1. Store Bought Bread

Have you ever read the ingredients that are in the bread you buy in the grocery store? Surprisingly, bread found in grocery stores is one of the foods with high fructose corn syrup that you should avoid. Even whole wheat bread can contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)! To stay away from the HFCS lurking in bread, be sure to read ingredient labels, and when possible buy your bread from a bakery that uses whole ingredients.

2. Salad Dressing

Salads can be extremely healthy to eat. They have leafy greens and lots of fresh vegetables. However, depending on the type of salad dressing you are using, your salad may not be as healthy as you think it is. Many salad dressings contain HFCS. So, before you pour your salad dressing on your salad, be sure to read the ingredient list. Also, consider using olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress your salads, which is a healthy and tasty dressing you can make in seconds.

3. Jam and Jelly

Because jam and jelly contain fruit, they can seem like fairly healthy spreads for sandwiches. However, many jams and jellies that you can buy at the grocery store have HFCS. In fact, it is often one of the main ingredients. As a result, you are better off sticking with homemade jam, or purchasing jam or jelly that has no HFCS.

4. Breakfast Bars

If you find yourself reaching for breakfast bars because you are pressed for time to eat breakfast in the morning, you should know that they often have HFCS. While they may seem healthy because they are advertised as being packed with whole grains, these bars are often full of sugar and refined ingredients, like HFCS. Instead of processed breakfast bars, grab a banana and some almonds if you need to eat breakfast on the run.

5. Frozen Dinners

Frozen dinners have become very common. They are fast, convenient, and perfect for busy people. However, they are often loaded with questionable ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup. If you are very busy, try making a few meals on the weekend that you can heat up during the week. Not only will you have a homemade meal, you also will be sure to avoid HFCS.

6. Canned Fruit

Canned fruit is an inexpensive and easy way to get fruit into your diet. However, it often contains HFCS, especially if it is packed in syrup. To avoid HFCS, try buying frozen fruit instead of canned fruit. All you have to do is thaw the fruit, and it is ready to use however you want.

7. Protein Bars

Unless you are very careful, your protein bar could contain a lot of HFCS. Many protein bars that you find at the grocery store have HFCS as a main ingredient. Therefore, if you are trying to increase your protein, you are better off reaching for protein rich nuts and seeds like almonds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Since HFCS is found in many products, it can be hard to avoid. However, if you read ingredient labels you can avoid the products that contain it. Also, you should eat whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible, as they certainly won’t have any HFCS. Do you try to avoid HFCS?

Source: health.harvard.edu