Health experts share the food and drinks they tend to avoid

nutrition

by tracy swartz

With holiday parties in full swing, several doctors, dietitians, and nutrition professors are sharing their naughty list of foods and drinks.

Nine health experts told NBC News They tend to avoid beverages and processed foods and replace them with healthier alternatives.

Rather than drinking alcoholic cocktails that are high in sugar and calories, Jamie Davis, registered dietitian and professor of nutritional science at the University of Texas at Austin, likes to add a little hard liquor to sparkling water and top it with a fruit garnish. he said.

The mother of two avoids coffee, as well as soda, sports drinks and sugary drinks in general, adding: “I'd almost rather eat a Snickers bar than drink a 20 fluid ounce Coke.” It has said.

“If you want something special instead of regular water or regular milk, we have LaCroix and sparkling water,” Davis explained. “We also make a lot of aguas fresca, which is like water infused with basil or strawberries.”

For Seattle-based dietitian Angel Planells, sodium-rich foods like cured meats, smoked fish, canned soups and frozen TV dinners are no-nos.

“I like to talk to patients and say these are like treats,” Planells told NBC News. “If you have it all the time, it becomes more of a habit than a snack.”

Lauren Orr, a professor of nutritional science at the University of California, Davis, told the magazine that she supplements her Mediterranean-style diet with olive oil, seafood, chicken and tofu, while avoiding salty foods.

Dr. Linda Siue says she avoids grocery store aisles that sell packaged cookies and crackers and checks food labels for chemical additives and preservatives.

A California internist and Kaiser Permanente's director of culinary and lifestyle medicine, she loves vegetables, and when properly cooked and seasoned, anyone can enjoy them.

“Many people who hate vegetables are because they grew up with people who didn't know how to make vegetables. So they might have these sad, soggy, colorless vegetables, and who knows? Would you like to eat that?'' said Mr. Siue.

Studies have shown that eating too much sugar and salt can lead to high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

On average, Americans consume about 3,400 milligrams of salt per day.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. This is equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of table salt.

The AHA also recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day for men and no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day for women. I am.

“There's no such thing as a bad food, just a bad amount,” Laura Bellows, an associate professor of nutritional science at Cornell University, told NBC News.