12 Foods You Should Really Avoid Eating Every Day

A balanced diet can be difficult to achieve, especially in our busy lives when sometimes convenience trumps all other factors when deciding what we are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We know that there are certain foods we should not be eating too much of, but you may be surprised to hear about what foods you may be eating on a daily or near-daily basis that you should pump the brakes on.

There are absolutely foods that you should try to incorporate into your daily routine, including specific kinds of healthy fats and grains. That might mean seeking out healthy foods you have not tried before, or learning about new ways of preparing your favorite dish. After all, we can only eat a salad so many times in a week before we are absolutely bored to death by it. When assessing what kinds of foods you eat on a day-to-day basis, however, there are some categories to be on the lookout for that you may want to cut back on — including foods that are generally considered healthy.

Seafood can be an important part of a balanced diet, as fish contains a ton of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins (via Washington State Department of Health). Different kinds of fish also contain methylmercury or mercury as it is more commonly referred to. According to the Victoria State Government Department of Health in Australia, mercury tends to be higher in oceanic fish like swordfish, but a more common grocery item where mercury content is higher is tuna. While tuna is safe to consume in small doses, eating it on a near-daily basis can increase the risk of mercury exposure, which can cause brain cell death (via Healthline).

However, you would have to eat a whole lot of tuna before mercury exposure became a huge concern. According to Vice, mercury toxicity is quite rare, and you would have to eat several cans of tuna per day for several months before any potential problems may arise. Going forward, it is probably a good idea to carefully read your tuna can label to see what kind of tuna you are consuming, as different species contain varying amounts of mercury (with skipjack being among the lowest). Mercury aside, canned tuna may also contain higher levels of sodium, another reason to avoid eating it daily.

Protein is a crucial nutrient that humans need to consume in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Luckily, protein is readily available in most of the foods we eat, from fruits and vegetables to meat and animal by-products (via Harvard Health Publishing). In fact, according to BBC Future, humans on the whole consume far more protein on a regular basis than our body actually needs, so it is a nutrient that you probably do not need to worry about finding more of in your diet.

While high-protein diets have risen in popularity over the years, there is the concern that eating too much protein in your day-to-day life can have adverse health risks. According to Healthline, eating too much of a specific kind of animal protein such as red meat can be linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Animal protein may also increase your risk for colon cancer as well as kidney stones. And, since we know from the BBC that we consume more protein than we need, it probably would not hurt to cut back on animal protein and opt for a meatless Monday or more plant-based dinners in your weekly meal planning instead.

It is recommended that we eat fruits, which are loaded with vitamins and other nutrients, on a daily basis (via Healthline). But to avoid outweighing the benefits of fruit with any potential drawbacks, it is recommended that fruit is eaten in its fresh, natural state as much as possible. That often means avoiding fruit juices, which usually contain added sugar.

It is also advised that you avoid eating dried fruit daily. While Healthline points out that dried fruit still contains the nutrients found in fresh fruit, making it a healthier snack than alternatives like chips and cookies, there may also be disadvantages to the snack. Mainly, according to SFGate, you may experience gastrointestinal problems due to the fact that dried fruit is higher in fiber. In addition, eating dried fruit may cause you to consume more calories than intended, since the lack of water found in dry fruit makes them a less dense snack, causing you to potentially eat more than you initially meant to. If you are going to eat dried fruit, opt for the kind that does not come coated with added sugar, which could completely negate any potential nutritional benefit from the dried fruit in the first place.

Let's face it: Water is not always the most exciting beverage around. Hydration is important, but sometimes you wish there was a little more flavor in the beverages you consume, and you may crave something in the middle of the day that is not just coffee or alcohol. What do we grab for in those instances? For most of us, that could be a can of soda or a bottle of our favorite sports beverage. These sugary beverages, while tasty, ultimately lead to health issues down the road if consumed on a daily basis.

According to the CDC, sugary drinks are one of the main sources of added sugar for Americans. So by eliminating these drinks from your diet or by simply cutting back, you would be greatly reducing the amount of added sugar you consume on a daily basis. Even those fruit juices that you were once told were beneficial to your health are mostly just cups of sugar, and should only be enjoyed on rare occasions. Livestrong even points out that an 8-ounce glass of orange juice has only slightly fewer calories than an 8-ounce glass of soda.

Diets that are higher in protein have become quite popular recently, due to increasing evidence that suggests high-protein, low-carb diets are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and even losing weight, as suggested by lists upon lists found in resources such as Women's Health and Healthline. While there are many good sources of protein out there, do not fall into the trap of consuming protein smoothies and protein bars on a daily basis as your way of following this diet.

As a long-term strategy, overloading on protein is not the best nutritionally, so there is no need to seek out excess protein from sources like powders and snack bars. The protein powders that many people use in their morning smoothies may contain added sugars, which could negate any potential health benefits (via Harvard Health Publishing). Additionally, protein bars can have a shady side. When comparing calorie counts, Harvard Health Publishing discovered that some protein bars are cleverly-disguised candy bars (gram for gram, the protein bar was identical to the candy bar). When eating protein bars, it is very important that you carefully read through the list of ingredients (via Healthline) to make sure what you are eating is truly a healthy snack alternative, or if you are effectively eating something that is no better for you nutritionally than a cookie.

If you have a sweet tooth, then it may be hard to avoid cutting baked goods out of your diet, and there is really no need to do so completely. Any food can and should be enjoyed in moderation if it brings you joy. That said, filling each day with baked goods, especially sweet kinds like cookies, cake, brownies, and pastries can bring up some health concerns later in life. In addition to the high amounts of sugar, baked goods are commonly filled with high fructose corn syrup, a specific kind of sweetener that is used to enhance flavor but is linked to a myriad of risks for diseases such as high blood pressure, fatty liver, and type 2 diabetes (via Healthline).

Baking a healthy version of your favorite dessert likely is not going to cut it flavor-wise, according to chefs. There is a reason why your favorite cake recipe is loaded with sugar. That said, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, baked goods should be enjoyed on an occasional basis, and not daily. It will make the treat that much sweeter in the end.