You are what you eat. Or so we are told. And while we know that is not true, studies have found the things we eat have a dramatic impact on our health and can even influence a person's risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes, as the National Institutes of Health noted.
The aisles of grocery stores are lined with foods and products that can be damaging to our health, and the environment, but it is not always easy to know which of these to avoid. This is where the experts come in. Prevention recently polled a handful of people in the know to determine which "convenience" foods they would never eat.
Here, we take a look at 14 of these foods which you should put back on the shelf:
1. Whole-wheat bread. Every healthy diet recommends swapping out white, processed bread for its whole-wheat counterpart but the issue is that extensive genetic manipulations performed since the 1960s means that modern wheat bears very little resemblance to the original grain, according to William Davis, MD. He also noted that changing the genetics and biochemistry of a plant will affect the humans who consume it. You could try to eliminate wheat completely from your diet.
2. Non-dairy coffee creamer. Aside from being convenient, coffee creamers do make that morning cup extra tasty. There is a dark side to this product though. Nutritional expert Will Clover explained non-dairy creamers tend to be crammed with artificial flavors and ingredients that include high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, which could cause inflammation and liver damage. Opt for real milk or better yet, black coffee.
3. Grape jelly. Very few things go as well together as peanut butter and jelly but chances are if you are reaching for that store-bought jar of grape jelly, it is the kind laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. Ellen Gustafson, author of "We the Eaters" explained this product is "basically a jelly-textured candy loaded with various forms of sugar, artificial colors, and flavors." Go for an organic, low-sugar variety instead.
4. Diet soda. You may be cutting back on processed sugar when you swap your regular soda for a diet but these products, and many other sugar-free drinks, candies, and gum, contain artificial sweeteners which could wreak havoc on your health. Health issues can include problems related to metabolism and weight gain to neurological diseases, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, depression, and cancer, noted Isaac Eliaz, MD, founder of Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center. Best sip on water instead.
5. Canned tomatoes. Tomatoes are packed with nutrients but the canned variety could be soaking up bisphenol-A (BPA) from the resin linings of the tin cans. This could lead to a variety of health issues ranging from heart disease to diabetes, and obesity. Stick to the raw stuff.
6. Sprouts. It seems that at every turn someone is punting the health benefits of sprouts but the risk of eating this snack far outweighs its perks. Sprouts harbor salmonella, E. coli and listeria and are vulnerable to contamination.
7. Chicken wings. They taste good but chicken wings are generally deep-fried, packed with calories and tons of artery-clogging fat. It is the perfect recipe for weight gain. Furthermore, conventional chicken feed often contains antibiotics, so you are adding that to your plate as well. Try baked or grilled organic chicken instead.
8. Non-organic strawberries. Experts recommend we eat at least three servings of fruit daily and while strawberries make for a great snack, the non-organic kind are covered in dangerous pesticides.
9. Butter-flavored popcorn. When it comes to popcorn there is a fine line between a healthy snack and a health risk. Munching on the lightly salted, air-popped variety is a good idea but tucking into a tub of butter-flavored popcorn is not. The reason the flavored kind is so unhealthy is because of all the artificial flavors, additives, and chemicals they contain.
10. Non-organic green beans. Recent reports found green beans are often contaminated with chemical insecticides like acephate-and its breakdown product methamidophos. Choosing organic green beans is a far better option.
11. Farmed salmon. Fish is an important part of a healthy diet but farmed fish, like salmon, tend to be contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals, pesticides, and antibiotics. Wild salmon is much healthier.
12. Margarine. Need a reason to ditch the margarine? Dave Asprey, author of "The Bulletproof Diet," has several. "If you could pick one type of fat that would destroy your performance, decrease your brain function, damage your health, and shorten your life, it would have to be margarine, and other trans fats," he said. "They lower your HDL cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease, increase your triglyceride levels, and damage your arteries and your heart."
13. Gummy vitamins. How could you go wrong with vitamins? Quite easily if you are taking the gummy variety. One serving contains 15 calories as well as artificial food dyes and artificial additives. Nothing beats a balanced, healthy diet but if you must go for a flavorsome multivitamin choose the liquid kind.
14. Instant noodles. They look innocent enough but lurking in those packets are ingredients like MSG, which can cause a variety of health issues including migraines and excessive food cravings. You may as well go for regular pasta instead.