Foods You May Want to Avoid

The reason this type of fruit is so yummy? Sugar, sugar, and more sugar. “When a fruit is canned in ‘light syrup’ or ‘heavy syrup,’ that means that sugar has been added to the fruit,” says Amy Gorin, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. “Fruit is plenty sweet on its own, so you don’t need any added sugar with it.”

That said, if you like the convenience of canned fruit, here’s some good news: There are canned fruits out there that aren’t housed in that syrupy mixture. “Just make sure to read the ingredient label to make sure a product is canned either in 100% juice or water,” says Gorin. “Neither of these contain added sugars.”

For bakers out there, that shortening might be causing your pastries and cakes more harm than good. That’s because vegetable shortening contains hydrogenated oils, which are artificial fats made by adding a hydrogen molecule to vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature, says Andrews.

But while hydrogenated oils are good for manufacturers because they increase a product’s shelf life, they’re not quite so good for you. “Consumption of hydrogenated oils on a regular basis can increase LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and lower HDL ‘good’ cholesterol, and can therefore increase your risk of heart disease,” says Andrews. You’re actually better off swapping in real butter in moderation while baking instead of using shortening, she adds.