Experts won't touch these 49 foods

Want to know what the experts avoid? Here’s the list of foods, processed goods, ingredients and chemicals that nutritionists won’t put on their plates – so you shouldn’t either.

A large iced coffee with skim milk and two Splendas, please?

Think again – and hold the sweet stuff.

“I do not think there is sufficient evidence to prove that most artificial sweeteners are safe for consumers, so I prefer to stay away from them and indulge in the real thing [sugar] occasionally and mindfully,” registered dietitian and nutritionist, Chelsey Amer says.

Plus, there’s a plethora of research that shows how consuming diet beverages may counter-intuitively lead to weight gain, which can increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.”

Have a yo-yo relationship with sugar? You’re not alone. Here’s how to break up with sugar for good – so you can finally stop those midnight bikkie cravings.

Love to curl up in front of The Voice with some vino and a buttery bag of popcorn? Resist.

“I once ripped open an unpopped microwave popcorn bag and I haven’t eaten it since! There are too many artificial chemicals used in the flavorings inside the microwavable bag and I prefer to avoid overly processed products like this as much as possible,” Amer explains.

But if you’re pop-crazy and can’t stop, she suggests making your own with popcorn kernels, a brown paper bag and olive oil with a touch of salt.

We already know better than to nuke plastic – or heaven forbid, aluminium foil – but certain foods can become downright toxic when blasted in the microwave.

While it’s super-easy to make a turkey club when you buy deli meats in bulk on Sunday for your meal prep, there may be some dangerous ingredients lurking in those slices.

“Processed deli meats can contain a wide variety of additives from nitrates to carrageenan that can increase inflammation in the body and have even been scientifically linked to increased risk in colon cancer,” says Megan Faletra, MS, an integrative dietitian nutritionist, certified yoga Instructor, and founder of The Well Essentials.

“Opt for organic, nitrate and antibiotic free deli meats from brands that are changing the way meat products are produced.”

From fancy charcuterie to complex canapes, pass on cured meats in any form – they’ve been linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and migraines.

You might think you’re doing your body good by getting the low-fat jar; you’d be better off going full fat.

“While regular and reduced-fat peanut butter contain roughly the same amount of calories, the reduced fat varieties typically contain more added sugar or artificial sweeteners to improve the taste,” says Faletra.

“The fat found in peanut butter is healthy for our bodies, so stick to the natural full-fat peanut butters.”

Believe it or not, peanut butter is one of the 7 foods that you should not mistakenly label as healthy.

If the dairy-free life isn’t for you – we feel ya – but you’re a waistline watcher, you might be tempted to reach for the “healthier” margarine.

Hold that thought: “While many margarine brands are beginning to remove the trans fats from their products in order to comply with FDA regulations by 2018, most margarines rely primarily on highly processed vegetable oils (particularly soybean and palm oil),” Faletra says.

“Choosing grass fed organic butter in moderation is a much better option for our health as these butters contain high-levels of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.”

All diets need some fat, but it’s important to choose healthy fats and to moderate how much of them you consume. You can start by cutting down on the marge.

While nutritionist Ha Nguyen, RD, used to nom on frozen meals as a kid – nearly every day after high school – today, she wouldn’t touch one with a 10-foot pole. Why?

She explains, “Most prepackaged frozen meals are overly processed, made with refined flour, high in sodium, and full of additives and preservatives. All things that are not good for your body.”

Learn to recognise the most harmful ingredients in processed food.

Interested in cutting down processed food? Take a look at the paleo diet, which advocates eating healthy, natural foods that have not been processed.

You might remember these commercials when you were in primary or high school – and maybe even argued with your pals over which flavour was the best – Nguyen recommends keeping ’em out of your shopping cart next time you’re at the store.

“You might as well send your kid off to school with a lolly for breakfast. If you simply look at the first few ingredients they consists of refined sugars including corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and sugar,” she says.

Did you know some processed foods, sunflower oil, margarine, products containing high-fructose corn syrup and foods high in saturated fat and trans fats can contribute to your pain levels?

Though arguably super fun to play with when you’re 16, as far as a nutritional value, there’s not much this canned faux-dairy can offer you.

“Cheese spread is highly processed with very little actual ‘cheese’ in it,” says registered dietitian and nutritionist Michelle Jaelin.

“It comes with a laundry list of artificial ingredients and colours that I don’t feel comfortable eating. It is called plastic cheese for a reason! If I want to eat cheese, I eat the real thing.”

Fancy a cheese hit? Give this pasta with two cheese sauce a go.

While that carton might claim to give you the vitamins and minerals you need, registered dietitian and nutritionist Andy De Santis, RD, says fruit juices – even the boutique ones – are a slippery slope.

“The alarming trend of expensive juices is concerning. These products are generally packed in calories and they won’t keep you feeling full or provide anywhere near the full nutritional benefit of eating whole fruits and veggies,” he says.

“For reference, eating an apple, orange and banana would take me 10 minutes. Drinking them in a juice – maybe 10 seconds?” That’s a lot of calories in less than a minute.

Squeezing your own juice makes all the difference in both nutrition and flavour as vitamin C begins to dissipate as soon as a fruit or vegetable is cut.