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Most ready-to-eat foods lack the essential nutrients that are vital for your overall well-being, says dietician Bhakti Adkar.
Regularly relying on these quick-fix options can contribute to suboptimal nutritional intake, potentially affecting one's health negatively.
When was the last time you ordered a plate of cheesy fries at midnight and regretted it the next morning?
Cheat meals are okay as long as you follow a healthy daily routine.
However, when you regularly include the wrong kind of foods in your daily diet, you must be prepared to face the consequences.
Sooner or later, your body will start showing signs of deterioration and you will be forced to alter your lifestyle choices.
Here's a list of foods you can avoid to improve your overall health:
1. Fried Foods
Deep-fried delicacies such as samosas and pakoras, as well as popular international options like finger chips, fried chicken and onion rings, are widely consumed by both children and adults.
But regular consumption of fried and junk food will have minor to severe health implications.
Deep-frying involves high consumption of unhealthy trans fats and more calories. Eating these foods has been linked to gaining weight and a higher chance of cardiovascular illnesses.
2. Packaged Beverages
Sugary beverages like sodas, energy drinks and sweetened fruit juices bring serious health worries for both adults and children.
Drinking them often can lead to problems like obesity and Type 2 diabetes. These drinks are full of calories in the form of sugar but don't offer any nutritional value.
Regular and uncontrolled consumption of packaged beverages can make people take in more calories overall, leading to weight gain and more health problems.
Healthier alternatives would be water, herbal teas or other drinks with fewer calories and no added sugar to satisfy your thirst.
3. Instant Meals
Instant noodles and ramen, widely appreciated for their convenience, often come with nutritional concerns.
These quick and packaged meals are frequently high in sodium, posing potential risks to cardiovascular health.
Most ready-to-eat foods lack the essential nutrients that are vital for your overall well-being.
Regularly relying on these quick-fix options can contribute to a suboptimal nutritional intake, potentially affecting one's health negatively.
4. Sweetened Foods
Sugar-sweetened cereals, often marketed to both children and adults, can be problematic for overall health.
Many of these cereals are laden with added sugar, contributing to excessive caloric intake and potential health issues such as weight gain and an increased risk of developing conditions like Type 2 diabetes.
These cereals often lack essential nutrients and provide little nutritional value beyond empty calories.
5. Baked Foods
Store-bought baked treats such as packaged cookies, cakes and pastries can be tempting but often come with a set of nutritional concerns.
These products are frequently loaded with high levels of refined sugar, unhealthy fats and various additives.
Eating too much refined sugar can mean you're taking in more calories and could lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and dental problems.
6. Frozen Foods
Frozen meals, although convenient, often come with a downside when it comes to nutritional content.
Many of these pre-packaged options can be high in sodium, unhealthy fats and preservatives.
High sodium intake is a major concern as it is strongly linked to an increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure).
7. Sweets, Packaged Desserts
Candies and sweets, while delightful, can have significant implications for both children's and adults' health due to their high content of added sugar, artificial colours and preservatives.
Overconsumption of candies and sweets and health problems is particularly concerning.
The high sugar content can contribute to weight gain and an increased risk of childhood obesity. Moreover, a diet rich in added sugar has been associated with a higher likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes and dental issues in children.
The artificial colours and preservatives present in many candies may also have potential adverse effects.
8. High Fat Dairy Products
Incorporating high-fat options like cheese and mayonnaise into daily meals can have consequences for overall health.
Even though these add taste and creaminess to food, having them often can mean you're getting too much of the wrong fats.
Cheese, for example, has a lot of saturated fats which, if you have too much, can increase the LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood and raise the chance of heart problems.
Similarly, mayonnaise is often made with oils that are high in calories and may contain saturated or trans fats, leading to concerns about weight gain and cardiovascular health.
9. Artificial sweeteners
Whether you are diabetic or not, you must reconsider the use of artificial sweeteners.
Even though they give you a sugar-free choice, worries about potential health risks persist.
Choose natural sweeteners like honey or stevia instead to fulfil your sweet cravings without risking your well-being. Making this change can help you lead a healthier life in the long run.
10. Bread, Refined Grains
White bread and refined grains don't have the fibre and nutrients that whole grains offer.
If you go for whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and whole wheat instead, you'll get important nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Eating whole grains aids in better digestion, improved heart health and has a lower chance of some long-term health issues.
Bhakti Adkar is a dietician at SRV Hospitals, Chembur, Mumbai. She has a bachelor's degree in biotechnology, a post-graduate diploma in nutrition and dietetics and a master's degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics.
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