Ten unhealthy foods to always avoid

by Adams Briscoe (Subscribe to Adams Briscoe's posts)
Jun 18th 2007 2:30PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

"Moderation is the key." We've heard this a lot as the golden rule for a healthy diet. So long as you don't overdo it in one way or another, everything will work out. Right? Correct, moderation is the key for wellness, but here are 10 foods that you should never moderately consider for consumption (they're just plain bad for you!).

Leading the pack is Pepperidge Farm's Original Flaky Crust Roasted Chicken Pot Pie. Sounds like a pretty good meal. But what makes it so unhealthy? At 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat, this food actually appears to be OK. Looking at it closer, you'll find that these nutrition facts are only for half of the meal! If you consume the whole pie (and honestly, who wouldn't?) you're looking at 1,020 calories and over 30 grams of fat (oh yeah, 13 grams of that are trans fat). All of this in one little pot pie.

Another food to keep an eye out for is the Starbucks Venti Cafe Mocha. Add some whipped cream to this delicacy and you're looking at 490 calories of piping hot brew. However, you can shave off 320 calories and all 16 grams of fat by ordering a tall with nonfat milk (hold the whipped cream). This may or may not surprise you, but check out the other foods to learn about what to avoid.

Source

Comments (61)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Jessica 6-18-2007 @ 3:22PM

Wow! That's very informative... Some of those companies don't normally list nutrition information on their items, so it's nice to know a ballpark figure when you're eating their products. Thanks for the heads-up!

sandy burger 6-22-2007 @ 7:36AM

Appreciate the info. Why is pepperidge farm the only guilty party with regards to "pot pies"? You have many manufacturers(frozen foods), not to mention the restaurant Cracker Barrel, that offers the chicken pot pie on their special menu each week! As well, I'm not seeing any reduced fat banners on these products, not just the ones by pepperidge farm.

Edel Ritter 6-22-2007 @ 10:19AM

My favorite food is roast duckling and strawberries with whipped cream.
My aGEW 87
MY WEIGHT 154 lbs
my health : Perfect
My hobby :Painting

Amy 6-22-2007 @ 8:14AM

I remember eating one and it was so delicious. I knew it wasn't the healthiest, but It was soooo good. Afterward, I looked at the package and saw that it was 2 servings. I thought "Who eats a half of a pot-pie?" I can't help it...every now and then I treat myself to one. It's great comfort food! I do watch my weight and am in good shape, but a little splurge now and then is OK. The only thing I didn't pay attention to was the trans fats. That's definitely a no-no! And...there is also a Marie Callender's that's just as good and just as bad for you!

Daniel 6-22-2007 @ 8:16AM

We are taking all of this way to far~!

Bob 6-22-2007 @ 12:17PM

As soon as I saw the phrase "Artery Clogging Fat," I knew this article would be bunk. Even their choices that make sense are on their list for the wrong reasons.

Buy a Biology textbook. A little chemistry wouldn't hurt, either...

Christine 6-22-2007 @ 8:24AM

Screw it....Life's too short anyway!
This is so useless....

KJ 6-22-2007 @ 10:38AM

Look, here's the deal....I don't think that anybody is surprised by the food that made the list, but in reality, how often do any of us eat these foods. And when we do, do we really want the food police telling us something we already know, which is that this stuff isn't health food. I say some of these things every once in a great while are acceptable. Life is short....enjoy it!

Katie 6-22-2007 @ 9:19AM

Christine, if life is too short, why would you want to make it shorter by being unhealthy? I say if you eat right and excercise, go ahead and eat a pot pie once in awhile, but those trans-fats are nothing to sneeze at. Your body doesn't know how to process them, or what to do with them so it stores them in your arteries.

Jeza 6-22-2007 @ 9:22AM

I thought that I was eating healthy when I went out...big surprise when I did a little research and found out the "healthy meals" were loaded with fat & calories. I found an extensive calorie count website that list the majority of chain restaurants along with 40,000 foods. calorielab.com

Crabby McSlacker 6-22-2007 @ 9:23AM

The thing that amazes me is how many people willingly fool themselves. Companies couldn't get away with these ridiculousy high calorie high fat foods, or dumb tricks like fake unrealistic serving sizes, unless people just kept buying this crap anyway.

It's one thing to have a splurge of something really tasty everynow and then, and another to blow all your calories on mediocre packaged products or fast food drinks. Seems kind of dumb and we have no one but ourselves to blame for getting fat!

(Is Crabby always this grouchy? Yep, when she's not annoying people at Thatsfit, she gripes away at her own blog, http://crankyfitness.blogspot.com/)

Kimber 6-22-2007 @ 9:34AM

Everyone is talking about fat and calories. Have you taken a look at the sodium levels in those things. They're a heartache waiting for a place to happen. Sure some things are lower in fat and calories, but so much higher in sodium.

mickey 6-22-2007 @ 11:00AM

YIKES!!!! Thanks for some eye opening information.

Janis 6-22-2007 @ 9:49AM

Stuff like this has been going on for a long time and look at the dangers it puts us in. Check out Ramen noodles in the little cellophane packages. I used to eat one of those for lunch thinking I had a low calorie meal. Ha! Think again. I finally read the whole package and even though it said 190 calories it also said 2 servings which I hadn't noticed before. Most people eat the whole package and not just half a block. That whole package was throwing me way over what I thought I was eating. I wonder if thats not part of the reason for all the obesity we have these days. This isn't even saying anything about all the sodium in those little packages times 2. :(

Bob J 6-22-2007 @ 10:07AM

Regarding the comments by Kimber about salt, why does Kroeger (Fry's and Ralph's in California), Albertson's, and Basha's in Arizona carry only pork products that have salt added (supposedly for flavor and tenderness, but actually to extend shelf life). Pork naturally has about 60 mgs of salt, but with the "Moist and Tender" gimmick, it shoots up to about 300 mgs, which is way too much.

Some Dummy 6-22-2007 @ 10:04AM

I'm sorry folks, now I'm no fitness ,"nut", "Buff', or otherwise but it seems to me if you can avoid it, then do so, and we ALL can so why not avoid it!!!

If ya didn't "splurge so often you would DEFINATLY appreciate it when you did and really enjoy the whole thing.(as opposed to only enjoying the first sip and inhaling the rest).
You're getting old faster then you think...
T.C

Mari 6-22-2007 @ 10:13AM

Now hear this! I never thought I had a problem; little overweight, little exercise, little high colesterol, only eating problem was ice cream ( who can eat only 1/2 cup ) hadn't even heard of transfats. Then BANG, heart attack at 63. Triple by-pass is not fun. Pay attention to your diet and exercise.

a555bubs 6-22-2007 @ 10:14AM

WOW!!!
Thanks for this list. My Doctor has told me that I need to GAIN weight. I'm off to the store to stock up on these goodies right now. It's really hard these days for many of us to maintain a proper weight. Everything is Diet this and Low Fat that and there are a lot of us who need the pounds to stay healthy. I'm 20 pounds Underweight and have a difficult time gaining and maintaining a proper weight.

JessLeVally 6-22-2007 @ 10:17AM

Thankfully, it's not what "goes in the mouth that defiles, but what comes out of the heart" (and out of the mouth)" -- Jesus said that. Society has never been more crazed about the "physical" -- and so completely starved when it comes to morality, integrity, righteousness and spirituality. Most of the mean-spirited and hateful (and hating) people I know are in some way or another obsessed with what they eat -- and pro abortion as well (but save the whales!) --

Very weird world we live in -- I'm looking for another, yet to come!

Jess

Grannyrey 6-22-2007 @ 10:19AM

I have been watching what I eat for many years due to medical problems and seeing the actual results of those around me who don't. I finally got to the point that when I do indulge in a wonderful meal that is...over the top, I go home and make the same great tasting meal but alot lower in fat and calories. Of course a couple of trial and errors, but I do get it right on the mark in taste. Many meals can be transformed into healty treats by common sence and the right ingredients.