When you think about the foods that are in your refrigerator and which are the best and worst, you’re most likely thinking in terms of which foods last the longest compared to those you need to eat fast as they spoil quicker. And whether or not the containers they’re being stored in is actually toxic for you. But have you ever stopped to think about which foods are just the worst for you to have in your refrigerator for another reason? As in, they’re simply unhealthy for you.
So what is the one food you should get rid of? Well, the worst food in your fridge is…
Flavored Yogurt
We know—this one might be a bit hard to believe. But here us out.
See, yogurt is often thought of as a solid weight-loss food option. Research from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville even found that regularly eating yogurt as part of a healthy diet can lead to slimming down faster. It’s high in protein, which means it will keep you full, and it’s a food that helps keep your digestive tract working properly too, as it increases your probiotic intake. Clearly, there are tons of benefits to eating yogurt, even daily! But it all depends on the type of yogurt you are buying and stocking your fridge with.
You might not realize it, but there are tons of yogurts out there that are drowning in added sugar and artificial colors and flavors. And that is what’s instantly stripping all the “good” that comes with eating yogurt. Take a look at the nutrition labels, and it’s as if you’re eating a bowl of ice cream!
So just be sure you’re keeping an eye out for those pesky added sugars and when in doubt, go for plain Greek yogurt. You can always add fresh fruit to your yogurt to add natural sugars to it. It’s now a snack that won’t completely sabotage your weight-loss goals! But it’s not the only trouble that’s on your fridge shelves. Read on to uncover which other foods you should rid your fridge of for good!
1. Fruit Juice
Sure, it’s natural and overflowing with vitamin C, but it’s loaded with sugar—and totally void of any nutrients like fiber or protein to help slow the sugar spike. An average glass packs 36 grams of sugar—or about what you’d get from popping 4 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts into a blender. What’s more, most of the sweetness in orange juice, for example, comes from fructose, a type of sugar associated with the development of belly fat.
2. Flavored Coffee Creamer
“I avoid flavored coffee creamers because they are filled with fake ingredients that can do more harm than the flavor is worth: trans fats, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, and artificial coloring,” says Gina Consalvo, MA, RD, LDN, Pennsylvania-based owner of Eat Well with Gina. “Over time, your morning shot of non-dairy creamer can raise dangerous LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of blood clots and heart attack. “Lighten your coffee with a half and half that only lists milk and cream as ingredients,” she says.
3. Soy Milk
“I avoid soymilk,” notes Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, MD, sports medicine specialist and assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Yes, the horror stories linking overconsumption of soy products to estrogen-like effects–like the development of enlarged breasts in otherwise healthy males–are exceptional. However, the fact is that soy mimics estrogen and activates estrogen receptors in the body. Do you want to take that risk? There are plenty of other milk substitutes—like almond milk—that don’t carry the same potential side effects.”
4. Bottled Smoothies
Grab-and-go smoothies seem great in theory. They’re a convenient and tasty way to get your fruit in for the day, but sugar keeps ruining so many good things. And here, that is the case yet again with the average smoothies containing anywhere from 30-60 grams of sugar. You’re much better off making your own!
5. Soda
This one should come as a no-brainer by now, but sodas (including diet sodas) should really never be in your fridge. Between the astronomically high amount of sugar, which makes it hard for the body to maintain healthy glucose and insulin levels, to the fact that drinking soda can lead to weight gain (thanks to all that high-fructose corn syrup), according to a study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there really is nothing redeeming about the fizzy stuff.
