9 Foods to Never Eat Again

You'd be surprised by what made the list!

With all the information (and misinformation) out there about food, it’s not always easy to determine which foods are healthy, and which are not. Knowing what NOT to eat, just got easier. There are certain foods that experts from dieticians, to doctors, to farmers, agree should be avoided.

To eat well, you need to select whole foods that will nourish your physical and mental health, as well as make you feel your best. Nonetheless, life is about balance, so eating ice cream and chocolate occasionally along with leafy vegetables and salmon is fine. However, when grocery shopping or going out, we don’t really pay much attention to certain items that seem harmless but are actually foods to never eat again.

Foods to Never Eat Again

foods to never eat again

In any case, it is recommended that you limit the amount of these foods in your diet as much as possible. Granted, if one of your favorites made the list, it’s perfectly fine to indulge in it on occasion. However, these may not be the most nutritious staples in a well-balanced diet. So, in the spirit of full honesty, let’s discuss some of your favorite meal components… which may become off-limits once you learn what’s really in them.

9 Foods To Never Eat Again is a short list of foods to avoid if you would like to eat healthier and do so for a lifetime. Skinny Ms. advocates eating clean foods that have been minimally processed, unrefined natural sweeteners, and unrefined flours, to name a few. Opt for whole foods without any processing when possible.

1. CURED MEAT PRODUCTS
Hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and even most deli meats are most often full of nitrates and other preservatives that have been linked to cancer and heart disease. The United Health Organization published its findings on October 26, 2015 that confirms the health risks of eating cured meats. We recommend that when buying meats choose those which comes from organic, grass-fed animals and read the packaging to ensure nitrates have not been added. Check out our recipe for Skinny Breakfast Sausage if you’re looking for a clean replacement for morning sausage.

NOTE: If you choose to eat these products, we recommend reading the label to ensure they do not contain nitrates. A few brands now carry “Nitrate Free” bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, which are clearly labeled on the package. A few of the brands are: Oscar Myer, Applegate, and Hormel.

2. MARGARINE
Like most processed foods, margarine is loaded with unhealthy hydrogenated trans-fat. Do your body, and your waistline a favor, by swapping margarine out for healthier unsaturated fats. Pure butter is a whole food. has no trans-fat, and is a better option if you’re considering going clean. Learn more about good fat vs. bad fat here.

3. WHITE RICE
Like white bread, white rice offers no nutritional value and the body does not know how to process it. In addition, white rice spikes blood sugar, making it dangerous for diabetics. Steer clear of white rice and choose brown rice, instead. Try our Slow Cooker Brown Rice Pudding.

4. MOVIE THEATER POPCORN
We know. It’s hard to say, “no,” to the mouth-watering smell of buttered popcorn at the movie theater, but this snack favorite is loaded with unhealthy and genetically-modified ingredients. Opt for bringing your own organic popcorn, or try one of these 5 Snacks to Munch at the Movies.

5. WHITE BREAD
White bread and other refined flours contain little to no vitamins or nutrients, so they offer zero nutritional value. Plus, the body doesn’t know how to properly “digest” these foods, which can lead to health problems. Consider unrefined White Whole Wheat Flour, which is a WHOLE flour. This type of flour has the same nutrient value as whole-wheat flour but is milder, sweeter and lighter. According to The Whole Grain Council, white whole wheat flour has nutritional value equal to whole wheat flour. Check out our recipe for Grandma’s Applesauce Spice Cake, made with unrefined White Whole Wheat Flour. This type of flour is our choice for baked goods.

foods to never eat again

6. CONVENTIONAL PROTEIN BARS
We know, conventional protein bars can most often be found on the health food aisle. Beware, these bars often contain processed soy and unhealthy preservatives and are far from “health foods”. Skip the additives by making your own delicious protein bars with 100% clean ingredients. Try our Quinoa Protein Bars or No-Bake Workout Bars.

7. CONVENTIONAL FROZEN MEALS
Sure, they’re convenient, but conventional frozen meals are loaded with unhealthy preservatives, processed salts, and artificial ingredients. If you’re in the search for quick and easy meal options, check out these Quick Prep Dinners.

8. SO-CALLED, “DIET FOODS”
If a food is labeled as “diet”, more often than not it has replaced natural sugars with refined or chemically made sweeteners, like aspartame or Saccharin, which have been linked to a ton of health issues. Having trouble giving up diet soda? Take our No Soda Challenge and try these 4 Healthy Alternatives to Diet Sodas.

9. THE DIRTY DOZEN
Fruits and veggies are supposed to be healthy, right? Unfortunately, some produce is pumped full of unhealthy pesticides. Steer clear of foods found on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list and opt for organic instead. To learn which foods are included as part of the “Dirty Dozen”, click here.

Learn more about which foods should be avoided as part of a healthy diet here.

Want to add healthy foods to your diet, but aren’t sure which foods make the cut? Check out our Ultimate Shopping List of 50 Superfoods you can feel good about filling your cart with.

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Source: United Health Organization

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Kym Votruba

More by Kym

14 Comments

    1. Annie, If you plan to eat lunchmeat I would recommend “Boar’s Head” brand, if available in your area. They have this brand at the Kroger deli. If not, ask at your local grocery store deli for lunch meat that doesn’t contain preservatives or nitrates.

  1. Dang…that wipes out some of my favorite foods! Movie theater popcorn, bacon, grapes, strawberries, and potatoes. I won't list rice,because I've been considering changing to quinoa instead.

  2. My friend's nutritionist said that brown rice is difficult for your body to digest and suggested I switch to white rice (I'm on a diet where digestion and cleaning out he body is essential (the endo diet)). I try not to buy enriched white rice, but rather rice where the hull has been removed but it hasn't been stripped of its nutrients. But I wonder what the truth is about rice! 🙂

    1. I have read that there are no real benefits to brown rice , because of the fact that your body has a hard time digesting it.

  3. In the paragraph headed So-Called Diet Foods, you say that sucrose is an unnatural sweetener. Sucrose is simple table sugar, obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets.. Did you mean to say sucralose, found in Splenda ?

  4. The author is right on about foods to avoid, and to make the distinction to buy organic versions of common fruits and vegetables.

    I take except to the statement that the body "doesn't know how to process" foods like white bread and white rice. The body certainly does: it turns the carbohydrates into to glucose, which will get eventually stored as fat, if not burned up through exercise. I would still (and do) avoid those foods.

  5. Actually, if you see the documentary, "Forks Over Knives", you'll be horrified to learn what the daily consumption of meat & dairy can do to your body.

    Unfortunately, that documentary totally ignored genetically modified wheat for the production of bread. For that information, read the book, "Wheat Belly" & learn that today's astronomical obesity & diabetes rates have rapidly increased because of the way wheat is grown today.

  6. I really want to get thinner
    I’m pretty sad that I have to cut out things such as bacon, but it’s worth it
    Thank you!

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