On a Diet? 10 Foods to Avoid for Your Health

If you're on a diet, the struggle is real: the temptation to grab a snack or indulge in some ice cream is always present. Who among us wouldn’t be tempted by junk food if it were healthy? The health portal The Doctor has compiled a list of 10 foods you should definitely avoid, especially if you’re watching your diet. Here’s the scoop:

1. Foods and pastries containing puff pastry: "Foods made with puff pastry are fattening and packed with empty calories. Think malawach, jachnun, bourekas, and pastries, sweet or savory, made with puff pastry or doughs loaded with butter or margarine."

2. Sugary drinks: "Sweetened fizzy drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, and flavored coffees often contain high amounts of added sugars and empty calories. They contribute to weight gain and can harm your overall health."

3. Ice cream: "Despite its delicious taste and its perception as a harmless dairy treat, ice cream is full of sugars and fats that contribute to weight gain. It’s loaded with empty calories and offers minimal nutritional value."

4. Pizza: "Both commercial and homemade pizzas often have sugary sauces and are topped with high-calorie, fatty cheeses. The fats in pizza are typically saturated and unhealthy, and pizzas also contain a lot of sodium. Additionally, the crust consists of empty carbohydrates, lacks nutrition, and is fattening."

5. Processed meats: "Foods like sausages, cold cuts, and burgers are often high in unhealthy fats, sodium, and other fatty ingredients, along with empty carbohydrates that provide little nutritional benefit."

6. Butter, margarine, and high-fat, sugary sauces: "These fats may add flavor and tempt you to spread or drizzle them on meals, but they are calorie-dense, fattening, and lack vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. They can be harmful if consumed excessively and should be used sparingly."

7. Sweets: "Candies, chocolates, desserts, and other sweet treats are rich in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and empty calories. These heavily processed foods provide minimal nutritional value, so it’s best to avoid them to protect your health, teeth, and weight."

8. Chips and fried foods: "Deep-fried foods, such as chips, fried chicken, and onion rings, typically contain high amounts of unhealthy fats and calories."

9. Alcohol: "Beverages like liqueurs, whiskey, vodka, and other spirits contain empty calories and can contribute to weight gain, in addition to other harmful effects on the body."

10. Breakfast cereals and snacks: "Many breakfast cereals and snack foods—such as energy bars, wafers, and salty or sweet snacks—are high in added sugars, fattening, and lack essential nutrients."