When we don’t have time to cook up a well-balanced meal, snacks help take care of the hunger, even if it’s for just a short while. Sadly, many of these junk foods are terrible for our body, and we’ve compiled 16 of the worst.
Veggie Straws
Despite their name, veggie straws are far from healthy. They’re just regular fried potato chips with vegetable powder sprinkled on them. Yes, veggie straws do have a lower fat content, but the vegetable powder has a very low nutritional value after being ground and fried. Don’t be fooled!
Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Tangy Chili Fusion
If the 200mg of sodium found in this variety of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos doesn’t scare you off already, the food dyes will. Tangy Chili Fusion Cheetos contains Red 40 Lake and Yellow 5 Lake. These names may sound innocent, but they’re actually artificial food dyes feared to have carcinogenic properties.
Oreos
This is going to be hard to hear, but yes, Oreos are terrible for your body due to the high amounts of sugar, fats, and calories that they contain. Theoretically, consuming Oreos in moderation will be fine, but that’s easier said than done, considering that CBS reports they may be addictive.
Kellogg’s Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts
Many people choose Poptarts to start their day off without knowing that they offer little nutritional value as a breakfast. This Kellogg’s snack contains low fiber and protein and a high amount of ultra-processed, high-sugar ingredients like refined flour, soybean oil, refined white sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup.
Snack Pack Pudding
With snack pack pudding, moderation is key. The mass-processed sweet has high amounts of fructose and saturated fats, and its vanilla variety contains artificial dyes that have long-term consequences for your health. It’s best to save snack pack puddings for desserts after an otherwise healthy meal.
Twix
A small bar of Twix contains 24 grams of sugar, 250 calories, and an unhealthy amount of sucrose! That’s not all, though. They also contain 14 grams of fat, almost a quarter of the recommended daily intake. Twix is especially dangerous for children, given that one bar never seems to be enough.
Doritos Nacho Cheese
We all love Nacho Cheese Doritos but be careful not to overdo it with this classic junk food. Like many products on this list, they contain high amounts of calories, fat, and sodium that are associated with unhealthy weight gain, as well as the risks of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Nutella
Believe it or not, Nutella used to be marketed as a healthy way to start your day. In reality, Reuters found that Nutella was deemed so unhealthy that its manufacturer had to deal with a $3 million class-action suit related to its false messaging. Despite this, its ingredients haven’t changed much since!
Gushers
Gushers have been all the rage on social media lately, but did you know that every small pouch contains 80 calories, multiple types of oils and thickeners, and a staggering seven types of artificial sugars? They also contain artificial dyes linked to ADHD and ulcerous inflammation in your colon.
Chex Mix Bold Party Blend
With Chex Mix, there are three things to worry about. Firstly, a single serving has an eye-watering 220mg of sodium. Secondly, its unhealthy oils can cause serious problems for your heart. Finally, many Chex Mix ingredients are derived from animals treated with antibiotics, exposing you to adverse antibiotic resistance.
Cheez-Its
There’s real cheese in Cheez-Its, and you get good amounts of calcium from it. However, you also consume high amounts of enriched flour and sodium. A study from Toxicology Reports also links the food preservative TBHQ in Cheez-Its to cytotoxic and genotoxic complications. Does that sound worthwhile for calcium?
Hot Pockets
Hot Pockets contain ultra-processed meats, refined grains, and saturated fats that make them dangerous in the long term. However, these don’t compare to the unhealthy amount of sodium they hold, which is an unbelievable 1150mg in the 226g pieces, rendering Hot Pockets unsuitable for even daily consumption.
Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion Chips
Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion Chips are often believed to be relatively harmless, but this couldn’t be further from true. They contain maltodextrin and dextrose, sugar additives with a higher glycemic index than regular sugar, making them dangerous for people with underlying, aggravating conditions like diabetes and insulin resistance.
Twinkies
Another favorite for many, Twinkies packs a huge amount of sugar as well as other sweet additives like high-fructose corn syrup. One serving of Twinkies also contains 10% of your daily cholesterol needs, and a lack of vital vitamins means these snack cakes are simply not worth risking your cardiovascular health over.
Chips Ahoy!
If you’re looking to lose weight, Chips Ahoy! is the last snack you want in your stash cupboard. These chocolate chip cookies already have a high amount of sugar, but they also contain dangerous polyunsaturated oils, revealed by Vanderbilt University to augment conditions like cancer and asthma.
Nutty Buddy
The last item on our list, Nutty Butty, contains unhealthy amounts of ultra-processed additives and fats. However, the real shock is in the sugar content of these treats, with one serving providing almost 40% of your daily requirements. Like most other snacks, save this for an occasional treat, but nothing more than that.
Up Next: 17 Phrases Older People Use That No One Else Gets
Each and every generation has its own phrases and sayings that separate it from the rest, and the boomers certainly have plenty. Discover 17 popular boomer phrases that aren’t often used today and what they mean. Maybe you’ll want to bring some of them back!
17 Phrases Older People Use That No One Else Gets
People Who Don’t Show Empathy Usually Have These 18 Traits
The world would be a better place if everyone had a little more empathy. But sadly, in reality, some people show much less empathy than we’d like. Here are 18 traits of people who don’t show empathy.
People Who Don’t Show Empathy Usually Have These 18 Traits
The 17 Unhappiest States in America
The US has hit an all-time low position in the World Happiness Index, tumbling to 23rd in 2024. However, it’s important to remember that location is an important factor; many US states are very happy, unlike the following 17 US states that appear to be the most unhappy.