20 Foods to Avoid and Their Healthier Alternatives
Foods to Avoid and Their Healthier Alternatives
1. Nachos
A typical order of Chili's Classic Nachos contains 39g of carbs, 59g of fat, 1,630mg of sodium, and 830 calories. But, we can still enjoy them after making a few changes: use baked tortilla chips and reduced-fat cheeses. And, people shouldn't eat them as an appetizer but as a meal.2. Coffee Drinks
While drinking a cup of regular coffee with some milk is not dangerous, enjoying one from popular coffeehouses is definitely bad for our blood glucose. That’s because coffee-shop drinks are loaded with carbs, fats, and calories. Instead, we should drink tea, iced mocha, or as we said, regular coffee without whipped creams.3. Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
This popular breakfast is extremely high in saturated fat, sodium, and calories, so it’ll definitely cause our blood glucose to skyrocket. Instead, we need to choose country sausage gravy or cheddar biscuits.4. Battered Fish Dinners
The regular serving of deep-fried fish fillets, slaw, fries, and hush puppies contains 3,000mg of sodium, 113g of carbs, 84g of fat, and 1,300 calories. In other words, it’s double the recommended carbs per meal, which is 46-60g, and the daily amount of sodium, 1,500mg. A healthier alternative would be fish combined with lemon and parmesan.5. Fruit Juices
Most fruit juices are loaded with sugar and calories, so it’s best to drink lemon water or homemade juices.6. Deep-Fried Chinese Entrees
Asian chicken dishes are good for our blood sugar, but breaded chicken dipped in sauce with white rice is something we should avoid. They are high in carbs, fats, and calories. It’s always better to choose dishes with vegetables, such as broccoli.7. Cinnamon Rolls
Regular mall cinnamon rolls are high in carbs, fat, and calories. Instead, we should make our own cinnamon streusel rolls.8. French Fries
They might be our favorite food, but we shouldn't forget that they are high in calories, sodium, and saturated fat. Instead of frying potatoes, we should try baking them in the oven for a healthier alternative.9. Store-Bought Cookies
Cookies are loaded with carbs, saturated fats, and calories. So, why not make our own at home using healthier ingredients like fruit and whole grains instead of buying them?10. Fried Chicken
Most people don't know that by frying the chicken we are actually destroying a good source of protein. What we get is dangerous amounts of fat, sodium, calories, and carbs. So, why not oven-baking it?11. Purchased Smoothies
Even though they may look colorful, fresh, and healthy, what we also get by buying a fruit smoothie is an extra-large portion size and plenty of added sugar. That’s why making our own smoothie at home is the best alternative.12. Processed Lunch Meat
Processed lunch meat contains lots of sodium, so buying a sandwich is not the healthiest option. We can ask our deli for low-sodium meats, or even better – we can roast the meat at our own home. In this way, we’ll avoid consuming high amounts of sodium.13. Hamburgers
Restaurant hamburgers are full of fat, especially saturated fat which is the main cause of high cholesterol. It’s best if we avoid them completely, or at least prepare them at home with plenty of vegetables.14. Baked Goods and Doughnuts
Doughnuts, pastries, muffins, and other baked goods are high in fat, sugar, calorie, and sometimes even trans fats. That’s why we should always check the label and choose sugar-free, fat-free, or at least reduced-sugar products. Of course, the healthiest option is to make our own baked goods at home.15. Frozen Meals
These meals are full of fat and sodium, so no matter how convenient they are, it’s best if us to just avoid them.16. Soft Drinks
Prevention which will drive our blood sugar through the roof. Moreover, they are high in carbs and calories. So, it’s best to replace them with homemade smoothies, juices, and lemon water.17. Purchased Cakes
Even though those with diabetes are allowed to have occasional desserts, some desserts are healthier than others. Commercially baked cakes belong to the worst type of dessert due to their high amounts of sugar and trans fats. In other words, they help increase the risk of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. We can still enjoy cakes and cupcakes occasionally, but only if they are diabetes-friendly.18. Flavored Water
Flavored water is incredibly rich in sugar and carbs. But, a healthier choice is one bought from the line of flavored waters called Vitaminwater Zero. These products are sugar-free, calorie-free, and contain small amounts of carbs.19. Frozen & Restaurant Pizza
It may be our favorite food, but the restaurant and frozen pizzas are incredibly high in calories, fat, and sodium. Also, we should remember that 3 or more servings of frozen pizzas can look like one. We should take that into consideration when looking into nutrition information. It’s best to make our own pizza at home, or at least order a veggie pizza.20. Milk Shakes
Besides being full of calories and sugar, thick milkshakes from fast-food joints or sit-down restaurants can also contain trans fats which are bad for our hearts. Instead, we can make healthy smoothies at home. For example, mix the almond butter, dark-sweet cherries, and a little honey. We must make sure to avoid these foods if we want to improve our blood sugar control and lose some extra. By choosing healthier alternatives we are reducing our risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular diseases.
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