5. Charred Meats
When meats—including beef, pork, fish, and poultry—are cooked at high temperatures and/or exposed to smoke, you get an increase in the formation of carcinogenic chemicals. “These chemicals are called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). They have been linked to an increase cancer risk in both animal studies and human epidemiologic studies,” explains Blakely.3 When cooking at higher temperatures, avoid prolonged cooking times (avoid “well-done” meats) and exposure to open flames, and remove charred portions before eating.
6. Flavored Instant Oatmeal Packs
Ever compared the sugar content of a flavored oatmeal pack to plain oats? “Plain oats will have zero to one grams of sugar, while a flavored pack will often have 11 to 14 grams of sugar,” points out Blakely. Since most of these contain very little (if any) real fruit, the majority of that sugar is added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that we limit our daily amount of added sugars to no more than 25 grams for women and 36 grams for men. “That means you’ve already had half your sugar for the day with one 150 calorie oatmeal pack!” says Blakely. In addition, instant oats have a higher glycemic index than regular oats, which means your body will break them down faster and your blood sugar will rise more and quicker.
Always start plain oats. Then, for extra flavor, top them with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or vanilla extract). “You can still cook regular oats in the microwave in one to two minutes if needed—and if you really want to stick with the instant oatmeal packs, choose the original unflavored version,” she says.