10 Foods To Avoid - Having In Your Pantry

Limiting certain food items from your pantry might help you stay on track with your weight loss goals and improve your overall health.

- Ms. Preety Tyagi

Here are six food items to look out for.

1. Added Sugar

Products with large amounts of added sugar should be avoided when trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle and weight loss.

Added sugar has low nutritional value and offers calories that you don’t necessarily need. Eating too much can lead to health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Review the nutrition facts and ingredients of all your food items — it may surprise you how many of them have added sugar. Added sugar comes in many different forms and may be disguised through names such as granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and molasses.

As a rule of thumb, any ingredient with the ending “- ose” may be a source of added sugar. Always make sure that sugar isn’t the first ingredient listed when purchasing a product.

2. White Flour

White flour is flour that has been bleached and processed, reducing fiber and nutritional value. This may leave you feeling bloated and constipated.

Review all of your carbs foods, such as bread, pasta, bagels, pretzels and see if they are primarily made with white flour.

Aim to choose the whole-grain versions, which are higher in fiber and nutrients, and known to reduce the risk of certain diseases. Whole grain products can help prevent you from overeating by keeping you fuller longer.

3. Factory Made Chips, Nachos Etc…

It’s better to source your snacks from a home chef or a baker or to cook your own snacks. It’s always convenient to open a bag of chips and eat the chips straight away, but this practice can be highly damaging to your health in the long run.

4. Processed and Prepackaged Food