This story has been updated since it was originally posted on 01/04/2019
Grocery shopping can be a slippery slope when you’re trying to stay healthy. Sure, there’s plenty of fresh produce and healthy ingredients to choose from, but there are also all those highly processed foods just begging to be thrown into your cart. Of course, we won’t blame you if you let a few indulgent options slip in every now and then, but in order to stay as healthy as possible, it’s best to leave certain items on the shelves.
If you want to live your healthiest life in 2022, it’s time to start prioritizing a nutritious diet—and that starts with your grocery shopping! You can’t snack on fattening, calorie-dense foods if they’re not in your house. To learn more about the worst foods you could buy at the grocery store, we asked experts to weigh in. Read on to discover the 10 foods they suggest you stop buying this year.
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Cereal
“Sugary cereal is a terrible food,” says David Baillie, a Connecticut-based personal trainer and owner of Front-Line Fitness. The cereals you grew up eating as a kid are highly processed and full of sugar and refined carbohydrates. Say it ain’t so! It’s super important to read the food labels on cereal boxes and aim for one that has at least 3 to 5 grams fiber and no more than 5 grams sugar per serving.
Sausage
“I'm not saying you should never eat them again, but to enjoy sausage in moderation with a balanced meal,” recommends Dang. If you really crave sausage every once in a while, choose wisely. Dang suggests looking for lean meat such as turkey. “It’s a more nutritious option that also provides fewer calories and saturated fat compared to pork sausages,” she says. Remember to read labels and scrutinize the calories, fat, and sugar contents.
Flavored yogurts
Flavored yogurts are just bad news. “Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and probiotic bacteria such as L. acidophilus, but not all yogurts are created equal,” says Jenny Dang, RD, the founder of Eat Your Dang Veggies. Flavored yogurts contain more than 15 to 18 grams of total sugar. “You can reduce your added sugar intake by choosing plain, unflavored yogurt and flavoring it with fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, cinnamon or a drizzle of honey,” says Dang. “The fruit will give you an extra nutrient boost of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” she says.
Juice
Put down that breakfast drink this year, it’s just loaded with sugar. “A healthy meal should provide a combo of protein, fat, and carbs with at least 5 grams of fiber,” says Alix Turoff, a New York City nutritionist and trainer. “But juices lack fiber so what you're getting is just a carb that’s going to spike your blood sugar.” You’re much better off squeezing some fresh citrus into a tall glass of water at home.
Granola
If you’ve been tricked into thinking granola was healthy, we’re not alone. Many people believe this food is actually good for you, but unfortunately it’s untrue. Turoff says granola is loaded with calories and sugar. While it is possible to find a granola that is healthy, you have to read the labels carefully and watch portion size. Your best bet is to make your own natural granola at home to avoid the added sugar.
Instant Oatmeal
“People who eat good carbs like oatmeal have more energy, reduced sugar cravings, lose more weight and even have more regular bowel movements”, says Dr. Jennifer Stagg, a naturopathic physician. But instant doesn’t qualify because it’s been refined and lost most of its health benefits. Steel-cut oats retain the entire grain and that provides ample fiber to get your body moving.
Sugar-Free Products
Real sugar isn’t great, but there’s nothing worse than fake sugar. Sugar alcohols have many tricky names, like erythritol, xylitol, and maltitol. If you see any of these ingredients on your food labels, don’t buy it. “The addition of sugar alcohols help lower sugar and carbs in foods but they also cause major belly bloat and GI distress,” says Stacy Goldberg, a nutritionist at Savorfull.
White Bread
“Refined wheat, aka white flour, contains no nutrients and leaves your body hungrier than when you sat down to eat,” says Dr. Marizelle Arce. With so many other healthy options available at the grocery store there is just no reason to purchase this over-processed food. Avoid foods with ingredients like “wheat flour” or “unbleached enriched flour” on the label. “These empty calorie carbs will cause the next meal you have to be stored and turn into fat,” says Dr. Arce.
Protein Bars
Your body needs a sufficient amount of protein to function and build muscle, but it’s best to get it naturally from the foods you eat. Culinary nutrition expert, Andrea Wien, explains that protein bras are often loaded with preservatives, GMOs, allergens, soy, aspartame, saccharin, and artificial flavors. “Be diligent about checking labels and making sure ingredients come from a good source and is sugar, soy and gluten-free,” she warns.
Frozen Pizza
Although highly convenient (and not to mention tasty), frozen foods are generally highly processed and never a good idea when it comes to your health. Among the worst options out there are ever-popular frozen pizzas. "Delicious, easy to cook and with a very long shelf life, frozen pizzas seem to be the perfect dinner for when you can’t be bothered cooking," registered dietitian and nutritionist and Caleb Backe notes. But he warns that consumers shouldn't "be fooled by the seemingly simple ingredients of pizza base, sauce and cheese." As it turns out, all of this can total to a whopping 400 calories in just one serving, and will rack up nearly half of your recommended daily sodium and saturated fat intakes. Yikes! Plus, let's be honest, normally we eat more than one serving of pizza—which makes matters even worse.
Plant-Based Milks With Added Sugar
From intolerances to personal lifestyle decisions, there are many reasons you may choose to switch to plant-based milks like oat or almond varieties. While these can be great, healthy options for some, experts say you should avoid any milks with added cane sugar. "Added cane sugar is so unnecessary and can add on extra calories and cause weight gain," warns Dr. Amy Lee, board-certified doctor in internal medicine, medical nutrition, and obesity medicine, and partner of Nucific. For the healthiest possible dairy-free milk, Dr. Lee says you can make your own instead of buying it at the grocery store. That way, you'll have complete control over what goes into the beverage—and, ultimately, your body.
