Indian street food is well-known all over the world, particularly among foodies. Indians can eat spicy and delicious food at any time of day and still have room for dessert. The junk food is irresistible. You may believe that consuming a small amount of such junk food is completely harmless, but is this true? In this article, we discuss the top 20 Indian foods that are potentially harmful to your health and should be avoided.
Junk Food Snacks List
Certain food items or ingredients are frequently used to prepare our favorite junk foods. Although it enhances the flavor of the food, it can also harm your health. The list of such Indian food items is provided below.
Ready-to-eat Breakfast Cereals
Breakfast cereals are widely regarded as a healthy alternative to a balanced morning breakfast. There are numerous cereal brands available on the market today. In reality, most breakfast cereals are made from processed grains such as oats, wheat, corn, and rice, which are low in fiber and artificially sweetened to enhance flavor. It lacks not only essential nutrients but also contains unhealthy sugar.
Fried Food
Fried food is one of the most unhealthy and widely available junk food options on the market. Not surprisingly, it is one of today’s most popular foods. Several studies have looked into the relationship between fried food and the risk of developing chronic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, heart failure, type II diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and being overweight.
Bakery Products
Bakery products, such as cookies, candy, pastries, and cakes, are undoubtedly delicious, but they are also unhealthy. Most bakery products contain refined flour, refined sugar, preservatives, and fat. This makes these products high in sugar and low in fiber. These foods can cause health problems such as obesity, low cholesterol, an expanding waistline, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke risk.
Pizzas
Pizza is one of the most popular foods among both children and adults; however, it has a negative impact on health. This is because refined flour and processed meats used as pizza toppings, such as pepperoni, bacon, and hot dogs, have been linked to cancer.
French Fries and Potato Chips
Potatoes are undoubtedly a nutrient-dense food, but when baked, fried, or roasted for an extended period, they may produce compounds such as acrylamides, which have been linked to cancer. According to studies, french fries can also lead to hypertension and type II diabetes.
Processed Meat
Processed meat refers to meat that has been processed to improve its quality, flavor, and shelf life, such as ham, sausage, and canned meat. The World Health Organisation classifies processed meat as a Group I carcinogen due to its ability to cause cancer.
Gluten-Free Foods
Gluten-free diets are popular these days. However, not everyone needs to follow a gluten-free diet. Replacing nutritious foods with gluten-free diets reduces fiber intake and increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream and frozen yogurt are typically high in calories and contain refined sugar, artificial flavors, and additives. Consumption of added sugar has been linked to health problems such as obesity, dental cavities, fatty liver, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Low-Fat Yogurts
The fat content of a product is typically reduced by replacing it with sugar and additives while maintaining the flavor. The evidence that a low-fat diet reduces chronic inflammation is limited and unreliable. As a result, more accurate studies are required before it can be considered a healthy eating option.
Low-carbohydrate Refined Foods
Low carbohydrate diets include ultra-processed foods such as cheddar cheese crisps and cookies. There have been mixed studies on these foods. Some studies suggest that a low-carb diet can help manage insulin levels, weight, and heart problems. Other studies, however, have found no link between ultra-processed food and improved health. Thus, their role in chronic disease remains unknown.
Butter Chicken
Butter chicken is one of India’s most famous delicacies. However, as the name implies, this dish is extremely fatty, increasing your calorie, fat, and cholesterol intake.
Medu Vada
Medu vada is one of the most delicious and popular foods in the South. These vadas are made from black grams, which are high in protein, but your body struggles to break them down into simpler forms. As a result, digestion suffers and health issues arise. Also, because these vadas are deep-fried in oil, their calorie count rises to 334 per plate.
Samosa & Kachori
Samosas and kachori are another popular teatime snack and all-time favorite in India. These items are made from all-purpose flour, which has a high sugar content. The potato filling used in these Indian delicacies is fatty, increasing the calories in the dish. Additionally, deep frying these delicacies raises bad cholesterol levels in your body.
Bhujia
Bhujia is a popular Indian snack throughout the country. It is found in every household and is the most popular snacking item. Bujias are deep-fried, and the combination with gram flour makes them even more dangerous to your health. Furthermore, one tablespoon of bhujia contains 78 calories, so imagine how many calories you consume when eating bhujia.
White Bread
White bread is one of the most commonly consumed foods among Indians. White bread makes up the majority of the snacks prepared for breakfast and evening tea. White bread contains no dietary fibers and lacks the majority of nutrients. They are also known to dramatically increase blood sugar levels.
Pani Poori
Pani poori or batashe is another popular Indian junk food, albeit one of the most unhealthy. It is a myth that the water used in pani poori aids digestion. Consequently, it is the most common post-lunch/breakfast snack in the country. However, the combination of all-purpose flour, potatoes, chutney, and deep frying makes it extremely high in fat. This often results in acidity and gas. Furthermore, the unsanitary water used in pani poori is one of the leading causes of stomach infections.
Excessive Salt
Salt is an essential nutrient that helps to regulate heart rhythm, contract muscles, conduct nerve impulses, and maintain fluid balance. However, an excessive amount of salt in your body can cause hypertension.
Caffeine
Caffeine is another food component found in coffee, chocolate, and soft drinks. High caffeine consumption can cause depression, headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, and fatigue. Not to mention how it causes digestive problems.
Animal Protein
Although animal-based foods such as dairy products, eggs, chicken, and fish are high in protein, excessive consumption can have serious consequences for one’s health.
Soft Drinks
Sugary and carbonated drinks are among the most commonly consumed beverages, and they should be avoided whenever possible. These beverages are low in nutrients but high in sugar and calories. A study found that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages daily can increase the risk of heart disease by about 8%. In addition to endangering your health, excessive sugar consumption can lead to diabetes, weight gain, tooth decay, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Instead of sugary drinks, try homemade smoothies or flavored water.
Takeaway
A nutritious, well-balanced diet has been shown to play an important role in both the treatment and prevention of chronic diet-related diseases. Incorporating ultra-processed foods instead of healthy, nutritious foods can lead to a variety of health issues. Now that you know which foods can have a negative impact on your health, try to replace them with healthier alternatives in your diet. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the development of chronic diseases is due to a combination of several factors.
FAQs
What defines junk food?
Junk food is typically high in calories, low in nutritional value, and often containing high levels of unhealthy ingredients such as sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
Which junk foods can be considered healthy in India?
Pav bhaji is one of the healthiest junk foods available due to the abundance of vegetables used in the recipe. This makes the dish more nutritious.
Which chicken dish can I eat?
Because butter chicken is an unhealthy junk food, substitute tandoori chicken to satisfy your taste buds while staying healthy.
How can I avoid eating junk food if I am going out to dinner?
If you’re going out to dinner, try ordering lower-calorie options. For example, instead of ordering dal makhani, opt for mixed veg or dal tadka, which will reduce your calorie intake while satisfying your taste buds.