on my plate.”
Commercially-grown sprouts
“I never eat or buy commercially grown bean sprouts because they’re so prone to bacterial contamination, since they are grown in optimal conditions — wet and warm! In fact there have been many illnesses linked to eating sprouts like alfalfa and bean sprouts,” warns Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RDN, LD of Southern Fried Nutrition.
Milk chocolate
“Too many added sugars can be problematic for our health so when it comes to sweets, like chocolate, I get picky,” said Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD owner of The Mindful Gut. “Milk chocolate candies can have more added sugars and you don’t get as strong of a cocoa taste. Dark chocolate is my favorite and is a better option as it can have five times more of the health promoting compounds, polyphenols, compared to milk chocolate. There is even research looking at dark chocolate being prebiotic, meaning it could also be good for your gut.”
Rare beef
“I won’t eat rare beef because I don’t want to get sick,” said Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND and author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide. “Bacteria in undercooked meats can give you a minor stomachache, a case of the runs or something far more serious. And in rare cases, it can be life-threatening. To me, it’s just not worth it. A steak needs to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145-degrees Fahrenheit. Ground beef, which is more likely to be contaminated, requires an internal temperature of at least 160-degrees Fahrenheit. Always, always, always use a good meat thermometer!”
Pretzels
“I’m not saying I would starve to death before eating one, but they are definitely a food I avoid even when there are very [few] choices available,” said Keri Glassman, RDN, CDN, of Nutritious Life. “Here is why: They are basically a big bowl of sugar! The refined-carb product contains no nutrients that are beneficial for health or provide satiety. And they are easily overeaten for this reason — they have no fiber, protein or healthy fat. I always imagine a bag of pretzels as the same thing as a big bag of jelly beans. Those sugar calories affect your hormones and cause you to gain weight. And for what? A boring pretzel? No, thanks.”
Coconut milk ice cream
“Would you give up a high-end product for a ‘wannabe’ product? It sounds healthier because it’s ‘plant-based,’ but this alternative to the real thing will make you run for the hills,” warns Jonathan Valdez, MBA, RDN, CDN, CSG, CCM, ACE-CPT, owner of Genki Nutrition and Media Spokesperson for New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Coconut ice cream’s texture is inferior, it usually has lower protein content and the hype for using coconut oil is overrated. The worst part of this ice cream alternative is with EVERY bite you taste coconut. I love coconut, but not with every bite with my chocolate, strawberries, blueberries and other flavors. With coconut ice cream and regular ice cream having a similar caloric make-up, you must ask yourself … do I cry in a bowl of bad tasting wannabe ice cream or relish in a good tasting high-end cow’s milk-based ice cream? The answer is clear, regular ice cream.”
Corn dogs
“You’ll never catch me eating a carnival corn dog — so creepy,” confessed Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., founder of Nourish Snacks and nutrition/health expert for NBC’s Today Show. “I know wayyy too much about what’s lurking inside of fatty, processed hot dog meat: corn syrup, nitrates, fillers, fat and more fat. In fact, there’s very little protein. Place it on a wooden stick, cover it in refined cornmeal batter and fry it up in a vat of oil? No thanks!”
Bologna
“To each their own, truthfully, but for me, the mere thought of bologna has always made my stomach turn,” said Elizabeth Shaw, MS RDN CLT, author & nutrition expert at ShawSimpleSwaps.com. “Perhaps it’s the vivid memories I have from my childhood lunchroom where the smell comes back to me, who knows. I’ll be the first to admit I do eat lunchmeat like nitrate-free, low-sodium turkey on occasion. But the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends we minimize our intake of sodium. In just one ounce of bologna there’s usually over 250 mg of sodium, making a sandwich with three ounces of meat and two slices of bread easily upwards of 1,000 mg of sodium in one serving. A better swap if you like lunchmeat, roast your own pork (or turkey) and slice it fresh for a sammie!”
Diet soda
“I cut out diet soda from my life over ten years ago,” said Sharon Palmer, RDN, author of Plant-Powered for Life. “I came to the conclusion that I didn’t need a dose of artificial ingredients on a daily basis, and I would be much better off drinking water and plant-based beverages, such as home-brewed iced tea, hot tea (herbal and regular) and coffee during the day. I don’t believe there’s enough science today to indicate that the diet beverages are harmful, but I also don’t think there is any true benefit to including them. A few years ago I tried a diet soda on a plane — after not tasting one for several years — and I found that it tasted absolutely awful. So, I guess I haven’t been missing much!”
Doughnuts
“I’m a big believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if all you grab in the morning is a doughnut, then you’re missing an opportunity to fill your belly with something much more nourishing,” said Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, host of the Liz’s Healthy Table podcast and blog. “Starting your day with a doughnut means you’re probably opting out of healthier breakfast fare including eggs, fruits, whole grains, yogurt and even vegetables. Doughnuts are made with white flour, sugar, oil, artificial flavor and not much more. They don’t provide vitamins, minerals, fiber or protein nor do they help consumers achieve the goal of adding more nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to the diet.”
Raw oysters
“I won’t eat raw oysters on the half shell … I don’t trust them to be safe. Plus, they are slimy and I don’t get to chew them, just swallow them. That’s no fun,” said Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., a Boston-area sports nutritionist and author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
Reduced-fat peanut butter
“Many of my clients are surprised to hear that most reduced-fat peanut butter is not necessarily a healthier version of regular peanut butter,” warned Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., CEO of F-Factor and author of The Miracle Carb Diet. “While both regular and reduced-fat peanut butter contains about the same amount of calories (200 calories for two tablespoons), the reduced-fat variety contains more refined carbohydrates and sugar. Why? The fat that would be in the reduced-fat peanut butter spread is replaced with ingredients like corn syrup solids, sugar and molasses (read: even more sugar), plus starchy fillers. Those add-ins boost the spread’s sugar content to four grams and its total carbs to 15 grams. Compare that with natural peanut butter, which has just 1 gram of sugar and 6 grams of carbs.”
Pre-packaged snack cakes
“While I love a good dessert, these types of pre-packaged treats don’t appeal to me in the least,” said Jenna Braddock, MSH, RDN, CSSD, sports dietitian and blogger at MakeHealthyEasy.com. “First of all, the ingredients list is highly processed containing artificial colors and flavors, and in some cases contains trans fats. Second, these are truly high-calorie desserts that can be marketed as snacks for kids or on-the-go eating. Desserts should be a special thing and I always prefer a higher quality, homemade version.”
Low-fat dairy
“The one food I would never eat is fat-free whipped topping,” said Ellie Krieger, RDN, nutritionist, TV personality and award-winning cookbook author. I find it tastes like the artificial ingredients it is made of, and I don’t care for it. If I want a creamy dessert topping, I use a small dollop of fresh whipped cream — a little goes a long way to make a dessert special — and you cannot beat its taste. Or, to lighten that up naturally and deliciously, I will fold in some plain Greek yogurt, for a topping that is wonderful with any fruit-based dessert.”
“Low-fat or nonfat cheese (excluding cottage cheese and cream cheese) just won’t leave me satisfied with its stringy texture and ‘meh’ flavor, so I’ll likely end up eating more, whereas if I eat the full fat, full flavor cheese that I really want, I’m more easily able to stop once I’m satisfied (often on much less),” said Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN of Lively Table.
