WebMD is a great Website for nutritional and health information. They recently published an article in their newsletter: Worst Foods in Your Fridge.
Instead or rehashing the article, I’ll give you my spin on this and which of these are in my refrigerator.
Keep in mind, I’m not a nutrition expert. Remember the word “moderation” as you read this.
Here are ten unhealthy foods in your refrigerator according to WebMD and whether or not they are in mine:
1. Mayonnaise
Yes, this is in my refrigerator. I don’t like the flavor of low-fat mayonnaise so I get the regular kind. In our house we use mayonnaise in tuna and chicken salads. Occasionally when I want a change from mustard, I’ll put a thin layer on bread for a sandwich. Keep the quantities low and don’t eat it everyday.
2. Soda and other sweet drinks
We avoid these drinks at all cost. These culprits are one of the reasons for obesity in children. We have 1% milk and water in our refrigerator. We do have apple juice sometimes, but it has apples and ascorbic acid – not sugar. I noticed that ginger ale has 26 grams of sugar. Keep it below 10 grams per serving.
3. Alcoholic beverages
We do have a bottle of wine in our refrigerator. Once again, moderation. Don’t have alcohol occupying a shelf or a chiller drawer, taking away space from fruits and vegetables.
4. Processed lunch meat
I was buying pre-packaged meats for awhile until I read the sodium content. Lately we’ve been eating tuna and I make chicken salad from baked chicken. If I buy any cold cuts, it’s turkey. I avoid ham and red meats. The ham is too high in sodium and the red meat is higher in fat and the body has a harder time absorbing the protein from red meats.
5. Hot dogs and sausage
Yuck! Especially hot dogs. I read an article in Discover magazine about how they are made and it turned my off. I was eating the no fat hot dogs until my wife noticed white material inside. What is that white stuff? Nasty!
Here’s the Discover article:
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| A hot dog toaster. Are you serious! Toss it! |
6. Whole milk products
We don’t stock whole mild products. 1% milk and we eat light cheese when we are in the mood for cheese and crackers. We love sliced European Cucumbers, tomatoes, or red onion with our cheese and crackers. Every Friday is pizza night. We make our own pizza using part-skim mazzorella.
7. Gourmet ice cream
I do love the occasional ice cream and I do have a full fat ice cream in the freezer now. We don’t eat it regularly and sometimes it’s in there so long that we need to toss it due to freezer burn.
8. Creamy salad dressing
There is one bottle of creamy in there now, but it is light. Generally we eat light balsamic vinaigrette. If you want creamy, try light. Even if you use light, measure it until you get used to a serving. You’ll be amazed how much you put on without measuring.
9. Stick butter or margarine
We eat butter. I do not like margarine. When I do eat butter, it is just enough for flavor. Don’t put so much on that you wear it when eating. You won’t see it dripping from the sides of my mouth when eating toast. We only cook with olive oil, not butter.
10. Frozen french fries
Not good. We love potatoes, but we don’t eat French fries unless they are homemade and baked. Our potatoes are either roasted with some olive oil, baked, or mashed. Try roast potatoes with malt vinegar. Pass me the malt vinegar my dear.
By using some common sense and educating yourself a little, you can be in better shape. The shape you want to avoid is round. Add some activities like walking, and you’ll be golden.
