The common foods you have every day, like cereals, cereal bars and the sandwich made with white bread you had for lunch are the basis of what you eat.
You eat them because you know they fill you up.
But have you ever looked at what’s inside those foods? Not literally and literally.
Do you read the ingredients on every food item you buy?
Most people may read the nutritional label but not the ingredients, and because they’re oblivious to all the chemicals and sugars in those food items, they don’t know the damage they are doing to their gut long term, which will affect their appearance, mood and even increase their chance of getting diseases and conditions.
If you didn’t know, bacteria don’t like to grow on sugar, and since our gut bacteria is fundamental for our digestion, consuming these sugars you “didn’t know” were in the food item will weaken your immune system, making you even more ill when you catch an illness.
But what is the good news?
On every food item a company makes or produces, they can’t legally hide the ingredients, so what they put in YOUR food is always in front of you!
Don’t let these companies make you look stupid because all the crap they put in your food is right in front of your eyes!
So what you’re about to read is all the “healthy” foods that are unhealthy or in other words, ultra-processed foods.
1. Protein cereals
You’re in the shop and find a cereal that says “high in protein”. You get excited as it means you can finally reach your protein goal.
However, it also means you can reach a higher percentage of getting ill and slower recovery from diseases.
Protein cereals don’t just have added protein, but also added sugar and chemicals humans shouldn’t be consuming.
What to have instead
Choose another unprocessed cereal, add seeds or nuts, or eat something else for breakfast.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
2. Cereals
Most cereals have added chemicals and high glycemic sugar in them. People can easily assume that chocolate cereals are unhealthy, but normal cereals or even honey cereals are more subtle with them, and most people think it’s healthy, but the truth is, their true colours are hidden.
Here are 2 examples. Don’t be disheartened, because there are still a few cereals out there that only have a few or even one ingredient, like oats and 100% bran flakes.
Cereals like Weetabix can be let off, but if you can, switch to a healthier option.
What to have instead
Choose another unprocessed cereal, add seeds or nuts, or eat something else for breakfast.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
3. Granola
Granola is often seen as a good food for bulking, as well as most cereals, but is also seen as healthy.
However, most granolas are not just granola, but they have added chemicals to them to make them sweeter without telling you.
What to have instead
Choose another unprocessed cereal, add seeds or nuts, or eat something else for breakfast.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
4. White bread
This isn’t too subtle, as many people know white bread is unhealthy. However, people are still ignorant and continue to eat white bread frequently, for example, when they buy a sandwich from the shop or school.
White bread is meant to last longer, therefore they add preservatives which are sugars, and you know that sugar is unhealthy, so consuming white bread frequently won’t help your gut.
What to have instead
Eat Ezekiel bread, bread with fewer and healthier ingredients, or eat something else for breakfast.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
5. Crackers
Crackers seem very innocent and plain, maybe just a bit of added flavour… But NO, most crackers have all sorts of added ingredients, which are mostly sugar, and to “bump up the taste”, they add some chemicals that your gut probably hates.
What to have instead
Have fresh fruits, homemade biscuits, or other unprocessed snacks.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
6. Oven/ready-on-the-go food items
You had a long day, and when you came home, you decided to boil some water, and pour it in your pot noodles, and you dig in.
You did all of that in less than 10 minutes. Great right? Did you save some time?
Yes, but you aren’t saving your gut, and know that all the sugar and chemicals will be digging into your gut (not literally), but they will be gradually damaging your gut until you realise it 20 years later.
What to have instead
Get in your kitchen and prepare your meals at home. Not all meals take long to make, and even if they do, your health should be worth your time.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
7. Low-fat milk
Wow, I can enjoy that lovely milk taste and lose “fat”! Take into account that when you remove an ingredient or compound from a food item, it can never be or taste the same.
It applies to milk as well; remove the fat from it and it will be different, therefore you would have to add chemicals to it to make it as close in taste to normal milk as possible. And obviously, these chemicals aren’t good for your gut.
What to have instead
Drink full-fat milk.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
8. Reduced-fat Greek yoghurt
The same concept applies to removing and adding compounds. Eat full-fat Greek yoghurt that only has one ingredient.
What to have instead
Eat full-fat Greek yoghurt.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
9. Most yoghurts/ flavoured yoghurts
You get your yoghurt, pour the chocolate flakes in the yoghurt that comes with it, and enjoy, thinking that it’s a healthy snack. But not only are the chocolate flakes unhealthy, but the yoghurt itself is even more processed.
Flavoured yoghurts contain chemicals and sugar that boost their sweetness. The smarties that go with the yoghurt are there to target children as the children think that it’s still healthy and that something healthy cancels out something unhealthy, and it’s not their fault.
And even with that, the yoghurt isn’t even healthy.
What to have instead
Eat full-fat Greek yoghurt.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
10. Reduced fat or 0% fat food items
I already listed some low-fat food items that aren’t healthy, but in general, all food products that say “reduced in fat” are unhealthy and in most cases unhealthier than the original.
Full-fat milk, for example, is healthy because your body needs fat for proper function and the fat in milk is healthy.
Usually, foods with “organic” on the label are unprocessed, but just remember to read the ingredients.
What to have instead
Consume healthy, full-fat food items.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
11. Reduced sugar ketchup
There are just too many people who think 50% reduced sugar ketchup is healthier for them, but it just isn’t, and when you read the ingredients, you will be reassured.
What to have instead
Reduce your ketchup consumption (even with that, use regular ketchup instead).
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
12. Protein bars
When people are desperate to reach their protein goals, they are likely to pick up absolutely anything that says “high in protein”, even if it’s processed. But if you continue like that, you will pay the price for your health long-term.
It’s not hard to pick up animal protein sources or non-processed ones, like eggs, lamb, and beans.
What to have instead
Eat healthier protein snacks, like nuts (almonds for example).
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
13. Cereal/energy bars
Cereal bars are just another way of pumping a lot of sugar into your system, spiking your insulin, and hence reducing your energy levels.
Some are very subtle when they go as far as putting “natural” in big lettering, which catches most people.
You will know something is natural if you read the ingredients.
What to have instead
Eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast that will fill you up, or have healthier snacks, like fruit or nuts.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
14. Flavoured water
People are just oblivious and think flavoured water is better-tasting water, but they’ll be in for a real surprise when they read the ingredients.
Once again, if a food item’s taste has changed, something has to be added to it, in this case, sugar.
Drink what nature gave you, which is water, and increase your healthy fat and protein intake if you get cravings.
What to have instead
Drink water.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
15. Diet Coke
If Diet Coke tastes similar to normal Coke, something else must have replaced the sugar, maybe even a worse sugar that is high on the glycemic index.
They display common sugar as the only sugar, which is deceiving as putting “0g of sugar” when there is still sugar in it is evil towards people trying to go on a diet.
This may even do worse to people trying to lose weight than normal Coke.
What to have instead
Avoid Coke in general and drink water, or prepare a healthy smoothie at home.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
16. Store sandwiches
All the companies think you care about is the taste, therefore they add all the chemicals and sugars they can add in a single food item to satisfy your taste buds, but not to satisfy your gut long-term.
Care about your health and READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL.
What to have instead
Get in your kitchen and prepare your meals at home. Not all meals take long to make, and even if they do, your health should be worth your time.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
17. Gummy fruit snacks
THEY ARE TARGETING CHILDREN. They know that gummies are associated with sweets, so making them fruit gummies will trick the child (half of the time the parent as well).
Then they can slide in some high glycaemic sugars to satisfy the children’s taste buds, making them addicted to something they think is healthy, and also damaging their health.
What to have instead
Choose healthier snack options, like fruit or nuts.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
18. Gummy Vitamins
IT’S THE SAME CONCEPT. They know that gummies are associated with sweets, so making them fruit gummies will trick the child (half of the time the parent as well).
Then they can slide in some high glycaemic sugars to satisfy the children’s taste buds, making them addicted to something they think is healthy, and also damaging their health.
What to have instead
Get in your kitchen and prepare nutritious meals at home. Not all meals take long to make, and even if they do, your health should be worth your time.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
19. Dilute vitamins
Now they are tricking more parents because they know they have the money to blow on something they think is healthy.
Dilute vitamins are just sugar blocks that you can add to water and drink every day. You are wasting your money, and ruining your health.
It’s the opposite of a WIN-WIN, which is improving the food you eat, in which you can save money, and be healthier.
What to have instead
Get in your kitchen and prepare nutritious meals at home. Not all meals take long to make, and even if they do, your health should be worth your time.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
20. Plant-based or nut milk
Now they are targeting the older generation because most people who are older have been tricked into thinking healthy fats are bad and associated with obesity and high cholesterol, therefore they opt for “healthier” milks like almond milk.
The companies just can’t resist adding some high glycemic sugars in there.
What to have instead
Full-fat milk.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
21. Energy drinks
Drinking an energy drink is the worst thing you can drink in the morning. It’s like a vacuum cleaner for your energy; the glucose in there is already high on the glycaemic index, which spikes your insulin, and depletes your energy. Just eat a good, healthy breakfast for your energy.
What to have instead
Eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast that fills you up.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
22. Salad dressings
Salad is associated with health benefits, which is true, but that’s just a path companies take to create salad dressings and add sugar in them to add to your salad. When you do that, you turn your salad into an unhealthy salad.
What to have instead
Have your salads plain and use salad dressings less often.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
23. 50/50 bread
A bit of “good” plus a bit of bad. Most brown breads are ultra-processed, but 50/50 is worse. The unhealthy part of it just makes the whole thing unhealthy.
What to have instead
Eat Ezekiel bread, bread with fewer and healthier ingredients, or eat something else for breakfast.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
24. Veggie chips
Do you think these are an alternative to crisps? Don’t let the companies fool you; they aren’t just veggie chips, but a bunch of other chemicals have been added too.
What to have instead
Eat healthier snacks, like nuts or fruit.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
25. Baked beans
Baked beans aren’t as healthy as they seem. They have modified corn starch added to them, and they are high in sugar. It’s like adding ketchup to beans.
What to have instead
Use beans on their own ( or you can have them in tomato sauce).
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
26. Most rice cakes
Beware of some of the rice cakes you buy out there, because some go as low as even 60% rice, giving room for sugars and other bad ingredients to be added.
What to have instead
Buy low-ingredient rice cakes.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
27. Dried fruits
Some dried fruits can have added oils and sugars to them, so before your children indulge in these, read the ingredients.
What to have instead
Eat healthier snacks, like regular fresh fruit or nuts.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
28. Seed oils / Vegetable oils
Seed oils are one of the main reasons humans have gotten fatter since the 1960s, and their increase aligns with obesity rates.
Seed oils cause inflammation and increase cortisol levels, which can increase your appetite and result in you gaining fat.
They also damage the part of your cells that produce energy (your mitochondria), and this reduces our efficiency at using fat as energy, which will result in more fat gain.
What to have instead
Use animal fat or healthy butter.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
29. Whey protein
One of the biggest “fors” in the muscle-building industry because people can make money.
But along with building some muscle, you will increase the chances of becoming more ill from diseases and conditions, and this is due to the high glycaemic sugars in them and that it is a by-product of milk, meaning it’s not good for us.
What to have instead
Get in your kitchen and prepare nutritious, high-protein meals.
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
30. Burger buns
Burger buns are just refined carbs, which are high in sugar and most likely ultra-processed.
What to have instead
Use healthier burger buns (usually ones with fewer and healthier ingredients).
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
31. Wrap tortillas
Wrap tortillas are also refined carbs, which are high in sugar and most likely ultra-processed.
What to have instead
Use healthier wrap tortillas (usually ones with fewer and healthier ingredients).
*Overall, just make sure you read the ingredients!
Learn how to read and detect bad ingredients here.
Conclusion
What do these all have in common? they’re ultra-processed.
But am I saying never eat these? No, but just eat them once in a while and consume them less often. Switch them for whole foods, and always remember to read the ingredients!
If you don’t want to cut out some minimally processed foods, then try and cut out other foods that are processed, so you do minimal damage to your health, for example, if you have 50/50 bread in the morning, and then for lunch, you have white rice and processed oven chicken, cut out the chicken for raw 100% chicken, and try and switch your white rice to brown rice.
Takeaways
Here are the things you should remember:
- Read the ingredients of every food item before you buy it
- If the ingredients list is long, it’s likely unhealthy
- If you see high glycaemic sugar and refined oils in a food product, regardless of whether the list is short or not, avoid it
- Switch refined oils for animal fat or butter
- Prepare your food at home
And also remember: You have your health in YOUR hands.
