Amid rising concerns about the ingredients that enter individuals’ bodies unknowingly and increasing awareness about those that have been quietly risking consumers’ health, some things should be made clear from the start. The internet abounds in information that’s often difficult to decipher or understand. Experts in nutrition often have conflicting opinions and encourage what might seem like foolishly contrasting eating habits. So, where can you get reliable information from, and who can help fill the knowledge gaps that keep you from improving your dietary habits and nutritional input? Hopefully, you’ll not try everything you hear self-made gurus mutter about but start by removing the ingredients that you know for sure to be harmful while introducing those with high nutritional values. 

This article will walk you through the ingredients that you shouldn’t doubt for being fallaciously bad, so let’s kick the journey.

Processed oils

Processed oils, processed sugar, and overly processed foods are widely consumed and can make a disaster recipe for the heart and body health. Also known as vegetable oils, refined oils are commonly found in mayonnaise, margarine, sauces, cookies, and other processed foods. This wasn’t introduced to our society until the 20th, when technology was sufficiently advanced to process safflower, canola, and soybean into oil. Yet, these oils existed for other purposes. In 1870, two soapmakers realized that they could substitute pork fat with cheaper vegetable oils. These flooded the market and were touted as nutritious substitutes for healthy oils. Yet, they’ve been found to carry some risks that are better dodged. Refined vegetable oil oxidizes rapidly when exposed to light, chemicals, or heat, for instance. 

Refined oils are extracted with a chemical solvent or through an oil mill, and then get chemically altered at a factory. There are numerous chemical processes along the way, which may be more easily understood by those who are taking on Chemistry Tuition. Jumping to the good part, there are numerous oils that you can substitute the refined ones with and get a similar or improved outcome on your plate. Some of those touted as healthiest include but are not limited to those based on avocados, olives, coconut, nuts, and flax. Keep in mind that they react differently to most conditions. For instance, flax oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but it lacks the high smoke point had by coconut oil, which is great for baked treats and no-bake desserts. You may need some research in this regard, but your health is definitely worth it!

Excessive white pasta and rice

Refined, white pasta and rice consist of more processed carbohydrates and insufficient nutrients – a reason why they’re usually avoided in weight loss diets. Besides this, bodies of studies have found a correlation between these carbohydrates and the body’s hormone imbalances. Carbohydrates are good energy boosters when consumed limitedly. Yet, overconsumption, as well as highly processed foods and sugar-laden drinks, are rapidly digested and trigger blood sugar level surges and toleration to insulin in time. As toleration levels rise, you’ll need more insulin, equating quicker drops in blood sugar levels and leading to a disastrous roller-coaster – possibly expediting the onset of menopause.  

Pasta, pizzas, and other carbohydrate-based dishes are absolutely delicious, so no one advises getting rid of these dopamine-boosting treats for good. You can substitute them with their healthy variants, including brown rice and whole-grain pasta, oats, or cereals. Consumed moderately and within a broader, varied regime, these ingredients can help maintain weight. These ingredients themselves consist of fibers, just like chickpeas, lentils, beans, or fresh whole fruits and veggies. 

Breakfast cereals

You can’t think of a Hollywood-style breakfast without imagining a bowl of milk and cereals nearby. Cereals have been so wildly and well marketed through time that they became staple breakfast choices – if not the daily morning meal itself. The U.S. leads in terms of cereal consumption, with around 283.39MN residents serving it in 2020. Gen Z adults consume cereals the most, followed by boomers, with a percentage of 47. So, why are cereals no-goes?

First, cereals have enormous sugar contents, whose damaging nature you might already intuit. But even those that look healthy conceal astronomical amounts of this soluble carbohydrate, ingredients found after names like “dextrose,” “corn syrup,” and so on. They also have many artificial additives, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and some may even have controversial additions like BHT.

Fortunately, you have a broad variety of choices to substitute these commercial breakfast choices and boundless recipes to cheer your taste buds. Plain oatmeal with nuts, fruits, honey, etc. are some of the most popular alternatives, followed by homemade muesli, yogurt with extras, chia pudding, and homemade granola. Make choices that you’ll be grateful for in the future. 

Syrup-canned fruits

Ever wondered why canned fruits are mouthwateringly delicious? Well, this is mainly due to the high sugar content. Whether the product is marketed under the “heavy syrup” or “light syrup” label, both categories rely heavily on sugar. But fruit is sugary on its own, so why is it added to an already-sweet food, you may ask?

As with salt, some canned fruits (and vegetables, for that matter) use plenty of sugar for preserving. They’d go bad considerably more rapidly were it not for preserving additions. Coloring is also a reason why sugar is added, permitting fruits to keep that magazine-like glow and scrumptiousness in time. Ingredients like these simply defy the natural course of ripening. 

There are canned fruits housed in less syrupy combinations. For instance, you can pick the product where the label says that the fruit is canned in 100% (or less) water or fruit juice. Sustainable brands have started launching “no added sugar” canned fruits or “extra light packs” using less sweet canning liquid. Some of the best options include unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened canned pineapple, or mixed fruits – foods that are already sweet by default. 

Bottom line

There are many healthy substitutes to some of the most marketed products out there that can change your life for the better. Just make sure you do your research and ask for a specialist’s help if you worry that your diet could be much better.