Every year I vow that I’m going to begin the process of eating a healthier diet. I’m not terrible – meaning, I do include fruits and vegetables in my meals, but likely not enough. And while, not ALL of my meals include ‘the bad stuff’… the more research i do, the more I realize there is far more bad floating around.
And my husband and I are the main examples for our small people, right? You don’t need me to tell you that kids are apt to ‘do as you do’ not ‘do as you say’, right? So, I can TELL my little ones to eat fruits and vegetables all day long….and I can TELL them to avoid the processed junk until I turn blue… but if I’m not DOING IT, it simply isn’t going to register.
So, I decided to find out what the ‘worst’ foods are and determine just how much of an impact they have on our family. How easy would it be for us to eliminate the foods we should be avoiding all the time, if possible?
Here’s what I found:
1) Doughnuts
This is the trifecta of everything we should only be having in the smallest of quantities, if ever – white sugar, white flour, and DEEP FRIED foods. One of these little gems can pack anywhere from 200-300 calories each with up to 19 grams of fat.
The good news for us – these are a ‘treat’ that we see maybe once a month. Smith family 1. Worst Foods 0.
2) French Fries.
*sigh* I love them. My kids love them. A regular serving has almost 600 calories – and again, FRIED. (kid’s sizes obviously have less) We don’t go often, but likely more than we should. This is a category where we could improve. Smith family 1, Worst Foods 1
3) Chips
There is a reason I rarely buy these. They are actually something I crave. I could go through an entire bag on my own – and my small people have inherited my cravings. Just a few handfuls of potato chips qualifies as more than 150 calories. And it barely satisfies. We lose on this one, too. Smith Family 1, Worst Foods 2
4) Sausages
Yuck. I can safely say we never eat these in our home. Which is good considering the fat content is absurd – almost 20 fat grams for one link. Nope. No worries on that one here. Smith Family 2, Worst Foods 2
5) Non- Dairy Toppings
We’re talking about the little extra on your dessert here – like Cool Whip? There isn’t a whole lot of substance here – but it is calorie heavy – more than 30 calories for a tablespoon. This isn’t something we typically add, I’m happy to say. Smith Family 3, Worst Foods 2.
6) White Bread
Love it, but don’t buy it. I know the white flour and the white sugar are main components and the ‘health benefit’ is virtually nonexistent. We occasionally have a slice from the bread basket in a nice restaurant, but that’s it. Smith Family 4, Worst Foods 2
7) Fettuccine Alfredo
This is a weakness. And I KNOW we should be reaching for the red sauce. But my whole family prefers white. And of course, right? It is cream, it is butter… it is CHEESE. But even a ‘regular’ portion is more than 500 calories. And that is far more than we need to be consuming – especially when you consider we likely don’t stick to that small portion. Smith Family 4, Worst Foods 3
Clearly, we have some work to do, but I’m happy to say the only thing I make on this list is the fettuccine. And I can easily commit to not buying the rest of the items. What about you? Do you have any of these in your home or do you think it will be difficult to give up one more than the other?
Can we work on it together?
Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.Net
