1. SwordfishThe Problem: One of the experts’ No. 1 warnings to women pregnant or looking to become pregnant? “Make avoiding mercury in fish a priority,” says Philip Landrigan, MD, professor of pediatrics and professor and chair of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Swordfish is notoriously high in the heavy metal, a potent neurotoxin that can damage developing children and even trigger heart attacks in adults. Aside from obvious health concerns, swordfish is often overfished and some of the gear commonly used to wrangle in swordfish often kills turtles, seabirds, and sharks. The Solution: For a healthy omega-3 brain boost, look for fish that are low in contaminants and have stable populations, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Atlantic mackerel, or pole- or troll-caught Pacific albacore tuna. Got a more adventurous palate? Try snakehead fish to satisfy your fish craving and improve the environment. The invasive species lives on land and water, where it wipes out important frogs, birds, and other critters. Snakehead fish is popping up on some restaurant menus, and its taste and texture are about identical to those of swordfish.
  2. Nonorganic StrawberriesThe Problem: Food Inc. director Robert Kenner, founder of FixFood.org, says he wanted to film strawberry farmers applying pesticides to their fields. “The workers wear these suits to protect themselves from the dozens and dozens of known dangerous pesticides applied to strawberries,” he says. “When I saw this, I thought to myself, if this is how berries are grown, I don’t really want to eat them anymore. I haven’t been able to eat a nonorganic strawberry ever since.” Unfortunately, for the food-concerned public, he wasn’t able to get the shot of these farmers. “I guess they didn’t think it looked too appetizing.” The Solution: Opt for organic! The Environmental Working Group, which analyzes U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide-residue data, has found 13 different pesticide residues on chemically grown strawberries.
  3. Diet SodaThe Problem: Isaac Eliaz, MD, integrative health expert and founder of the Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center in Sebastopol, CA, stays away from any diet soda or foods, sugar-free candies, and gum containing artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, and neotame, among others. “The safety data on these sweeteners is shrouded in controversy and conflicts of interest with the manufacturers of these chemical compounds,” Eliaz warns. “Independent research strongly suggests that when metabolized in the body, these sweeteners can cause health-related issues and problems related to metabolism and weight gain, neurological diseases, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, chemical toxicity, and cancer, among others.” The Solution: If you’re craving a soda but want to avoid the shady sweeteners, fake food dyes, and preservatives found in popular brands, try a bottle of Steaz zero-calorie green tea soda or Bionade, a fermented soda that’s majorly popular in Europe.
  4. Anything from McDonald’sThe Problem: McDonald’s isn’t just about food—it’s about food mentality, according to Joel Salatin, sustainable farmer and author of This Ain’t Normal, Folks. “It represents the pinnacle of factory farming and industrial food,” he says. “The economic model is utterly dependent on stockholders looking for dividends without regards to farm profitability or soil development.” The type of farming that supports this type of food business relies on harmful chemicals that threaten not only human health, but also soil health. The Solution: Learn to cook! You might be surprised to find that paying extra up front for a pasture-raised chicken can be cheaper than buying prepared fast-food chicken. For instance, cooking a chicken and then boiling down the bones for a rich, disease-fighting stock can yield up to three meals for a family. (Here’s how to make homemade stock.) Find sustainable farmers at LocalHarvest.org.
  5. Canned TomatoesThe Problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s bodies exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 micrograms of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says Frederick vom Saal, PhD, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.” The Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Eden Organic and Bionaturae. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, such as Trader Joe’s and Pomi.
  6. Bread The Problem: Modern wheat is nothing like the grain your mother or grandmother consumed. Today, wheat barely resembles its original form, thanks to extensive genetic manipulations in the 1960s and ’70s to increase yields. “You cannot change the basic characteristics of a plant without changing its genetics, its biochemistry, and its effects on humans who consume it,” says William Davis, MD, cardiologist and author of the New York Times best-seller Wheat Belly. In his book, Davis makes the case that modern-day wheat is triggering all sorts of health problems, everything from digestive diseases like celiac and inflammatory bowel disease to acid reflux, obesity, asthma, and skin disorders. “If there is a food that yields extravagant, extraordinary, and unexpected benefits when avoided, it is bread,” says Davis. “And I don’t mean white bread; I mean all bread: white, whole wheat, whole grain, sprouted, organic, French, Italian, fresh, day-old…all of it.” The Solution: Try eliminating bread from your diet for a few weeks to see if you note health improvements. When you do choose grains, look to things like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice, but in smaller quantities (less than a half cup) because these can also trigger high blood sugar, Davis says.
  7. Industrially Produced HamburgersThe Problem: Cattle raised in filthy conditions, pumped full of growth hormones, and fed diets composed mostly of genetically modified corn are three major reasons humane, grass-fed ground beef is a better alternative for your burger, says Michael Pollan, author of numerous books and articles on the food system including The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Food Rules. But they aren’t the only ones, says Pollan. While a steak or roast usually comes from a single animal, processors of ground beef combine meat from hundreds of animals. “This vastly increases the risk of contamination,” he says. USDA scientists have found dangerous levels of disease-causing bacteria in over 50% of ground beef samples they’ve tested. The Solution: “I love hamburgers, but only eat them when they’re grass-fed and ground by a butcher,” Pollan says.
  8. Corn The Problem: Today’s corn plants are more like little pesticide factories with roots, say Maryam Henein and George Langworthy, directors of the documentary Vanishing of the Bees. Most of the nation’s corn supply is genetically engineered to either produce its own pesticide supply within the plant or withstand heavy sprayings of chemicals, which wind up inside of the food. That’s problematic not just for bees, but for people, too. “I avoid corn because most is genetically modified, and on top of that, most of the seeds are treated with systemic pesticides that are killing our bees,” says Henein. “And let’s not be fooled—the sublethal effects of these pesticides also slowly impair our health.” The Solution: In one way or another, corn is present in the vast majority of processed foods. From ketchup to salad dressing, and even bread, it’s hard to escape corn ingredients. One to look out for? “I always try to avoid foods containing high-fructose corn syrup,” says Langworthy. “Not only is it unhealthy, but the pesticides used in the production of the corn is detrimental to honeybees and other pollinators.” To avoid genetically engineered corn, which has never been tested for long-term impacts on human health, choose organic or Non-GMO Verified foods.
  9. White Chocolate The Problem: The right kind of chocolate serves not only as a sweet treat but as a brain-boosting superfood, too. The problem is, white chocolate’s health profile is blank. “The data on the health benefits of cacao is pretty awesome,” says Drew Ramsey, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and coauthor of The Happiness Diet. “Much of this is due to a set of amazing phytonutrients that can increase blood flow to the brain, protect blood vessels, and boost mood and focus. White chocolate is missing all this goodness.” The Solution: Indulging in a chocolate treat? Look for organic versions of dark chocolate from companies like Theo and NibMor.
  10. Artificial SweetenersThe Problem: Ironically, there’s a lot of evidence that suggests using artificial sweeteners, which have zero calories, is just as bad for your waistline as using regular, high-calorie sugar. For instance, research from the University of Texas has found that mice fed the artificial sweetener aspartame had higher blood sugar levels (which can cause you to overeat) than mice on an aspartame-free diet did. Not only are these sweeteners bad for your health, scientists have detected artificial sweeteners in treated wastewater, posing unknown risks to fish and other marine life. Plus, as Maria Rodale, CEO of Rodale Inc. and author of Organic Manifesto, says, “They’re unnatural, nonorganic, taste horrible, and lead to all sorts of bad health consequences, false expectations, and short-term strategic thinking.” The Solution: Refined white sugar isn’t any healthier, but you can replace it with small amounts of nutritional sweeteners, including honey, blackstrap molasses, and maple syrup, all of which have high levels of vitamins and minerals.
  11. Sprouts The Problem: Sprouts have been the source of so many major food recalls that they’re not worth the risk, says Doug Powell, PhD, professor of food safety at Kansas State University and author of the BarfBlog food-safety website. Whether bean or broccoli, alfalfa or pea, sprouts have been at the center of at least 40 significant outbreaks of foodborne illness over the past 20 years. They’re often found to be contaminated with salmonella, E. coli, and listeria; they’re vulnerable to contamination because the seeds require moist, warm conditions in order to sprout—conditions that are ideal for bacteria to multiply. The Solution: Get the crunch of sprouts—without the added bacteria—by shredding cabbage or carrots onto your sandwiches. If you really enjoy the flavor of sprouts, cook them first.
  12. Butter-Flavored Microwave PopcornThe Problem: Diacetyl, a chemical used in butter flavoring, is used in a lot of fake butter flavorings, despite the fact that the chemical is so harmful to factory workers that it’s known to cause an occupational disease called “popcorn lung,” says Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women’s Voices for the Earth, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental health issues that directly affect women. After news of the chemical got out to the popcorn-eating public, companies started replacing diacetyl with another additive—which can actually turn into diacetyl under certain conditions, she adds. Neither chemical is disclosed on microwave-popcorn bags because the exact formulations of flavorings are considered trade secrets. “It’s a classic example of the need for better chemical regulation and improved transparency on the chemicals used in our food and other household products,” she says. The Solution: Make your own popcorn using real butter. Pop it on the stovetop in a pot, or go an easier route: Put a small handful of kernels into a brown paper lunch bag and stick the bag in the microwave. The kernels will pop just like those fake-butter-flavored kernels in standard microwave-popcorn bags. When they’re done, pour some melted organic butter over them. “Makes pretty good popcorn at a fraction of the cost!” Scranton says.
  13. Food DyesThe Problem: Health advocates have tried for years to get the Food and Drug Administration to ban food dyes, based on small studies linking them to hyperactivity in children and cancer in animals, and that’s one reason Michael F. Jacobson, PhD, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, avoids them. Red 3 has caused cancer in lab rats, and Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 may contain cancer-causing contaminants. But mainly, he says, he avoids them on principle. “I just don’t like eating synthetic chemicals and the oftentimes synthetic foods in which they’re used.” His group criticizes companies that use food dyes to make foods appear healthier than they are and to replace truly healthy ingredients; in a report on the nutritional quality of fruit juices, the center noted that Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast contains no berry or cherry juice but lots of the artificial dye, Red 40. The Solution: Read labels whenever you’re buying a prepackaged food. Food dyes can crop up in some really unexpected places, even in healthy foods like cheese and yogurt.
  14. Chain-Restaurant Ice Cream SundaesThe Problem: “No matter where you go, the ice cream sundaes made in most chain restaurants have a couple of things in common—namely, supersized portions and an ingredient list a mile long,” says Dave Zinczenko, author of the Eat This, Not That series of books. “All you really need for ice cream is milk, sugar, and maybe a little vanilla, but somehow these places are loading it up with corn syrup, cellulose gum, and vegetable shortening.” In addition to being unhealthy, those additives are usually derived from genetically modified corn and soy. The Solution: Go local, says Zinczenko. Small-batch ice cream from local stores is less likely to be some industry Frankenfood creation. Or, for totally homemade sundaes, you could try making your own ice cream. “A killer caramel sauce can be made with just sugar, butter, and heat, and you’ll never have to wonder what kind of chemicals you’re loading up on,” he says. “Plus, you’ll control your portion size, which means you can indulge in moderation without widening your waistline.” The article 14 Foods You Should Never Eat originally ran on RodalesOrganicLife.com.