7 Foods That You Have No Excuse To Eat, EVER!

You already know that processed foods are bad, but there are some things that we all eat from time to time that we think are suitable to eat.

But they’re not. They’re just not. So stay away from these. There’s really no reason to eat them. ##MN_RESP##

1. Microwave popcorn. The bags on microwave popcorn were shown long ago to contain a chemical called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PLOS), which inhibits kidney function and increases your risk of cancer. These popcorns also have no regulation on their trans fats or artificial flavorings, so maybe it’s just best to stick to air-popped stuff.
2. Conventionally farmed chicken and eggs. Getting produce that’s from traditional dairy or meat farms can contain traces of the antibiotics that the animals get fed, and a lot of times meat or dairy from these sources are at a higher risk for salmonella than organic or free range farms and ranches.
3. Non-organic apples. While non-organic produce isn’t any less nutritious than organic produce, it does have way more pesticides. This could be bad for fruits like apples, which are extremely thin skins. Not all organic fruits are worth spending the extra cash, but pesticide-free apples are a better investment than most.
4. “Sugar-free” candies. Sugar free doesn’t mean there are no sweeteners in it, just that there aren’t any refined sugars. Your body is just as bad at breaking down sugar substitutes as regular sugar, and it could give you a nasty tummy ache.
5. Margarine. Though it’s lower in cholesterol than regular butter, the trans fats that are in it more than make up for it. Those fats alone can raise your risk of heart disease. Margarine from a tub is marginally better (margarine-ly better?) than its stick counterpart, but but it’s still not great. If you must use margarine, the softer the better.
6. Processed deli meats. Processed forms of healthy meats, like ham, bacon, and salami, can have over 400% more sodium than unprocessed meats. Nitrites and nitrates are a danger too, so look for them on labels.
7. American cheese. This delicious grilled cheese fare is anything but cheese. Sure, it has milk fats in it, but it’s far from cheese. It’s loaded with fat and sodium, and its nutritional value is more like that of a high-fat cut of meat than like a slice of cheese.

Which of these foods is your guilty pleasure?

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