Foods Nutritionists Won't Eat

Diet Soda.

"I cut out diet soda from my life about five years ago. I came to the conclusion that I didn't need a dose of artificial ingredients on a daily basis, and I would be much better off drinking water and plant-based beverages, such as home-brewed iced tea, hot tea and coffee during the day...I also don't think there is any benefit to including [diet soda]. About a year ago I tried a diet soda on a plane - after not tasting one for several years - and I found that it tasted absolutely awful. So, I guess I haven't been missing much!" - Sharon Palmer, RDN, author of Plant-Powered for Life.

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Blended Coffee Drinks

"I am an avid coffee drinker who enjoys a morning and afternoon java run, but the assorted-flavour, sugar-loaded, blended coffee drinks are definitely something that I stay away from. These blends can go up to 81 grams of sugar!! That amount of sugar is the equivalent of drinking two cans of soda, roughly 20 teaspoons of pure sugar, which can spike your insulin and build fat around your waistline." - Manuel Villacorta, M.S., R.D., author of Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfoods Diet.

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Carnival Corn Dog

"You'll never catch me eating a carnival corn dog - so creepy. I know wayy too much about what's lurking inside of fatty, processed hot dog meat; corn syrup, nitrates, fillers, fat and more fat. In fact, there's very little protein. Place it on a wooden stick, cover it in refined cornmeal batter and fry it up in a vat of oil? No thanks!" - Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., founder of Nourish Snacks and nutrition/health expert for NBC's Today Show. 

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Fat-Free Whipped Topping

"That one food I would never eat is a fat-free whipped topping. I find it tastes like the artificial ingredients it is made of, and I don't care for it. If I want a creamy dessert topping, I use a small dollop of fresh whipped cream - a little goes a long way to make a dessert special - and you cannot beat its taste." - Ellie Krieger, RDN, nutritionist, TV personality and award-winning cookbook author. 

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Imported Farm-Raised Shrimp

"I make a conscious effort to purchase and consume sustainable seafood, for both environmental and personal health. Imported shrimp are often unsustainably farmed and laden with chemicals and antibiotics. Sticking to this can be a challenge, since 94% of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported!" - Kirsty Del Coro, M.S., R.D., CDN, senior culinary nutritionist at SPE Certified.

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Pre-baked Toaster Pastries

"The serving size for one toaster pastry, with most flavours, averages about 200 calories and 15 to 20 grams of sugar. But most people eat two pastries, doubling the calories and sugar. These toaster pastries also have little fiber and protein, two nutrients that should be included in a healthy breakfast." - Jim White, R.D., CPT, Owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios.

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Raw Oysters

"I won't eat raw oysters on the half shell...I don't trust them to be safe. Plus, they are slimy and I don't get the chew them, just swallow them. That's no fun." - Nancy CLark, M.S., R.D., Boston-area sports nutritionist and author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

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Nacho Cheese

"The nacho cheese at any concession stand, like a football game, ballpark or fair. The nacho cheese is just a sauce that usually doesn't use real cheese, and it grosses me out, as it always looks the exact same and I know it is fake and cheaply made." - Mitzi Dulan, Author of The Pinterest Diet and Team Nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals

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Reduced-fat Peanut Butter

"Many of my clients are surprised to hear that most reduced-fat peanut butter is not necessarily a healthier version of regular peanut butter. While both regular and reduced-fat peanut butter contain about the same amount of calories, the reduced fat variety contains more refined carbohydrates and sugar. Why? The fat that would be in the reduced-fat peanut butter spread is replaced with ingredients like corn syrup solids, sugar and molasses, plus starchy fillers." - Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D. 

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Bacon

"Although I admit that I enjoy the aroma and sounds of sizzling bacon, and I find it amazing that our country has such a fascination with this breakfast meat, I'm still happy, however, to take a pass on consuming it. Sixty-eight percent of bacon's calories come from fat, half of which is the saturated type. Each strip of bacon contains almost 200 milligrams of sodium, and most people don't stop at one strip...it's not the nutrient quality that bugs me about bacon. Bacon comes from the long layers of fat from the pig's belly, running parallel to the rind. Not a pretty picture...and not on my plate." - Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, owner of BetterThanDieting.com

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Pretzels

"I'm not saying I would starve to death before eating one, but they are definitely a food I avoid even when there are very [few] choices available. Here is why: They are basically a big bowl of sugar! The refind-carb product contains no nutrients that are beneficial for health or provide satiety. And they are easily overeaten fo rthis reason - they have no fiber, protein or healthy fat. I always imagine a bag of pretzels as the same thing as a big bag of jelly beans. Those sugar calories affect your hormones and cause you to gain. And for what? A boring pretzel? No, thanks." - Keri Glassman, RDN, CDN, of Nutritious Life

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