A lot has changed in the past 100 years, especially our food
and where it comes from. While it may be tempting to give your children hotdogs
after a long day at work, you may want to read this list first. Some of the
foods we’ll be listing here are simply unhealthy that can contribute to
obesity, while others may contribute to the development of cancer. The best
thing you can do for your child is to serve fresh food, with as little
processed foods as possible. But here are some of the most commonly used foods
that can be particularly detrimental to your child’s health.
1.
Fruit juice seems like it would be a healthy
choice, when in fact it is usually packed with sugar with almost no actual
fruit. Many fruit juices contain more corn syrup than actual juice, but even
the 100% juice options are usually crammed full of sugar. Now certainly 100%
fruit juice is better than soda, but you’re going to want to limit fruit juice
intake. Most Americans get at least double the recommended intake of added
sugar a day, and a single cup of juice can fulfill the full sugar limit all on
its own.
2.
And speaking of soda, do not give your children
diet soda with the assumption it is better for them than regular soda. While it
doesn’t have sugar, it has artificial colors and dangerous chemicals. It
usually has caramel coloring, which is currently being studied because it has
caused cancer in rats.
3.
Deep fried foods. It is an obvious item, but it
needs to be mentioned. Fried chicken, chicken tenders, breaded shrimp, onion
rings. These items are high in fat, high in calories, and high in sodium. The
key with this is moderation. By all means, go out for fried chicken every once
in a while, but don’t make it a part of your weekly diet.
4.
Processed meats are extremely unhealthy in a
number of ways. This includes sausage, bacon, lunchmeat, and more. They are now
accepted as being a carcinogen, which is reason enough to stay far away from
them. If you can’t give up bacon, limit it a lot. Make processed meats a very
special treat.
5.
Cereal, one of the most popular breakfast items,
is extremely unhealthy, even if you go for the “healthy” options. Not only do
most cereals contain way too much sugar, but some of them contain ingredients
that are banned in other parts of the world because they may cause cancer.
Instead serve eggs, toast, oatmeal, or something else more natural than a
sugary cereal.
6.
Canned soup is easy, cheap, and healthy. But not
quite. Canned soup is packed with sodium, often half or more the sodium you
should get in an entire day. It can also be packed with strange chemicals you’ve
never heard of. Homemade soup is not hard to make, and it’s a lot better for
you.
7.
Boxed Mac & cheese is another cheap, popular
meal for kids that is filled with sodium. Depending on the brand, your kids
will also be ingesting tons of fake ingredients, including the cheese. Making
homemade Mac & cheese with real ingredients isn’t too hard, and there are
ways you can make it more healthy, such as using low-fat cheese.
8.
If you think feeding your kid a salad is
healthy, think again. Salad dressing can be packed with fat, sugar, and
chemicals. By no means should you cut out salad, just choose the dressing you
use with it carefully.
9.
Stay away from canned fruit or fruit cups. These
are often bathed in oils and sugary syrups. These can contribute to obesity and
other health issues so instead, just choose fruit. Simple fruit from your
produce aisle.
10.
Frozen foods, whether these are hot pockets, TV
dinners, or anything else requiring to just be warmed up are usually bad for
you and your kids. They’re very processed, filled with sodium, and can cause a
lot of adverse health issues. Before you choose a frozen meal take a good look
at the nutritional facts to make sure the one you choose is not too unhealthy.
11.
Pop-tarts and their off brands are fast, sugary,
and extremely unhealthy. Not only are they high in fat and sugar, but they
contain chemicals that may cause cancer. Best to stay away from these entirely.
12.
Using margarine instead of butter is not a good
alternative. It is a huge source of trans fats, which are bad for cholesterol.
When cooking with butter use olive oil instead, and when using butter for bread
stick with traditional butter, in moderation of course.
13.
Granola bars are often labeled as a healthy
food, but they are anything but. Granola bars are actually filled with oils and
sugars, making them more of a desert than anything else. Not only that, but
they actually usually don’t make you feel full, leading to overeating.
14.
Popping a bag of microwave popcorn in for movie
night is extremely bad for your child’s health. It’s filled with sodium, fat, artificial
butter, calories, and strange “natural” flavors. There have also been some
questions about if the chemicals in microwave popcorn may slightly increase the
chances of cancer. Air popping popcorn from home actually makes for a healthy
snack.
15.
Stay away from white bread and choose 100% whole
wheat bread instead. White bread is made with flour that has no nutrition,
often has strange preservatives, and also, surprisingly, has more sugar than
you would think.
16.
Bagels have a reputation for being a healthy
breakfast item, but between the high carbs and the calories and sugar the bagel
has when not plain or covered in cream cheese, it becomes a very unhealthy way
to start the day.
17.
An item you may not think about as being
unhealthy is ketchup. Not only is one of its main ingredients corn syrup, but
it contains a lot of sugar. And when you’re using ketchup with your French fries,
you end up consuming a lot of ketchup without even thinking about it.
18.
Pancake mix makes for easy, delicious pancakes,
but pancake mix has almost nothing in it except refined flour. Plus you add
butter and syrup, then you have a high calorie, high sugar breakfast. Keep
these as a special restaurant treat, not a staple in your home.
19.
Don’t indulge in red meat on a regular basis.
That means cut back on the burgers and pork chops. Red meat is higher in fat
and cholesterol than chicken and fish. You don’t have to cut out all red meat,
just eat it in moderation.
20.
Many will claim that yogurt is healthy, and it
can be, as long as you watch the yogurt you are giving to your kids. A lot of
yogurt has tons of added sugar and artificial sweeteners. In general you want
to go for Greek yogurt, and make sure to check the nutrition facts!
