High-calorie foods with low nutritional value (also known as “empty calories”) are widely eaten around the world, especially in the typical “Western” diet. However, highly processed, calorie-dense foods increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and other serious diseases.
Avoiding the high-calorie foods listed below is a great way to support your health and to manage your weight better.
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What are high-calorie foods?
High-calorie foods that are best avoided as much as possible include typical fast food, heavily processed and fatty meat, sugary desserts and sweets, fatty snacks, sweet and savoury pastries and too much white flour, various salty snacks, sweetened drinks and alcohol.
Most of these foods contain a lot of sugar, refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, but few essential nutrients such as protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and fibre, vitamins and minerals. This can not only make it harder to maintain a healthy weight but also contribute to other negative effects on health.
When it comes to losing weight, most people focus only on cutting calories. However, it is essential to also consider the foods you eat. Foods high in protein and fibre can keep you feeling full for longer, which can support weight loss. On the other hand, eating too many foods high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, fats and various additives can add extra calories to your diet without providing useful nutrients, making weight loss more difficult.
In this article, you will learn about 7 high-calorie foods and drinks that you should limit if you are trying to lose weight or improve your health.
1. Sugary drinks
Sugary drinks, such as various fizzy drinks and bottled iced teas, are high in calories and added sugar. They are strongly linked to weight gain and, when consumed in excess, can harm your health.
Although sugary drinks contain a lot of calories, the brain does not register them as solid food. These liquid sugar calories do not make you feel full, which means you do not eat less food afterwards. Instead, you add these calories on top of your usual food intake. Your calorie intake soon adds up, so it is no wonder that your trousers suddenly do not fasten as easily.
Alternatives to sugary drinks
If you are serious about losing weight and improving your health, consider cutting down on drinks sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners and choose drinks such as:
- plain water or water flavoured with lemon, mint or fruit,
- naturally sweetened kombucha,
- unsweetened tea,
- coffee without sugar.
Sugary drinks can negatively affect your weight and overall health. If your goal is weight loss or better health, cutting down on sugary fizzy drinks and similar beverages can make a big difference.
2. Chips, fried potatoes and crisps
Chips and other fried potato products (including popular crisps and similar snacks) are often very high in calories and unhealthy fats.
In an observational study, eating chips and crisps was linked to weight gain and obesity. It also found that fried crisps and potatoes may contribute to more weight gain per serving than any other food.
Baked, roasted or fried potatoes may also contain substances called acrylamides, which are linked to cancer.
That is why it is better to skip these foods or enjoy them in real moderation as part of a balanced diet (the 80:20 rule).
💡 Tip: Do you know how to work out the right proportion of carbohydrates in your diet so that they benefit your health as much as possible? Read our article on how to start counting carbohydrates.
3. Sweets
Industrially processed sweets such as biscuits, wafers, chocolate and snack bars contain large amounts of added sugar, added oils and refined flour for their small packet size.
Many sweets are also high in calories and low in nutrients. Many chocolate-coated varieties contain around 200–300 calories, and larger ones can contain even more.
They also hide unhealthy substances and additives that do little for your overall health. That is why such foods should not be eaten in large amounts but should appear only occasionally alongside an otherwise balanced diet.
Alternatives
Foods such as good-quality dark chocolate, yoghurt or quark with fruit, homemade granola, chia pudding or healthier homemade sweets can satisfy your sweet cravings.
Alternatively, always read the ingredients and try to choose better alternatives. Various raw bars and similar treats will also give you some nutrients.
Did you know? Processed foods are designed to keep stimulating people’s appetite, which has harmful effects on both body and mind.
4. Sweet pastries and cakes
Sweet pastries, cakes and desserts often contain a lot of calories, added sugar and unhealthy fats. Just look at the ingredients of these foods in the shop. It is not only sweet pastries, either, but also savoury ones such as English muffins, hot dogs, filled baguettes and sandwiches.
These foods are also not very filling, which means you can quickly feel hungry again after eating them. When you eat them on their own, your blood sugar rises more sharply and then drops quickly, so you will crave more food and harm your health as well.
Eating too much sugar or unhealthy fat is also linked to being overweight and obesity.
Try to reduce your portion sizes of these foods. Of course, enjoy them now and then as part of a balanced diet, but not by the kilo every day.
Alternatives
Foods such as good-quality dark chocolate, yoghurt or quark with fruit, homemade granola, chia pudding or homemade cakes and pastries (with less sugar and unhealthy fat) can also help satisfy your sweet tooth instead of industrially processed products.
Homemade desserts made from unrefined, nutrient-rich ingredients such as nut butter, wholemeal and almond flour and raw honey will not only satisfy you but also give you more nutrients.
Alternatively, choose desserts and pastries without E-number additives, made by honest bakeries, cafés or patisseries.
5. Some types of alcohol
Alcohol provides more calories than carbohydrates and protein, which means it makes weight gain easier. So when you drink alcohol, you are taking in “liquid calories” that give you nothing extra.
Although it was once believed that drinking small amounts of alcohol was good for your health, more recent research shows that any level of alcohol consumption carries health risks.
It also depends on the type of alcohol. Some types are higher in calories (for example beer or sweet ciders) than others. Also watch out for mixed drinks, where the added fizzy drinks bring extra calories.
6. Ice cream
Most commercially produced ice cream is high in sugar and fat. Because ice cream is often eaten as a dessert, it can add a lot of extra calories even when you already feel full after a proper main meal.
For this reason, it is better to enjoy ice cream as an occasional treat rather than as a regular part of your diet. A small portion of ice cream now and then is fine, but the problem with this treat is that it is easy to eat a huge amount in one sitting.
If you want to choose a healthier type of ice cream, look for one that contains less than 15 grams of sugar per serving. Also remember to watch your portion size. And try to visit honest ice cream parlours that serve good-quality ice cream rather than ice cream made from powder or with added substances.
Alternatives
As an alternative, you could consider making your own frozen desserts using less sugar and more nutritious ingredients such as full-fat yoghurt, cream and fruit, or blending frozen bananas into an ice-cream-like consistency. Blended frozen berries with cottage cheese also taste good.
7. Fast food
Fast food is often seen as a convenient, time-saving alternative to cooking at home. However, most dishes from fast food chains are highly processed and contain large amounts of calories, fat, sodium and added sugar.
For this reason, eating fast food more often is said to be linked to a higher risk of obesity and other health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Ideally, limit high-calorie fast food dishes, including:
- burgers,
- pizza,
- fried and breaded dishes (meat such as nuggets and schnitzels, cheese, fried noodles, rice, chips, etc.),
- sweet desserts,
- sugary soft drinks, milkshakes, coffees, teas, etc.
Instead, try to cook most of your meals at home and avoid eating fast food more than 1 to 2 times a week.
However, when you do go to a fast food outlet, look for healthier alternatives, such as tortillas with salad and grilled meat. Or visit restaurants that offer healthier takeaway options, such as soups, lean meat, salads, sandwiches, wraps or burrito bowls. In addition, try to add vegetables, wholegrain products and lean protein.
Which foods are really worth limiting or cutting out?
Reducing the amount of ultra-processed foods you eat can have a positive effect on your overall health and weight. Examples of ultra-processed foods include crisps, sweet or savoury baked goods and soft drinks.
Many of the foods listed above are high in added sugar, fat and calories. As a result, they can contribute to weight gain over time, especially if you eat them regularly without adjusting the rest of your diet. They do not do your health any favours either.
Still, bear in mind that you do not need to cut them out of your diet completely , not even if you are trying to lose weight. Instead, try to reduce your portion sizes and enjoy these foods in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
You can also practise mindful eating, which means paying attention to every bite, chewing your food slowly and noticing how full you feel. This technique can help you moderate your food intake and avoid overeating unnecessarily.
