Buzz
I have a deep passion for food, including the less healthy options. To assist myself and others in making better dietary choices, I’ve compiled this list to highlight how some foods we perceive as healthy might not be. That said, if a particular food brings you joy, go ahead and indulge! After all, happiness and emotional well-being are just as crucial to your health as proper nutrition—or so I firmly believe!
10. Vegetable Oils
As many of us recall from Chemistry class, fats that are more liquid at room temperature are often considered healthier. This leads to the widespread belief that all vegetable oils are good for you. After all, they’re derived from plants, so it makes sense, right? While it’s true that unsaturated fats, which contain beneficial double bonds, tend to have lower melting points and are healthier, people often overlook the fact that even butter can become liquid when heated. The oil typically used for frying in fast food establishments is palm oil, which is highly saturated and unhealthy. Though semi-solid at room temperature, it turns liquid when heated for frying. If healthier oils were used, those delicious fries wouldn’t be as harmful—assuming the potatoes are of good quality. So why don’t fast food chains opt for healthier oils? Simply put, unhealthy oils are cheaper, and these companies often prioritize profits over your well-being.
9. Pasta
While there are countless variations of pasta, some of which can be healthy, the standard pasta found in Western supermarkets—like spaghetti, macaroni, or noodles—is typically made from refined white flour, water, and a small amount of eggs. These ingredients offer little nutritional value, as they lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Essentially, it’s just empty carbohydrates shaped into pasta. To make matters worse, fast-food pasta options, such as take-out Chinese dishes, are often loaded with excessive salt and unhealthy fats.
8. White Bread
This is essentially pasta molded into the shape of bread. While it might seem obvious to many, there are still individuals who believe all types of bread are healthy. Let me assure you, white bread is not one of them!
7. Soup Mix
Seriously, did you really think that odd green powder you mix into water could be nutritious? Think again. When you consume soup made from these mixes, you’re ingesting the liquid base—water, milk, butter, or whatever else—along with a hefty dose of salt and preservatives. Salt, in particular, is a major concern that often goes unnoticed. It’s a significant contributor to heart disease, as your kidneys work overtime to excrete it. This process raises your blood pressure, which, as you likely know, is harmful to your health.
6. Ketchup
Don’t be misled by the fact that ketchup nearly qualified as a vegetable in the United States. While it contains lycopene, an antioxidant that reduces the risk of mutations and diseases like cancer, ketchup is also packed with sugar (up to 26% carbohydrates, as per Wikipedia) and excessive salt. Most commercially available ketchup is processed and non-organic, meaning its lycopene content is far lower than what fresh tomatoes could provide.
5. Diet Soda
I hesitated to include this item since the definition of 'food' might not encompass drinks in English, unlike in my native language. However, I decided to proceed. While it’s no surprise that soda, diet or not, is unhealthy, you might not realize just how harmful it can be. The scientific community remains divided, with some arguing that diet sodas are worse than their sugary counterparts. This topic is highly debated due to limited research, but existing studies haven’t been kind to diet soda enthusiasts. Some findings suggest that while diet soda alone may not be harmful, it can lead to weight gain, possibly by stimulating appetite and causing overeating. Animal studies indicate that artificial sweeteners in diet sodas may contribute to weight gain, much like regular sugar. Additionally, sweeteners like Aspartame have been linked to potential cancer risks, though conclusive scientific evidence is still lacking.
4. Processed Cheese
While most people know cheese isn’t the healthiest option, processed cheese takes it to another level of unhealthiness. Let me share a childhood memory that highlights this.
Ever since my first Burger King hamburger, I was curious about the cheese they used. It was incredibly cheesy and bright yellow—unlike anything I’d tasted before. Over the years, as a burger enthusiast, I experimented with various cheeses on homemade burgers but never achieved that same flavor. Then, during a trip to Sweden, I stumbled upon the cheese I’d been searching for in the first grocery store I visited. Labeled as 'American cheese,' I brought some back to Norway to test it out. Sure enough, it was the same yellow, melty cheese I remembered. Given Norway’s superiority over Sweden (despite their similarities), I was puzzled why this cheese wasn’t available back home. This curiosity led me to dig deeper.
My suspicions were confirmed when I discovered that processed cheese—which doesn’t even qualify as real cheese—contains dangerously high levels of salt. In fact, just 2-3 slices can exceed the recommended daily salt intake. This explains why it’s not sold in Norway. I’m still unsure how Burger King here sources their cheese, but that’s a mystery for another time.
3. Fruit Juice
This might be a controversial pick, but it’s number one for a solid reason—many people mistakenly believe fruit juice is a healthy substitute for whole fruits. While fruit juice does contain vitamins, it often comes with a downside: added sugars and the removal of pulp. The pulp in whole fruits provides essential fiber, which helps balance the natural sugars. My recommendation? Skip the juice and opt for whole, raw fruits instead.
If you found this list interesting, you’ll likely enjoy Top 10 Things that Are Surprisingly Good for You.
2. Peanuts
Nuts are generally considered healthy, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients beneficial for your body. Peanuts, while not entirely unhealthy, may not be as beneficial as other nuts. Most peanuts sold as snacks are loaded with salt, roasted, and coated in unhealthy fats. You might argue that peanuts themselves are healthy, and while they do contain vitamins and minerals, they are also high in omega-6 fatty acids, a type of unsaturated fat. You’ve likely heard of omega-6 alongside omega-3 fatty acids.
Scientific research shows that an imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (skewed toward omega-6) increases the risk of diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. The ideal ratio should be 1:1, but the typical American diet ranges from 1:20 to 1:50 in favor of omega-6. While I wouldn’t say peanuts are outright bad, they should be eaten in moderation and in their natural state—raw and without added salt.
1. Soy Sauce
As a soy sauce enthusiast, this revelation came as a shock to me. I used to enjoy this flavorful, fat-free condiment guilt-free—until I started compiling this list. Unlike many other soy-based products, soy sauce lacks isoflavones, a type of antioxidant, yet it still contains high levels of other antioxidants, leading many to mistakenly consider it healthy. However, soy sauce is packed with excessive amounts of salt, and studies have identified chemicals in it that may increase the risk of certain cancers. Fortunately, stricter regulations and awareness of the dangers of high sodium have led to the creation of low-sodium soy sauces free from harmful chemicals. Sadly, as with most healthier alternatives, they don’t quite match the taste of the original.
