1. Ready-to-Eat Salad
Bacteriologists warn that the most dangerous food that can be found in a supermarket is cut and packaged salad. Although the package may state that the contents are "ready to eat," it can still contain harmful bacteria that can cause intestinal problems. These bacteria make their way from the soil and cannot be eradicated fully because salad is not thermally processed. Therefore, to stay on the safe side, always thoroughly wash any greens that you buy.
2. Sausage
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that sausage, bacon, and other processed meat products cause cancer. The nitrates that are found within these foods transform into nitrosamines, potent carcinogens, in the bowels. Smoked meat may also contain benzopyrene, another carcinogen. It is a lot safer to buy a chunk of meat yourself, cook it yourself, and eat it in sandwiches or as an appetizer.
3. Bottled Green Tea
A recent study has revealed that a bottled drink that is labeled as green tea has, in fact, nothing in common with it. A cup of actual green tea contains as many antioxidants as 20 bottles of this drink. This drink consists mostly of water and sugar, which is more than can be found in most sodas. It's better for you just to brew some real green tea.
4. Foods with Fruit Additives
Sweet yogurts and berry buns may look nice, but the fillings inside them contain very little real fruit. To add to this, preservatives, flavorings, and thickeners are used to prevent them from spoiling. Manufacturers even write on the contents that there's 20-40% of real fruit in the fillings. It's a lot better just to throw a handful of berries into your morning meal.
5. Mayonnaise
Mayo usually consists of eggs, vinegar, vegetable oil, and spices. However, the stuff you can buy from the store has preservatives, food coloring, and stabilizers added to it. "Light" mayonnaise contains less fat (35% instead of 50%), yet to preserve its taste and thickness, starch and sugar are added to it. This means that the calories are almost identical to regular mayo. This sauce isn't healthy either way, but if you're partial to some mayo, make it at home yourself.
6. Ground Spices
Ground spices are easy to mix with cheaper additives. For example, cassia is often sold instead of cinnamon, and safflower instead of saffron. Just find whole spices, and grind them at home yourself. Spices taste a lot better with sodium glutamate, a taste intensifier. It's harmless but makes natural flavors seem insipid if consumed regularly.
7. Bread
Supermarket bread is baked from chemically bleached flour. Such flour can be kept a lot longer and are insect repellent. Bread dough also has a flour treatment agent containing dough strengtheners, taste improvements, and surfactants. All these additives prolong the "best before" date, but our bodies do not need them. You should buy your bread in small bakeries where you can ask all about the manufacturing process.
