Whether they are eaten as an occasional indulgence or because you think they’re healthy, nutritionally speaking, there are no good reasons to eat these five foods. They provide no health benefits but instead, come loaded with calories and fat or dangerous ingredients.
1. Fettuccine Alfredo
This proverbial ‘heart attack on a plate’ offers practically no nutritional value. White refined pasta smothered with heavy cream, butter, and cheese…uggh! My arteries just cringed. I can think of a lot of healthy foods I’d rather eat that amount to 964 calories and 61 grams of fat (per serving!). Instead, try this insanely good recipe for beta-carotene-rich sweet potato gnocchi.
2. Caesar salad 
Oh, that poor romaine lettuce. It started out with good intentions, but then it was smothered with oil, bacon, egg yolk, and of all things, anchovies. The frightening thing about Caesar salad is that because it’s a salad, people actually think it’s a good choice. Restaurants put it on menus because we (and by ‘we’ I mean you, ladies!) ask for it. In fact, it’s the most popular restaurant salad in the country! One serving provides 384 calories, 33 grams of fat, and 549 mg sodium. And for all that you get only 1.8 grams of fat-binding fiber in return. Instead, try this recipe for a super-healthy cheese-free Caesar salad dressing.
Read more about getting fiber in your diet
3. Frozen Entrées 
Frozen dinners have gone gourmet. (When I was growing up we called them TV dinners.) They may be low-cal, inexpensive, and quick to heat, but the only thing that’s really lean about Lean Cuisine and other frozen entrees is the nutritional value. Perfecting frozen Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta is no easy feat, so kudos to the creative “chefs and food technologists”1 who design their recipes. Still, the meals are too high in sodium (Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta offers 610 mg per serving), and low in phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients: BLANCHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WATER, SEMOLINA, WHEAT GLUTEN), SKIM MILK, SHRIMP (WATER, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES), WATER, RED PEPPERS, CARROTS, SHERRY WINE, 2% OR LESS OF SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, GARLIC PUREE, SALT, PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), ROASTED RED PEPPER PUREE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SHRIMP FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SCALLOP EXTRACT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CORNSTARCH, SHRIMP EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN), CULTURED WHEY, BUTTERFAT, SPICES, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, ASIAGO CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, FLAVORING AND MODIFIED FOOD STARCH), YEAST EXTRACT, ENZYME MODIFIED PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, WATER, SALT, ENZYMES), XANTHAN GUM, WHEY, ANNATTO COLOR.
4. Veggie burgers 
Theoretically, veggie burgers should be a healthy replacement for cholesterol and fat laden beef burgers; but realistically, it's genetically modified soy, corn, and MSG that commonly make an appearance in the ingredient list of this supposedly ‘healthy’ option. Here are the ingredients in Boca’s Grilled Vegetable Burger.
Ingredients: WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO (COLOR), VITAMIN A PALMITATE), WHEAT GLUTEN, CORN OIL, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF METHYLCELLULOSE, HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, WHEAT GLUTEN AND SOY PROTEIN, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, CHEESE POWDER (CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), CREAM, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID), DRIED ONIONS, YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVOR (NON-MEAT), SESAME OIL, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, BROWNED IN CORN OIL.
Make your own truly healthy veggie burgers with vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds – and no questionable ingredients or MSG.Read more about other names for MSG
5. Chicken wings 
Ah, the pièce de résistance… and they should be resisted when you consider that one chicken wing provides an average of 60 calories, 5 grams of fat and 300 mg of sodium. Don’t believe me? Check out the Nutrition Info on the website of your favorite wings place. In most cases, it’s the sauce that loads on the calories. Instead, try this delicious recipe for bbq chicken wings with barbecue sauce made from scratch.
Photo credits:
Fettucine Alfredo: Steven DepoloCaesar salad: Mack MaleFrozen entree: iateapie
Veggie Burger: mollyjadeChicken wings: James
Reference:
1 https://www.facebook.com/LeanCuisine?sk=app_301391376539948
