A professional nutritionist has named the 15 foods and drinks Australians should only consume in moderation, and never every day.
Claudia Calisto, from Sydney’s Claudiability and Total health and well-beingHe chose his list based on foods that tend to have the most additives and “empty calories”—calories that offer no nutritional value.
He told Daily Mail Australia that one of the best ways Australians can take control of their health is to learn to read food labels.
“If we read food labels, we can evaluate what we eat,” he said.
‘Some premium guava juices only contain 25 percent guava, the main ingredient is water – that’s fine – and the second ingredient is sugar.
“So there’s actually more sugar in the juice than in the fruit, plus guava has fructose sugar!”
Sydney nutritionist Claudia Calisto (pictured) compiled a list of 15 foods Australians should never include in their daily diet.
Callisto also often refers to the body’s “pH,” which measures whether it is too acidic or alkaline.
He explained that in order for the body to properly digest food, it needs to stay at a pH of 7.35 to 7.45, but different foods, such as salt and sugar, can affect that level.
The first thing on Mrs. Calisto’s list was cold cuts and hot dogs.
‘Luncheon meat is a ultra-processed foods,’ he explained.
‘For example, pig. They will go through the process of grinding the pork and then add nitrates, which are carcinogenic.
‘They add water, they add trans fats, which are saturated fats, and then they prepare the cold cuts.
“It is also high in sodium and foods high in sodium alter the body’s pH.”
Second place on the chopping block was ice cream.
“Now, the problem with ice cream is that it’s okay to have it once in a while, but not every day because of the sugar content and it has a lot of fillers,” Ms. Calisto said.
‘It is not a healthy food.
‘The first ingredient is sugar, then emulsifiers, additives and preservatives.
“In the end it’s only like two percent milk.”
Third, fourth and fifth on the list are commercial cakes, cookies and jams.
Calisto recommended that Australians avoid regularly eating foods full of sugar and fillers, including ice cream, flavored yogurts and flavored milks.
Mrs. Calisto again pointed out the large amount of sugar and fillers in foods.
“A lot of things are added: sugar, preservatives,” he said.
“Reading labels will give a person a better guide as to whether the food is healthy or just filler.”
Next were flavored milks and yogurts.
“Commercial yogurts have a lot of flavor,” said Ms. Calisto.
‘Some also contain thickeners and a lot of sugar and sodium.
“Then the flavored milk, flavored milk loaded with sugar.”
Calisto also warned against eating salty snacks, such as chips, every day.
Surprisingly, at the top of her list of foods to avoid eating every day was instant soup.
He pointed out the high levels of trans fats and sodium, artificial flavors and colors and preservatives.
‘There is no nutrition – is very processed,” said Mrs. Calisto.
He also suggested Australians should replace mass-produced bread with bakery-cooked breads.
In particular, he suggested Bakers Delight whole wheat bread.
“Mass-produced bread has a lot of sugar because it is commercial,” he said.
“The wheat used for white bread is bleached and then sugar and fats are added.”
Two drinks made it onto Mrs. Calisto’s list: soft drinks and boxed wine.
Instead of completely eliminating the listed foods from their diets, Ms Calisto (pictured) suggested Australians eat “healthily” during the week and treat themselves at the weekend.
“Soda, again, is full of sugar and kills healthy gut bacteria,” he said.
“Some soft drinks can even be corrosive to the intestinal mucosa.”
As for boxed wine, Calisto urged Australians to consider healthier alternatives, such as organic red wine.
“Wine that comes in barrels costs maybe five dollars, but it’s very processed wine,” he said.
‘They have taken the wine, they have used the healthy wine to make your different brands of wine.
The leftovers are then blended and diluted to make barrel wine.
‘So if you want wine, drink organic wine. Red wine is better than white wine, it is less processed and has more antioxidants.’
The last three items on Calisto’s list were the usual breakfast favorites: muesli bars, sugary cereals, and commercial fruit juices.
He highlighted that all three contain high amounts of sugar, sodium, artificial flavorings, artificial colors and preservatives.
“It gives you energy, but in two or three hours you will feel sluggish because it increases your sugar level,” he said.
However, Calisto believes it’s important to remember to eat everything in moderation and suggests eating “healthy” during the week and treating yourself on the weekends.
Ms Calisto (pictured) urged Australians to avoid mass-produced breads, cakes and cookies and instead encouraged them to buy from bakeries.
“It becomes a lifestyle, I don’t want people to become obsessed with ‘good foods’ and ‘bad foods’; we can enjoy everything in moderation,” he said.
‘The human body needs nutrients to function.
‘If a person is deficient in essential nutrients, he will crave junk food. When we balance nutrients in the diet, the desire to choose bad foods decreases.’