It's okay to indulge every once in a while. Everyone does it at one point or another, even nutritionists! However, there are some foods that these "healthy junkies" would never touch. Not even with a ten-foot pole. We asked some of our Certified Nutritionists which foods you would never find in their kitchen and here is what they told us:
  1. Diet soda. Or really, soda of any kind. If there is one thing you never have in your kitchen again, let it be this one. Sodas of any kind, are nothing more than empty, sugary calories. The sugar, or artificial sweeteners, reduce good HDL cholesterol and increase blood triglyceride levels. And, it causes inflammation throughout the body which can be linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. Do yourself a favor and switch to water. You (and your body) will thank us later.
  2. Hot dogs. Yahoo named this food one of the top-cancer causing foods many moons ago. Even if this was the last item in the grocery store, we wouldn't touch it.  A few ingredients: mechanically separated what? Potassium lactate who? Sodium phosphate where? Along with a whole mess of other ingredients not worth listing. 
  3. Packaged breads. Processed, processed and processed again. If enriched wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and yeast are at the top of your "must eat" list, then packaged breads are for you. Once bread has been processed enough to be able to eat it, it's already been stripped away of all of its important fiber, minerals and nutrients so bread provides little to no nutrition. As for us and our kitchen, we will not serve Mrs. Baird's.
  4. Cereals. The combination of processing and the sugar load in packaged cereals is enough to put a nutritionist into heart failure. These fun, colorful and sweet bowls of "goodness" are indeed, nothing more than processed, sugar-filled, yeast-infested bits. If cereal is something your kids or grandkids enjoy, do them a favor and introduce them to a more wholesome and nutritious breakfast, such as scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. 
  5. Frozen meals. While grocery shopping for the week, avoid any foods that are pre-made, pre-packaged and ready-to-eat. All these frozen and packaged meals contain an abundance of sodium, sugar, chemicals and preservatives, all of which are extremely detrimental to your health. Additionally, microwaving these frozen meals depletes almost any nutrients that may remain. Remember to always shop fresh first!
  6. Canned soups. Step 1: walk into your pantry. Step 2: identify all canned goods. Step 3: throw them all away immediately. Step 4: never buy them again. Sure, canned goods and soups are convenient, but their also incredibly harmful to your health. The lining inside of the can is called Bisphenol A, better known as BPA, and is the king of hormone disruption. Aside from this, canned soups are stuffed with sodium and fat. For example. one can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup contains 1,700 mg of sodium. We don't want to be the bearer of bad news but these canned goods are mmm, mmm, BAD.
  7. Artificial sweeteners. Remember this rule: if it comes in a tiny pink, yellow or blue packet, it is not good for you. Fact: no artificial sweetener is good for your health. Splenda (sucralose), Sweet n Lo (saccharin) and Equal (aspartame) have been known for years to have damaging effects on your brain and your heart. Switch to healthy sweetener alternatives, such as xylitol, erythritol, stevia or Truvia.
Again, we all cheat from time to time or splurge on comfort foods but if these foods are never kept in your kitchen, then you never have to worry about eating them. Stay tuned for more! Next we'll be discussing the 7 foods you will always find in a nutritionist's kitchen!