The 7 things you should never eat.

Posted on Oct 3rd 2007 10:23AM by Martha Edwards

Most of us have a few foods that are without a doubt off limits. For me, it's chicken wings. And while I've been known to indulge from time to time, I try to keep to down to once a year or less because oh. my. goodness. Are they ever bad for you! They're so bad, in fact, that I don't even really enjoy them, particularly the next day.

eDiets has made a list of food items that you should consider adding to your list of forbidden foods and stay away from at all costs. They are:

Doughnuts
Cheeseburgers with fries
Fried chicken and chicken nuggets
Packaged lunches (think Lunchables)
Sugary cereal
Processed meats (YUCK!)
Canned soup (unless it's low sodium and MSG-free)

What would you add to the list? I was thinking movie popcorn would make a worthy addition, as would bacon, deep-fried cheese and, well, deep-fried anything.

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Tags: canned soup, CannedSoup, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, ChickenNuggets, deep-fried, donuts, doughnuts, forbidden, fries, never, packages lunch, PackagesLunch, processed meats, ProcessedMeats, sugary cereal, SugaryCereal

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)

Linda 10-03-2007 @ 1:04PM

When you say processed meats, are you talking about hot dogs and sausages? Or is ham and turkey from the deli included as well, because I always thought those were pretty good nutritionally speaking. Please let me know because I eat these all the time!!!!!!!!!

Martha 10-03-2007 @ 1:09PM

Hi Linda,
According to the eDiets article that I referenced, processed meats usually means deli meats too. Most processed meats have a crazy amount of sodium, as well as Sodium Nitrate (a preservative) which can be turned into nitrosamines -- which can potentially cause cancer! Click on the 'read' link under the post to find out more.

Monica 10-05-2007 @ 7:03AM

How about "hot pockets" added to the list of forbidden foods.."pot pies"?

Heather 10-05-2007 @ 7:14AM

Ummmm. give up french fries. Not gonna happen. I have given up soda, sugar, burgers, beff tacos, etc. Fries are my one thing I will never give up. Alexia french fries are not as bad as McD's or BK.

Ron 10-05-2007 @ 7:49AM

It's all a bunch of trash!!!!
In order to live a long healthy life we have to give up everything we love.
I will take a shorter life, knowing that I enjoyed every bit of it.

Denise 10-05-2007 @ 7:57AM

Amen Ron! Are we supposed to live on salad alone? I think not. I'm sure red meat is on the list somewhere, but I won't give that up either. Moderation is the key, not giving up fatty foods altogether.

Ron 10-05-2007 @ 8:12AM

Exactly right Denise.
I am far from unhealthy...and very happy.
I have to laugh at the people I see saying..."oh, I would love to have that, but I know it isn't good for me".
Breathing the air isn't good for us in many big cities...should we stop that also??? LOL

Bunny 10-05-2007 @ 8:13AM

I have a doughnut once every couple of years. After a couple of bites, I am good for another two years. I guess it takes that long for me to "crave" the taste!!!

I hate cereal and have despised it since childhood. Always preferred toast for breakfast.

The rest of the list is "off limits" as I am a vegetarian!!!

I think "deep-fried anything" should be on that list as well as anything "smothered in gravy or cheese sauce or ranch or blue cheese".....

Most people will NOT give up something they enjoy completely. I think the key is moderation. Limit these "not good for you" foods to a once in a while treat [like once/6 months] vs. "daily diet items" or "go-to items" and you are probably fine.

David Smith 10-06-2007 @ 12:02PM

Humans are omnivorous. That means we can eat and process damn near anything including various deadly poisons. Moderation is the key, folks. You simply have to carry your own load. Make it as light or heavy as you please.

DAVID 10-05-2007 @ 8:26AM

YOU CAN TAKE AWAY ANY FOOD YOU WANTTO FROM ME BUT DON'T MESS AROUND WITH MY FRENCH FRIES OR POTATOE CHIPS.AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!

S. 10-05-2007 @ 8:29AM

Please, give up cheeseburgers! You can make a healthier cheeseburger, just use the leanest cut and low fat cheese on a whole wheat bun.

lee 10-05-2007 @ 8:34AM

looks like i have to eat lettuce, just fart

drumpointer 10-05-2007 @ 8:37AM

Disagree totally.
You needn't give up anything, except indulgence.
I lost 45 lbs (it took a year) without dieting or giving up anything, BUT, I set limits on how MUCH I would eat.
Know your calorie limits, stay within them, eat anything.
Just not at much, not as often.
I don't mean to suggest is easy, but it gets easier as time goes by.

liz 10-05-2007 @ 8:41AM

think of all those poor souls,{God rest their souls}on sept 11th that skipped the donut...for what?? My point is, ENJOY the life we were given,everything in moderation, because as john lennon said, "life is what happens when your busy making other plans"!!!!!

Alexa 10-05-2007 @ 8:42AM

Practically everything is on the bad food list!(Well,not everything.But a lot of foods.)I have a high metabolism and I eat those foods,not the especially bad ones,but just regular food that isn't actually good for you.And I'm not fat at all.But seriously,I bet if you ate only the food on the good-for-you-list,you'd be missing out on life.
That reminds me of something to add....boxed,frozen cakes.There's one I tried at a party that the other people got out,and it was so tempting.I took a small piece (poor,poor people who took more than that).Well it was a big mistake not to just look in the trash for the box it came in for the calories before I ate it.As I found out,one tiny piece was 700 calories...woah,that could last you a days worth!

Janet 10-05-2007 @ 8:43AM

I can cheerfully do without sugared cereals; those "prepared lunch" packages aren't so much bad because they're lousy nutrition, but what really bugs me is they're OVERPRICED lousy nutrition.

However, overall, I have to side with the folks saying, "Nonsense" to this whole notion of anything you should "never" eat. Our problem in this country isn't entirely what we eat; it's eating when we're not really hungry, eating without thinking, and never burning off what we DO eat because we get far too little exercise.

Why not instead have an article on "Seven lazy habits you should never cultivate"? It'd be things like "Parking in the closest spot to the store entrance; driving any distance under a half mile; using a riding lawn mower on a postage-stamp suburban lot; taking an elevator to go up (or down) one floor; spending an afternoon at the pool reading instead of swimming..." and so on. Of course, these could be adapted to those with lesser physical ability, but the idea would still be the same. We'd be a lot healthier if we moved a lot more.

It's a thought!

TC 10-05-2007 @ 8:45AM

I don't mean it personally, but I find a vegetarian named "Bunny" as funny.

joe 10-05-2007 @ 8:47AM

I cant believe this goverment that is care of our food supply "FDA" is allowing business's to make huge profits and at the same time kill the population by poisoning the food supply with chemicals all in the name of money.

wurkingmom 10-05-2007 @ 9:05AM

I agree with Janet.

Bottomline: We need to move more. We've become a nation of couch potatoes, to no one's fault but our own. We need to energize our backsides so that all of our other "sides" would be fit and healthy....including our in"sides".

judith 10-05-2007 @ 9:06AM

i am also 60 and am only 7lbs. more than when i got married 35 yrs ago, i am attractive , stylish and still teach elem. art and i have lots of energy. i exercise with weights and run 3 times a week and i love yoga and eat very good ( everyone in school knows i am the health nut) sure i have stress but people are surprised when they hear my age. i have two grown daughters and want to see and help raise my grandchildren. i love my 3 cats and just lost my bichon tragically 2 days ago, i can hardly breath, so this might help to cope with this crisis, but i have many friends who will get me thru this.... anyway i am a great example of what to do in life if you love it and lastly i never eat donuts.....