1BACON &
SAUSAGE

 Unhealthy Ingredients: Nitrates and nitrites, high heat cooking methodsProcessed meats are the worst of both worlds. They're typically made from red meats high in saturated fats, and they contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs): inflammatory compounds that are created when these processed meats are dried, smoked, and cooked at high temperatures. Not to mention, those nitrates and nitrites in cured (and natural, “uncured”) meats can turn into carcinogenic nitrosamines when exposed to high heat, according to Meat Science. (And you’re typically roasting your sausages on a flame-flickering grill and bacon on a frying pan.)Eat This! Instead: Luckily manufactures have a limit on the amount of nitrites they use and are required to add antioxidants, such as vitamin C, which a review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found helps to inhibit nitrosamine formation. While a study in Food Chemistry found processed foods have an average of 80 percent less nitrites than they once did, you can take extra precautions to limit your nitrosamine exposure by purchasing uncured meats that use no nitrites—only salt — and try turning down the heat. 

 2ENERGY
DRINKS 

 Unhealthy Ingredient: Sucrose, glucose, caffeineWe can only imagine the number of broken Bunsen burners it took to come up with the now-familiar energy drink formula. These medicinal-tasting beverages are simply overpriced chemical cocktails with the caffeine content of a strong cup of coffee and a lot of sugar (or scary artificial sweeteners). Here’s why you should be concerned: A University of Maryland study found energy drinks to be 11 percent more corrosive to your teeth than regular soda. Gross, right? Another unsettling finding came from a case study of a 50-year-old construction worker; having too many energy drinks could destroy your liver. The report, published in BMJ Case Reports in 2016, found that the man developed acute hepatitis after consuming four to five energy drinks every day over the course of three weeks.Drink This Instead: Green tea! It’s all-natural and one of the best energy boosters around. There’s a reason test panelists lost up to 10 pounds by drinking tea for a week with the The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse! 

3 CHEF BOYARDEE
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS 

 Unhealthy Ingredients: High fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, soybean oilWho knew that eating just a cup of spaghetti and meatballs would fill you up with 8 grams of sugar? That’s exactly what will happen if you eat Chef Boyardee’s Jumbo Spaghetti & Meatballs, which has high fructose corn syrup in their sauce. Another issue with the food? A a significant amount of protein in those meatballs comes from soy protein concentrate. Unlike a protein isolate, protein concentrate contains more of the nutrients found in soy, which could mean it’s more likely to contain traces of the carcinogen-containing pesticides used in genetically-modified soy production. To make matters worse, the meatballs are dyed with caramel color and most of their 13 grams of fat comes from soybean oil.Eat This! Instead: When the craving for pasta strikes, try some of these 40 Ultimate Pasta Tips to Stay Skinny. Sure, making noodles from scratch may take some additional time, but at least you’ll have leftovers for days. 

 4DORITOS 

 Unhealthy Ingredient: Monosodium glutamateEveryone knows that when you buy Doritos, you're bound to finish the entire bag—and it’s no surprise. The recipe for the popular chip was specially designed so that no single flavor overpowers another. When foods lack a dominant flavor, people are less apt to feel full and, in turn, consume more, say researchers. What’s more, one of the first ingredients on the food’s label is monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive that’s been known to increase appetite, and make foods taste more appetizing, according to a study in Physiology and Behavior. And if you thought that Dorito breath was just a coincidental side effect of munching on the snack, think again. The powerful savory taste lingering in your mouth is an example of a tactic called “long hang-time flavor” that’s used to lure snackers into going back for more. With all of these factors working against you, it’s really no wonder you're defenseless when Doritos come around.Eat This! Instead: Beanitos Nacho Cheese White Bean Chips. A serving of these bean-based chips have a whopping 6 grams of belly-filling fiber, so you’ll definitely be able to put the bag down once you’ve eaten your fill. Plus, they’re free of MSG, which should let your natural willpower kick in. 

5 CANNED
SOUP 

 Unhealthy Ingredient: SodiumTypically dubbed a healthy, soothing meal, soup truly is one of the least suspicious diet saboteurs of them all; however, that’s not the case with canned brands. What makes it so addicting? Besides being appealing because of its low cost, many popular brands add excess amounts of salt—some brands like Nissin Cup Noodles, Chicken Flavor contain over 1,400 milligrams or more than half your recommended daily intake—which can actually cause us to overeat. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition discovered that salt actually confuses your biological processes that tell you when you’re full. When salt is added to food, it blunts our biological processes that automatically tell us when to stop eating. Besides disrupting satiety cues, when you constantly flood your system with sodium, you can overwork your kidneys. As a result, the sodium sits in your bloodstream where it attracts water, causing water retention and bloat, making you look five pounds heavier.Eat This! Instead: Check out these 36 Best and Worst Canned Soups & Soup Products for more insight into what’s healthy and what’s not. 

PLEASE VOTE FOR MORE