There’s so much food available now, but not all of it is healthy. There are some things you shouldn’t eat because they are not healthy, but some foods are simply foods you are too old for. Eat something else.
Microwave Popcorn
You might have already cut down on the potato chips and thought you were opting for a healthier version. But Microwave Popcorn is loaded with potential carcinogens and most likely made of genetically modified corn. Buying some corn kernels and popping them in a pot with some butter or oil is much cheaper and healthier.
Pasta with Ketchup
Pasta with Ketchup is a staple food for children, whether because they are picky eaters or because their parents are short on time. But now that you’re older, it’s time to learn how to make a simple tomato sauce. Don’t sell yourself short, ketchup just won’t cut it anymore. A freshly made sauce is also much healthier than sugary ketchup.
Mass Farmed Meat
The money you save by buying cheap meat is simply not worth it. You’re contributing to animal cruelty and are eating meat that is loaded with antibiotics and traces of pesticide. Too much meat is unhealthy anyway, so invest your money in some high-quality meat.
Margarine
You’ve probably lived through many stages of the margarine and butter war. For many years, there were myths that margarine is healthier than butter because it contains less cholesterol. But margarine is made of trans fats and trans fats increase the risk for coronary heart disease. And so does age, so you should not combine the two.
Table Salt
It’s not even really salt anymore! Table salt is produced out of what used to be sea salt, but it has been refined so much that it barely has any resemblance anymore. Sure, a healthy diet contains iodine, but even the iodine is fake and can reach toxic amounts.
Artificial sweeteners
You’ve been around long enough to know that sugar is one, but not the main culprit when it comes to weight gain and diseases. Stop fooling yourself that artificial sweetener is a viable alternative. The stuff is unhealthy and it tastes gruesome. If you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake, then do just that. Otherwise switch to natural alternatives like honey.
Cigarettes
Though not technically a food, some people consider a cup of coffee and a cigarette breakfast. Get over it. You know, heck everyone knows, that smoking is unhealthy and it was maybe cool when you were a teenager or in your twenties, but those days are long gone.
American Cheese
It may be called cheese, but it has very little resemblance to cheese. At this age, you should, at least, know five different kinds of real cheese, all of which are much healthier and tastier than the high fat and high sodium yellow slices pretending to be cheese.
Soda
You wouldn’t eat bowls of sugar cubes, so why would you drink liquefied sugar? The insulin your body will produce increases your risk for diabetes and there are studies that show that the coloring increases our risk for cancer. Have some soda water instead of your regular soda.
Diet Soda
Diet Soda isn’t any healthier than soda, so the soda water rule still stands. Diet soda increases your risk for depressing, heart disease and strokes and it can dull your sense of taste. So you might be consuming less sugar when you drink the diet soda but will probably make you consume more sugar the rest of the time.
Grape Jelly
The taste might remind you of your youth, but it actually tastes nothing like grapes. It probably also doesn’t contain any grapes. Instead, it contains sugar, sweeteners, and artificial flavors. You don’t need the grape jelly to remind you of your childhood, eat a real jam instead. Better yet, make one.
Farmed Salmon or Other Fish
Generally, fish is healthy, some are even really healthy. But farmed fish is much less healthy and instead contains carcinogens, antibiotics, and pesticide. They also contain much more toxins than regular fish.
Vitamins
If you eat healthily you don’t need supplementary vitamins. They can even be a risk to your health, tricking your body into letting go of its vitamins. If you’ve managed to make it until 50 then you probably know how to feed yourself well enough to not need to swallow those little pills.
Instant Noodles
Yes, they remind you of college days, but they contain huge amounts of MSG. Boiling a regular pot of pasta doesn’t take much longer, leaves you with less waste and food cravings and is the adult thing to do. After all, you can’t have friends over for some instant ramen. There are plenty of healthier alternatives that don’t take much longer.
Anything From A Fast Food Joint
That goes for McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and the likes. It’s less about the food, which is by no means healthy, but more about the mentality. It’s bad for you, it’s bad for the environment and you’re too old for it. There’s plenty of other Burgers and Fries around. Fast Food isn’t really cheaper either, as you will probably be hungry about an hour after eating your meal.
Food Dyes
Fruit Loops are fun for children (but unhealthy for them as well) and you probably have a recipe or two pinned in Pinterest that relies heavily on food dyes. They’re really just a mix of different chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other diseases. Try using beetroot or spinach to dye your food, if you absolutely must.
Edible Panties
Edible panties are only ok on one single occasion: You’re running late for a Bachelorette Party and have some left over from a different one. Otherwise, they are gross, unsanitary, not sexy and definitely not something you should eat. Or even something you should want to eat.
Lemonade
Lemons work great in a salad dressing and in most recipes you will make. But the acid is bad for your teeth and, like you, your teeth aren’t as young and healthy as they used to be. The acid will destroy your enamel and the sugar will do the rest. You can buy a glass of lemonade at the neighbor’s kids’ lemonade stand, but don’t overdo it.
Breakfast Cereal
No, they’re not healthy. Even if they contain nuts and fruits, they contain an even larger amount of sugar and other sweeteners. Make your own cereal, it’s not that hard. You’re a grown-up, you don’t need Tony the Tiger to inspire you to eat breakfast. Homemade granola will give you far more energy for the day than the sweetened and dyed store-bought version.
Bluefin Tuna
It’s just not an ethical choice anymore. Whether you have children or not, you shouldn’t want to leave this planet destroyed for future generations. Humanity has overfished this fish to the point of extinction and that’s not what you want to be remembered for. Choose sustainable fish or seafood instead.
Energy Drinks
These drinks are so unhealthy and you’re not fooling anyone when you claim that you like the taste. If you need energy drinks to stay awake then there must be some sort of imbalance in your life. Get that in order, that will impress people far more than the fact that you can stay awake for long hours.
Foie Gras
Maybe you love the taste, maybe you’ve never even tried. But the process of arriving at a stuffed liver is so gruesome for the geese that the production is outlawed in many countries. Don’t participate in this cruelty for a few minutes of pleasure. You’re bigger and better than that. There’s a dish called faux gras made of lentils, try that if you absolutely must have a taste.
Insane Amounts Of Alcohol
No one says you should stop drinking at a certain age. But binge drinking and heavy intoxication can maybe, just maybe, pass as charming in younger people. The older you get, the tackier it is to be really hammered. That might not be fair, but that’s where we stand today. Chances are you can’t just stay in bed and nurse your hangover the next day, so why risk embarrassment and a headache?
Too Much Meat (of Any Kind)
You might love it and feel that you need it. But meat production really is a horrible burden on the environment and each and every human-carnivore is participating in the destruction of the planet. You don’t have to become vegetarian or vegan, that’s still your choice, but you should consider whether you really need to eat meat with every meal. Too much meat is bad for you and bad for the planet and that’s not even mentioning the millions of animals slaughtered each year.
