What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to unhealthy food and snacks?
C’mon, these foods might be a little on the unhealthy side, but live a little, would you? You only have one life to live as they say! Here are some of the most delicious, yet unhealthy food.
It doesn’t matter how disciplined you are when it comes to eating clean, there is no denying that everyone has their “off days” aka cheat meals.
Whether the cheat meal of your choice is a greasy, savory, yet oh so satisfying taste of Applegate Farms brand bacon or the sugary, sweetness of your favorite Krispy Kreme donut, there are times when you just can’t help but become a slave to your appetite.
With that being said, if you’re looking for a list of the top 10 best superfoods on the planet, a list of the best ways to lose 100 pounds in 30 minutes, or a list about all the wonderful ways you can eat kale for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this isn’t the post for you, my friend. Move along. After all, we are GUILTY eats for a reason.
On the other hand, if junk food, fast food, etc. is what your yearning for, you’re in the right place!
Without further ado and with your interest level at an all-time high in anticipation, here are 10 meals and unhealthy food you can’t help but sacrifice your health for due to the fact that they’re so darn tasty!
Chips
We start the list with my personal favorite guilty pleasure: chips! Doritos, Lays, Frito Lay, no matter what brand you name off, this delicious snack has been the epitome of what I like to call the perfect late-night munchie for quite some time now.
Not just for the taste, but also because there isn’t any need for pans, spatulas, tounges, or other cooking utensils. All you need is the bag of chips and you are set. If you’re feeling fancy, maybe grab a serving bowl.
In terms of flavor selection, I must admit that I’m a sucker for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Unfortunately for me and anyone else who happens to be a Flamin Hot Cheetos fan, this particular flavor is considered so unnutritious, it has the honor and privilege of being listed as one of the most unhealthiest snacks on Eat This, Not That, but we love it anyway.
I don’t know about anyone else, but that bit of info still isn’t going to be enough to keep me from eating them.
Keep in mind that when adding some sour cream or french onion dip for that extra kick that you’re also adding quite a bit more calories.
Regardless of this, whether you’re dipping them, eating them on the side with a juicy hamburger, and an ice-cold Coke A Cola, or you just prefer them as a standalone snack, chips are a guilty pleasure for quite a few people.
Pizza
If you’ve already tried pizza with pepperoni and salami, you know how awesome it is. If you haven’t, don’t knock it till you try it.
Pizza in itself is notorious for being a food that everyone loves (including yours truly), yet food that’s pretty unhealthy at the same time. When prepared right, pizza doesn’t have to be an unhealthy food, but it’s more delicious when it is, to be honest.
Some people say that a couple of slices of pizza every now and again isn’t all that bad. While this is true, it doesn’t make the calorie count for just one slice of pizza any less shocking.
According to an article written by The Daily Meal, a slice of one Sbarro cheese pizza contains 410 calories alone, with no toppings added. If you’re a pepperoni lover, that’s an extra 70 calories.
Still, with that being said, with all the veggies like mushrooms, spinach, onions, olives, and such, as well as healthy crust options like broccoli or cauliflower crusts, you could potentially get the best of both worlds by eating what you want and keeping away from the calories. When it comes to pepperoni and salami, that get’s a bit harder.
Put the two toppings together and you get a deliciously, unhealthy masterpiece. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. The sodium, salt, and saturated fat for this one are off the charts so try at your own risk… and don’t skip out on the salad. It complements the pizza quite well.
French Fries
Whether you like to eat them plain, you prefer the traditional route with ketchup, you like the Travis Scott method with BBQ sauce as the dip, or you’re feeling lucky and you prefer a chocolate shake with your crinkle cuts there’s no denying that french fries are everyone’s favorite fast food side.
No matter the burger joint you chose to go to, the default side order of choice is almost always french fries. Forget the onion rings, nevermind the fried pickles, good luck with the lays potato chips. It’s almost always french fries. This type of thing can’t be just by coincidence, you know.
MORE: Which fast food restaurant has the best french fries?
A little known/not so little known fact is that potatoes are actually nutritious and good for you if you eat/cook them the way they are without adding all the bad stuff. It’s when you fry them or add a ton of salt that makes them so unhealthy.
At this time, you might be asking yourself, what you get when you cut up some potatoes, go crazy with the table salt, and fry them in a frying pan for a little while? Well, you get french fries, duh.
Donuts
In my 20 something years of existence, I’m ashamed to say that one of my biggest regrets was never trying the donut chicken sandwich from KFC when I had the chance. Oh well, at least I still have the option of going to the grocery store and buying some tenders and donuts there, right?
While KFC is known for its world-famous fried chicken, donuts at this particular fast-food chain were a totally different story.
As you probably know already, donuts and fried foods in one meal isn’t the idea of what a normal person would call healthy by any stretch. In fact, the idea of chicken and donuts seemed strange, initially, but a true foodie is always down to try everything out!
What you might not be aware of is just how unhealthy one donut is by itself. Quick, go to the next page if you don’t want to find out!
According to a post by way of Delish, one Krispy Kreme donut contains 11 grams of fat with 5 of those grams stated to be saturated fat. Yikes! Top donuts go on 10 unhealthy food list for sure.
Despite this, donuts remain a guilty pleasure for quite a few people. With so many different flavors, it’s not hard to see why.
Bacon
That’s right, bacon! We are coming for all of your favorite unhealthy food and meals here.
Here’s a fun fact: If you pair the previous entry on this list with bacon, add a hamburger patty, some cheese, and then make a sandwich out of it, you end up with a heart attack waiting to happen… AKA The Luther Burger.
Anyway, this wouldn’t be a list of the world’s most unhealthy food and guilty pleasures without bacon, am I right? This breakfast/brunch favorite isn’t just unhealthy because of the calories, it’s also a bad choice due to what it can do to your body.
According to an article via Time, diets high in processed meats like bacon have been linked to some pretty serious health conditions such as migraines, asthma, heart failure, and kidney disease.
After reading that article and contemplating about never eating bacon again, I have to ask a serious question: Why does it seem like the foods that taste the best are also the foods that have the potential to cause the most harm to your body?
If you do feel bad about the amount of bacon you are eating, maybe you can find a way around it. Maybe sprinkle some bacon to your salad to lessen the wound? Or eat less of it? Whatever works for you!
Nutella
It might not be the healthiest thing to eat in the world, but one thing is for sure, Nutella is a gift from foodie heaven! This stuff goes great with anything! Apples, bread, crackers, strawberries, shakes, you name it!
If you noticed during that little mini rundown of things I suggest you should consider eating this with, I managed to name off some pretty healthy choices, but as I’ve mentioned before, Nutella is far from healthy despite at one point being labeled as such.
A quick glance at the ingredients on the back of the jar could spell that out for you with sugar listed as the first and main ingredient.
Before you go writing Nutella off as the worst (or best) guilty pleasure on this list, there are some things to take into consideration.
With all the healthy dishes that taste delicious with this product and given the fact that eating Nutella in small doses isn’t going to kill you, are you really going to stop? Of course not.
Chocolate
Ahh, there’s nothing like planning the perfect Valentine’s day with your significant other. You spent all year thinking about how you could impress that special someone in your life and now it’s showtime. Sure Christmas happened a couple of months prior, but this is a completely different story, pal.
While you could get all unique and spontaneous or do a little something different for the occasion, it’s probably enough to go the traditional route. You know, flowers, sweet nothings, and the icing on top: chocolate!
Better yet, if you’re not the hopeless romantic type or you want to indulge yourself, you could always buy a little something just for you. Either way, if chocolate is in the picture, it’s safe to say you and/or your partner will be more than happy to be on the receiving end of this gift.
Hey, PS: if you are buying chocolates for a romantic occasion, just make sure they truly are for that special someone as opposed to somebody you don’t care much for. I know from experience, this is NOT the way to go.
Ice Cream
Sure, summer is over, but that doesn’t make ice cream any less enjoyable. One might give this entry a pass in the unhealthy department due to milk being a detrimental ingredient to the majority of the ice cream products and brands that people buy.
However, the vitamin d aspect of ice cream doesn’t outweigh the fact that it’s still an unhealthy guilty pleasure.
According to one Spoon University article, they calculate a half-cup serving of ice cream’s carbohydrate count to be at about 15 grams in addition to 20 – 30 grams of sugar and 10 – 20 grams of fat. Yikes!
Don’t be fooled by sugar-free or low-fat ice cream, either. They may sound like healthier options, but that’s simply just not the case.
By way of The Times of India, sugar-free ice cream contains high traces of saturated fat. This article also reads that overeating this frozen favorite can lead to weight gain, a rise in cholesterol levels, and can increase risks of heart problems.
Cakes
Cakes come in all shapes, forms, and sizes. People also tend to whip them out for a variety of different occasions including but not limited to anniversaries, Christmas, weddings, business affairs, and birthdays, of course.
I mean, what better day to not worry about calories and such than on your birthday? What’s a birthday without a nice big birthday cake? If you’re over the age of 18, would you please not answer that previous question?
In all seriousness, whether you’re celebrating the day you were born or not, enjoying some variation of cake is a great way to treat yourself. However, it certainly isn’t a great way to cut back on calories or shed some pounds.
For example, according to RxWiki, a single slice of cheesecake can contain more than 250 calories and 18 grams of fat with 10 of those grams coming in by way of the saturated kind.
Cereal
This last entry is a bit of a wild card. On the one hand, eating Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, and Frosted Flakes aren’t exactly what you should consider to be healthy choices. But on the other hand, eating a bowl of Kashi or Fiber One brand cereal isn’t a bad idea to eat as a substitute in their place.
For reference, a Spoon University article reads that a 3/4 cup of Lucky Charms contains 110 calories, 10 grams of sugar, and only 2 grams of fiber and protein.
Many people claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One reason for this has to do with your metabolism and the boost your body gets from eating breakfast in the morning. Consequently, this helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
The catch is the conflict between choosing to eat what’s healthy versus choosing to eat what’s delicious that makes the biggest impact.
Which of these unhealthy foods is your favorite? Did we miss a tasty meal?