Six foods that are better off disappearing from your kitchen

The path to a healthier diet is not as difficult as many think. A lot can be achieved with small steps.

A critical look in the fridge and pantry can unmask the first foods that offer no added value to health.

Six foods that are unhealthy, contain too much sugar or hardly any nutrients – and their healthier alternatives:

Ketchup

Ketchup can be found in most refrigerators. But no matter how delicious the tomato sauce tastes from the bottle, some products contain up to 50 sugar cubes. That equates to one to two cubes per tablespoon.

In comparison: The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a maximum of 50 grams of added sugar per day to be tolerable. According to the WHO, 25 grams would be ideal – that corresponds to about eight sugar cubes. They are quickly reached with ketchup. In addition, many manufacturers do not do without preservatives and flavorings.

Recipe: Make your own ketchup

A healthy and delicious alternative is homemade ketchup. You know exactly what quantities of which ingredients are included, you can season according to taste – and save a lot on the amount of sugar. In addition, homemade ketchup scores with an intense tomato note.

For a quick version, sauté two onions and a clove of garlic and add a packet of tomato passata. Bring the sauce to the boil and season with salt, pepper, vinegar, some sugar and spices of your choice. If you like it fine, go through it again with the hand blender. For a creamy consistency, mix some cornstarch with cold water and add to the boiling ketchup. Then fill it in mason jars, close them tightly and let them cool down. The ketchup can be kept for several weeks.

White Rice

You can also easily replace white rice in the pantry with the healthy whole grain alternative. White rice fills you up, but offers hardly any nutrients. Its grains are ground, which means they no longer contain any of the valuable shell. But it is precisely in it that there are a lot of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers.

According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), dietary fiber reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, whole grain products are filling and support digestion. However, rice and rice products contain inorganic arsenic. They should therefore only be consumed in moderation.

When it comes to pasta, you should also use the whole grain version more often. Since they have a slightly stronger taste, they go well with spicy vegetable and minced meat sauces. On the other hand, normal pasta tastes better with cream sauces.

Ready made salads

Ready-made salads from the bag are popular. The preparation is quick because the leaves are already cut and washed. The bag also contains a colorful mix of different types of lettuce. What the eye does not see, however, is that many of these mixtures contain a large number of germs, as various studies have shown. The moist interfaces of the lettuce are a feast for germs. Especially people with a sensitive stomach can react with digestive problems.

If you still don’t want to do without, you should take a close look: If the lettuce shows brown or soggy spots or if moisture has already formed, you should not buy the lettuce mix from the bag. If the bag salad is offered in organic quality, it is best to choose this.

A good and quick alternative are lettuce hearts, i.e. small heads of lettuce. Here you should remove the outer leaves, rinse the head under cold water and make a cut from the stalk to the tip. Then cut crosswise into strips – and the bite-sized pieces are ready.

Soft drinks

Soft drinks can also be found in many refrigerators – and can easily be swapped out for a healthy version. Because soft drinks are anything but “soft”. They contain a lot of sugar – up to seven sugar cubes per glass. Most soft drinks also contain colourings, artificial flavors and acidifiers. According to the WHO, excessive consumption promotes obesity, diabetes mellitus and tooth decay. Consumer advice centers also advise drinking soft drinks only occasionally.

Homemade lemonades are healthier: For example, add some peppermint, a few raspberries and a dash of lemon juice to mineral water – or mango puree and a little lime juice. The fruits provide the body with an extra portion of vitamins and give the homemade lemonade a natural sweetness. There are no limits for your creativity.

5. Cured sausage and meat products

Cured sausage and meat products are popular with many. Salting is a preservation method. Meat and sausage products are preserved with pickling salt – a mixture of salt and potassium or sodium nitrites. At high temperatures, so-called nitrosamines are formed. Studies indicate that nitrosamines increase the risk of stomach and colon cancer.

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) therefore advises: “Avoid industrially processed meat, eat less red meat and foods high in salt.” Cancer experts recommend white meat as an alternative, especially poultry. This has no measurable influence on the risk of colon cancer. The DGE advises not to eat more than 300 to 600 grams of meat per week.

Plastic Lemons

The yellow plastic lemon can also be found in many refrigerators. Your advantage: it does not mold and is durable. So you always have a dash of acid at hand for the salad dressing or the fish. However, it often only contains citric acid, but no lemon juice. It also cannot deliver the delicious aromas and vitamins that a fresh lemon offers.

Fresh lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. You can enjoy the fresh lemon juice much longer if you freeze it in an ice cube tray and defrost the desired amount if necessary. Tip: In addition to the juice, use some grated zest with salad and fish. It gives the dish a fruity note without tasting sour. It is best to use organic lemons.