You’re finally ready. Finally ready to change your eating habits, join a gym, all to lose weight and get healthy. You start by researching different diets online, looking at supplements, and various nutritional products. In the end, you determine you are going to stay away from junk food, anything highly processed, eat more fruit, vegetables, and lean protein like chicken. You’re thinking, how hard can this be? Staying away from junk food is easy. Or is it?

If we walk through a grocery store we can easily spot junk food – donuts, cakes, chips, pizza, ice cream, and candy. It seems to be everywhere. In fact, we may be unintentionally eating junk food, without even knowing it.

The weight loss industry is worth $60 billion dollars (2016), with a lot of repeat customers. And try as we might to eat as healthy as possible, junk food might still be sneaking into our daily diet. Here are the most common offenders that most people don’t realize are not as nutritious for us as we think:

1. Peanut Butter – While peanut butter is a good source of protein and low in carbohydrates, it can also contain sugar and salt. Check labels before adding it to your cart to be sure it contains only peanuts.
2. Yogurt – Many brands are loaded with sugar and artificial colors.
3. Soy Meat – Soy contains potentially disruptive endocrines that can cause bloating and skin irritation.
4. Veggie Chips – Similar to potato chips with high sodium and trans fats.
5. Whole Wheat Bread – Many varieties contain high fructose corn syrup.
6. Dried Fruit – Producers add sugar and preservatives to the dried fruit to make it more tasty.
7. Electrolyte Drinks – Most are loaded with artificial colors and sweeteners.
8. Gluten-free Snacks – Gluten-free does not equal losing weight.
9. Deli Meats – Stay away from the deli!
10. Egg Substitutes – This is not a whole food. It is man-made and filled with artificial everything.
11. Tri-Color Pasta – The vegetable portion is not enough to justify calling it healthy. Tri-color pasta is still loaded with carbohydrates.
12. Low-Fat Salad Dressing – Just because something is low-fat does not mean it is good for you. Many of these dressings contain sugar, preservatives, artificial colors and salt. It’s easier to make your own dressing from scratch.
13. Fruit Cocktail – Loads of syrup and sugar. Plus the BPA lining of the cans is dangerous to our health.
14. Margarine – Is nothing more than fake butter. Not a whole food.
15. Spinach Tortillas – Same as whole wheat bread and tri-color pasta. Virtually similar to regular tortillas from fiber to carbohydrates.
16. Couscous – Made from wheat, therefor a form of pasta.
17. Honey Roasted Nuts – Can you say “sugar coated candy”?
18. White Rice Sushi – White rice is not as nutritionally dense as the brown rice. Plus, many varieties of sushi contain creamy sauces or fried toppings, both which are not healthy.
19. Frozen Diet Meals – Check the ingredients. Most contain a lot of salt, sugar, and preservatives.
20. Granola Bars – Most contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

You can make better choices when it comes to losing weight when you know the truth.