Foods You’re Better Off Avoiding, According to Registered Dietitians

This article was medically reviewed by Marjorie Cohn, M.S., R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board, on November 10, 2019.

Avoiding certain foods can be hard, especially when they’re specifically designed to taste good. But here’s the catch: A lot of the foods we’re told we shouldn’t eat might not actually be all that bad for us. In fact, what’s deemed “bad” for you might be totally different than what’s considered “bad” for someone else.

For example, you might have the idea that things like dairy or gluten aren’t good for you because you get an upset stomach or develop a headache after eating them. “It’s important to understand that foods like dairy and wheat are common allergens, and some people don’t tolerate them well,” says Julie Andrews, M.S., R.D.N., a Wisconsin-based dietitian and nutrition consultant. “But that doesn’t mean they are bad for everyone.”

But while every person has a completely different body and foods they might negatively react to, there are some foods out there that are still worth trying to generally avoid. We’re talking about the ones that either don’t offer much nutritional value for your body, or, in some of the worst cases, actually pose a health risk to you. Here’s what to know about which foods you might want to consider staying away from.