Eating clean sounds simple—until you realize some of your favorite foods might be holding you back. Many of these items are marketed as convenient or even healthy, but they’re often packed with hidden sugars, fats, or processed ingredients. If you’re serious about feeling better and making smarter food choices, it might be time to let these go. These 15 foods are delicious, yes—but they aren’t doing your body any favors. Cutting back could be the easiest step toward a healthier lifestyle.
Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your individual circumstances.
Potato Chips
If you want a salty snack, you may immediately reach for a bag of potato chips. While we know how satisfying the crunch of a thin potato chip can be, it is not going to give your body anything other than a quick craving fix.
Bagged potato chips are mainly carb and fat. They are also loaded with sodium, which might be problematic for some people.
Nutella
While Nutella is made with healthy hazelnuts, the spread itself is actually extremely processed and loaded with sugar and oil. The nutritional benefits of the nuts are negated by the 21 grams of sugar in just two tablespoons of Nutella.
If you crave the delicious taste of Nutella, try making your own version with this homemade nutella recipe. It is less processed than store-bought, which definitely helps improve its health score!
Twinkies
Twinkies are fluffy, cream-filled cakes that are packed with preservatives. How do you think those Twinkies can last so long on the grocery store shelf?! Preservatives are the answer! And you probably can guess that eating lots of artificial flavorings, sugar, and saturated fats is bad for your body.
Movie Theater Butter Popcorn
Popcorn is often classified as a healthy snack. But when you choose movie theater-style microwave popcorn with that pour-over packet of butter, you just turn a healthy snack into a terrible one.
Nutrigrain Bars
Nutrigrain bars are often seen as healthy granola bars. However, with 12 grams of sugar and a surprisingly low amount of fiber, these bars will leave you feeling hungry and looking for something more.
In addition to all the sugar in Nutrigrain bars, the long list of processed ingredients, including corn syrup and artificial flavorings, does not look good.
Rice Cakes
This is another snack that is marketed as healthy but is surprisingly low in nutrients. Rice cakes are really just a flavored carbohydrate, giving your body a quick burst of sugar but not much else.
Look for brown rice cakes, which have a few more vitamins and minerals on the list.
Ritz Bits Cheese Crackers
The little cheese sandwich crackers may be easy to eat, but they have almost no nutritional value. Ritz Bits cheese crackers lack protein and fiber, two essentials for keeping your body healthy and making your belly feel full. They are also high in fat and made with lots of artificial ingredients.
Eat a bowl of Ritz Bits and you will still feel hungry and unsatisfied.
Pretzels
While pretzels may not be the most unhealthy snack, they also will not give you very much in the way of nutrients. Pretzels are another pure carbohydrate that will increase your blood sugar quickly and then cause you to crash shortly after.
You may feel full after eating a big bowl of pretzels, but this feeling won’t last! Snacks that contain fiber and protein are a better option if you want to feel full for longer.
Veggie Straws
Veggie straws are an extremely processed snack that is almost completely void of nutrients. They aren't really "veggie" at all. Most have a long list of ingredients like potato flour, sugar, and so on,
So, while this snack may look healthy, it is actually lacking when it comes to nutritional value. You are much better off eating real vegetable sticks.
Store-Bought Smoothies
Smoothies are supposed to be a healthy treat. However, when they are mass-produced in a store, they are typically loaded with added sugars. Most store-bought smoothies aren’t even made with real fruit! Artificially flavored syrups replace fruit, and extra sugar is blended in to make the smoothies taste good but give you very little in the way of nutrients.
Sweetened Sodas
You may be shocked to learn that a can of soda contains so much sugar. One can of Pepsi or Coke has about 39 grams of sugar, and the recommended daily dose for an average adult is 50 grams.
That means if you drink one can of soda, you are almost at your sugar intake limit for the whole day! This isn't even considering all the chemicals and additives that go into a can of soda. The bottom line is to skip the sodas completely.
Pudding Cups
Pre-made pudding cups are a terrible snack that is extremely unhealthy. They are low in protein and fiber and have almost no nutrients at all. All that is inside that little cup of packaged pudding is sugar. Remember that with every bite you take. You are basically just scooping sugar into your mouth.
Corn Dogs
Putting super-processed meat inside a sugar coating and frying it is just a recipe for unhealthy food. Hot dogs have been linked to certain cancers, and sugary foods are a sure way to spike your insulin.
Stay away from corn dogs, mini corn dogs, and definitely corn dog nuggets. They are not healthy in any form.
Frappuccinos
Those super-sweet Frappuccinos that everyone loves are seriously unhealthy. A grande Starbucks white chocolate frappuccino contains about 520 calories, 64 of which are from sugar. That is a whole lot of sugar to consume in one drink!
To top it off, drinking sugar doesn't satisfy your body in the same way eating sugar does, so you'll consume all those calories and still feel hungry. It sounds like we all need to ditch those frappuccinos!
Pop Tarts
Pop Tarts may seem like a convenient breakfast snack, but they are made with highly processed oils, flour, and lots of corn syrup. It is quite an unhealthy combination. Eating that much fructose daily may lead to health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
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