It’s so difficult to know what is healthy to eat and what is not. Every day you read something different in the mainstream news about how this is good and that is not, then tomorrow everything has been reversed. There is so much pressure to pick just the “right”, healthy lunch or dinner on an average workday. Everyone can agree that they want something that’s quick and cheap, but, at the same time, they want something healthy and flavorful. Unfortunately, this sometimes causes us to throw all caution to the wind and just grab whatever is available without giving it a thought. This generally comes down to fast food, which is one of the worse options. Here is a list of the top 20 unhealthiest health food there is.

1. Agave Syrup and Nectar

Agave syrup, you’ve seen it everywhere; in the health food stores, on grocery market shelves, it’s even being sold door to door. It’s the new craze in all, “natural” sweeteners.

Actually, almost all agave nectar or syrup is anything but natural. Agave syrup is highly refined and offers no other additional health benefit than plain old sugar. It has a very small amount of calcium and magnesium but not enough to gain any real health benefits from drinking it.

Agave syrup is 55 to 90 per cent fructose, depending on how it’s processed, and nothing more.

2. Whole Wheat and Other Grains

Although you have most likely been hearing for years about the goodness of whole grains there is a large body of evidence that they often do more harm than good. Wheat and other glutinous grains are perhaps the worst.

Gluten intolerance may be at the root of many chronic diseases, including many neurological and psychiatric conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s.

It’s important to know that almost ALL types of grains contribute to insulin and leptin resistance, which are the primary underlying causes for most, if not all, chronic diseases, from diabetes to cancer.

3. Rotisserie Chicken

The skin is basically, just fat, and the dark meat is where most of the other fat is concentrated. So help keep your arteries clear, eat the white meat portions only and remove the skin.

4. Egg White Omelets

An egg white alone is, for some reason, absorbed like a sugar and therefore raises your blood sugar. Instead use real, organic, fresh eggs cooked in a little olive oil. Use one whole egg to get all the vitamins and fat you need, then you can add egg whites for extra bulk. 

5. Tuna Sandwich

If tuna is what you like for lunch, forget the unhealthy bread, the fat laden mayonnaise, and questionable tuna. To be sure it’s a healthy choice, make it yourself using chunk light tuna in water; add organic celery, and other vegetables to add crunch and fill it with healthy vitamins and antioxidants.

6. Fruit Juice

Although many people believe fruit juice is a healthy option, nothing could be farther from the truth. Let’s take orange juice for example. Almost all commercially prepared orange juice is an actually a highly processed liquid that bear little nutritional resemblance to fresh orange juice.

Most orange juice is pasteurized, which removes or degrades many of its nutritional virtues. Some companies add artificial flavor packs and high fructose corn syrup. If the “Best Used Before” date is more than 60 days, then you know you have a highly processed juice! 

7. Sports Drinks

For almost all everyone except professional athletes, sports drinks are a waste of money and can actually make your health worse. Most sports drinks are loaded with things you don’t want such as high fructose corn syrup, sodium, artificial colors, and artificial flavors.

Less than one percent of the population would actually benefit from sports drinks. The citric acid in these drinks can soften your tooth enamel to the point that it could be damaged simply by brushing your teeth.

If you are truly interested in a healthy alternative, drink coconut water. Coconut water has a long list of helpful nutrients including electrolytes, enzymes, trace elements, amino acids, and antioxidants. It also had anti-inflammatory and blood pressure lowering properties, which make it excellent sports drink. Be aware, however ,that coconut water is full of sugar and should be limited to times when you need to replace minerals and fluids, like after a long cardio session or after using the sauna.

8. Energy Bars

Energy bars are no better than the sports drinks listed above, and for many of the same reasons. Essentially, so called energy bars are nothing more than overpriced candy bars. Most of the so called energy bars you buy at the supermarket or health food store are made from cheap soy, various sugars, some vitamins, and you find many have candy or chocolate added to them.

9. Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Although this sounds like a much healthier selection than a burger may actually be a worse choice. Many grilled chicken sandwiches are covered in cheese, include bacon, mayonnaise, and served with French fries on the side and a soda. Forget that, entire make it yourself at home, minus the cheese, bacon, and fries. Serve it with a fresh salad or grilled veggies instead.

10. Soup

Many people believe that a nice soup is a healthy choice, especially if it includes vegetables. However, many restaurants and deli’s add cornstarch to make the soups thicker and salt cubes to make them tasty. Make your own at home, save yourself a lot of money and it will be healthier also.

11. Granola

This popular snack seems so good for you. It’s crunchy and tastes great! However, many granolas have added oils, sugars, salts, even candy added to them. Buy organic granolas with dried fruit, honey, and no added salt.

12. Vegetable Oils and Fake Butter

American love their vegetable oils and margarine. This is mostly due to the erroneous belief that saturated fats are bad for your health.  As the mainstream media continues to tout the avoidance of animal fats, people are using large quantities of highly refined vegetable oils.

What most people are unaware of is that all vegetables oils must be chemically processed to be removed from the plant, and that they have virtually no nutritional value, with soybean oil perhaps the worst of the lot. Unfortunately, many processed foods are simply loaded with it. Almost all soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified, and as a result, contaminated with high levels of herbicides and pesticides. Margarine is, more or less, a heart attack waiting to happen. Margarine is almost completely chemical in nature, and full of trans- fats, which contribute to heart disease, cancer, and numerous other bad health conditions.

Butter is a much better choice; not only is it natural, but it has plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.

13. Low Fat and Fat Free Foods

The low fat craze that has been around for decades now has been one of the most damaging diet fads in the history of the US.  A far healthier fat alternative that is not promoted by the media are the saturated fats from animals and vegetables. They provide a good source of a number of health benefits.

The truth is, your body needs saturated fats. They are necessary for both  your organs and immune system to perform. When fats are removed from foods it leaves them tasteless and unappealing. To make up for this, manufacturers add sugars, sodium, and other chemicals in large quantities.

Eat pure, unaltered whole foods, including full fat unpasteurized dairy products.

14. Breakfast Cereals

Cereals used to be one of the best ways to start off the day. Now, nay of they are full of toxic ingredients and misleading advertising.  Many so called “natural” cereals are contaminated with toxic pesticides, solvents, and genetically modified ingredients. The only label you can trust is one that reads “USDA 100 per cent Organic”.

15. Sweet Potato Fries

Although sweet potato fries are high in vitamin A and other nutrients, when you fry them, they are no better than French fries. It’s not the sweet potato that’s the problem, but the fact that they are fried in some unknown vegetable oil. Bake your own sweet potato fries at home.

16. Smoothies

Be careful with smoothies! Although they look and taste delicious, many of them are filled with sugar and ice cream! Make you own at home instead of buying them. Use fresh, whole, organic fruits and Greek yogurt for better health.

17. Bran Muffins

Many people order bran muffins thinking they are healthier than their counterparts but just because it has bran does not make it healthy. Many muffins are made from an over processed mix and then made moist by adding butter and sugar.

18. Fish

Many Americans order fish thinking that they cannot go wrong with this healthy, low fat choice but this, too, is not always true. Almost all salmon come from farms and are fed unhealthy, even toxic diets, which cause them to be extra fatty. Also, many restaurants brush their fish with melted margarine, even if they are grilled.

19. Turkey Bacon

Turkey bacon has just as many calories as regular pork bacon and is loaded with sodium, artificial colors, and a long list of other artificial ingredients and chemicals. If you must indulge in bacon, look for a heritage variety from a small production farm that states it’s free of nitrates and sugar.

20. Salad

It’s all the rage to order a “healthy” salad when eating out, especially an Asian or Cobb salad. These are a big pitfall for people who think they are making a healthy choice. Most salads are loaded with oils, sugar, fats, and non-vegetable items such as cheese, and dressings that are full of artificial ingredients.  It’s better to ask for a plain, garden salad and skip the dressings, ask for lemon juice instead.

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10 Comments

1. 

   serlingcooperdraperpryce

   Mar 15, 2014 at 2:10 am

   An egg white alone is, for some reason, absorbed like a sugar and therefore raises your blood sugar.

   This is nonsense.

   Most orange juice is pasteurized, which removes or degrades many of its nutritional virtues.

   [CITATION NEEDED]. Ironically, the article completely glosses over a major problem with fruit juice, even when it’s not made from concentrate; fruit is mainly sugar, fiber, and water, and juicing removes most of the fiber. Most juice is relatively high in sugar, even if none has been added.

   It’s important to know that ALL types of grains contribute to insulin and leptin resistance

   The authors of this Harvard Medical School and University of Minnesota study that says the exact opposite would probably be very interested in your no-doubt rigorous scientific proof.

   Many people believe that a nice soup is a healthy choice, especially if
   it includes vegetables. However, many restaurants and deli’s add
   cornstarch to make the soups thicker and salt cubes to make them tasty.
   Make your own at home, save yourself a lot of money and it will be
   healthier also.

   I really hope you didn’t pay any money for this article, because dear lord this is asinine.

   Margarine is almost completely chemical in nature,

   So is butter. Please do not contribute to the irresponsible and erroneous use of “chemical-free”. Margarine is terrible, yes, but it’s not because it is made out of atoms.

   Many so called “natural” cereals are contaminated with toxic pesticides, solvents, and genetically modified ingredients

   [CITATION NEEDED]

   Please stop this.
2. 

   Mallory2696

   Apr 2, 2014 at 11:38 pm

   Well at least that leaves steak, baked potato and desert.
   • 

     shawncorrigan

     Jan 15, 2015 at 3:51 am

     sorry baked potato and dessert are full of carbs ,the insulin response will cause inflammation and fat storage. try meat with vegetables butter and whipped cream sweetened with stevia.
3. 

   Yanni Sorolov

   Apr 17, 2014 at 11:47 am

   very interesting!
4. 

   Barbara Sue

   Jul 10, 2014 at 2:06 am

   Yum. Yum. A salad with plain lemon juice. Of course the whole tone of this article is sour, so I guess the lemon is ok. Of course, plain kale would be considered better than lettuce.
5. 

   Nick

   Nov 8, 2014 at 5:14 pm

   Pretty sure I could find a counter argument for each of these claims. The American public is competitive constantly fed contradicting nutrition information. ..we would starve if we listened to each one.

   Here’s an easy plan: Eat anything in moderation, stay hydrated, a green veggie with each meal, and do at least 20 minutes of cardio a day.
6. 

   shawncorrigan

   Jan 15, 2015 at 3:46 am

   the author gets some A +’s and some dumbos for one egg whites are protein,however they are correct if you overload the liver with too much protein it is converted to sugar,approx 120 grams or about 5 eggs, evidently they have not done research on fats. bacon and cheese are awesome sat. fat. also olive oil is monounsaturated and should NOT be overheated. use coconut,lard or tallow.
   fruit juice is pure sugar,so they get an A for that.but even natural juice is going to bring a huge insulin response which causes inflammation. they do get an A for having the nerve to slam bread. basically ALL carbs and sugars should be limited. especially if you are like 90% of americans with insulin resistance. that leaves fat. and not to much protein . of course most people will hate me for this but it is true. i can prove it. i defy any smarty person to prove me wrong. the basic premise is ..too much insulin kills. our government has lied to us!!
   also it damages the insulin receptors after abuse.
7. 

   shawncorrigan

   Jan 15, 2015 at 4:10 am

   geez i have got to call you on this BS first you say bacon and cheese are bad on a bun, and your right the bun is bad(pure carbs)then you say saturated fats from animals are good.HELLO bacon and cheese are sat.fat from animals can you even read your own bu77shiiit ???? your right that sat fat is good but 40 yrs back it was NOT a diet fad HELLO it was the taught ,set in stone health LAW that fat was bad for 40 yrs(read the food pyramid) and margarine and crisco were taught as good ,butter BAD! eggs BAD! and now the media is trying to back pedal calling it a fad diet BS !!!!!!!!! it was much more than that. we have the good media and government agencies telling hundreds of millions of people incorrect advice that i believe was killing them,causing inflammatory disease and you think ALL that can be forgiven by calling it a little teeny tiny oops fad diet. f-no no f-ing way. these people need to be brought out on the carpet for lying and hurting millions and i am telling you the truth is not fully exposed but it will be and these people need to be HORSEWHIPPED B4ST4RDS
8. 

   kaththee

   Jan 16, 2015 at 3:46 am

   This is the stupidest drivel ever written. Gluten is FINE for most ALL people. Whole grains are healthy. People are so spoiled rotten by having an embarrassment of riches that they constantly look this gift horse in the mouth. The rest of the list is bull too. Eat and drink a variety of foods in moderation. Enjoy your food and make meal time important and an event. Above all else be grateful.
9. 

   Brian Brandt

   Jan 19, 2015 at 10:55 pm

   i have never read an article with so many factual errors. It’s like…..100% wrong.