Doctors Say These Are The Pantry Foods You Need To Stop Eating ASAP–They’re So High In Calories!

October 30, 2021 by Justine Schwartz

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash; Shutterstock

Many of us learned how to rely on pantry food for meals during the pandemic, but health experts warn that some items that can be stored there are secretly caloric nightmares. Some foods are in the pantry and not in the fridge because they contain high levels of preservatives, which are also known to work adversely in the body causing weight gain, board certified internist and bariatric specialist Dr. Amy Lee warns. “Some people are even intolerant of these ingredients and suffer from the inflammatory effects of them,” she warns.

Loaded with unexpected amounts of sugar, calories and void of the macronutrients that are needed in a healthy diet, these foods should be limited–or avoided altogether (depending on your weight loss goals).

“When it comes to what and how we eat I always recommend moderation and balance and making the best effort in choosing healthy foods,” Dr. Uma Naidoo explains. “This way you don’t fall into restrictive eating patterns or suddenly eliminating a food can sometimes later cause you to crave the food you’re trying to eliminate.”

When the goal is weight loss, she recommends removing foods that are loaded with unwanted refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, colorants, dyes and inflammation causing oils. This is important to not only our physical health but our overall mental health, too. “We want healthy tweaks in our nutrition to be sustainable and part of our habits versus sudden changes based on fads.”

So–what tweaks should be on your radar when it comes to foods found in the pantry?

Trail Mix And Granola

"Two culprits of unexpectedly high calorie counts tend to be trail mixes and store bought granola," Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Naidoo tells us. "They can often introduce lots of added sugars, like sweetened cranberries, or chocolate-covered candies in the mix," she warns.

But that's not all. "You’ll also find refined white grains like pretzel pieces and processed pro-inflammatory fats and oils when nuts are toasted to make them crunchy," the professional chef, nutrition specialist, and author of the national bestseller "This is Your Brain on Food" continues.

Nut And Seed Butters

Some items, like nut and seed butters, do "carry the benefit of healthy fats which are great for our brain but remember to stick to appropriate serving sizes, so the calories consumed don’t become an unhealthy portion," Dr. Naidoo suggests. With these foods, remember to read the ingredient label so you know what you are eating. Also, remember portion control--for omega-boosting raw natural nuts, siick to a small handful a day (about a ¼ cup). "A good tip here is to portion these out into snack bags and only eat one of those baggies per day!"

Empty Calorie Foods

"We have this innate fear in cleaning out the pantry and oftentimes, we find things we may end up just munching on – out of boredom," Dr. Lee warns. "Some classic foods found in the pantry that you should toss out ASAP to avoid acquiring extra and useless calories are: goldfish crackers, Ritz crackers, oreos, and chips, spaghetti sauce and juice boxes. These things are not only high in empty calories, but also packed with salt and made of refined carbs or packed with unnecessary sugars," she warns.

So, how should you navigate these foods that are likely in your pantry for your kid's snacks or recipe-making. "Rule of thumb is that anything that contains no significant proteins, vitamins or minerals are basically empty calories and when eaten, the extra calories get stored in fat cells or adipose tissue," she advises.

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