Why You Shouldn’t Binge on These Healthy Foods

A lot of healthy-eating advice boils down to one thing: moderation. That includes healthy foods like cruciferous vegetables, fish, and avocados.

While most people can benefit from eating more healthy foods, it’s possible to overdo it by eating the same foods every day.

Nine healthy foods you shouldn’t eat too much of, and why you Shouldn’t Binge on These Healthy Foods

1. Cruciferous Vegetables

Holly Klamer, RDN, a nutrition educator based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, says she always tries to include a variety of vegetables, proteins, and fats.

The 2020–2025 American Dietary Guidelines recommend half your plate be fruits and vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables like kale are rich in nutrients like folate and vitamin K. However, they are high in soluble fiber, which contributes to excessive gas production, according to the Mayo Clinic. Eating too much of these vegetables, especially in unfamiliar quantities, can cause gastrointestinal distress.

And cruciferous vegetables can affect thyroid iodine metabolism, says Klamer. Aside from thyroid hormone production, iodine is important for bone and brain development in pregnancy and early childhood, according to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements.

Klamer says eating these vegetables in moderation is probably fine, but eating too many every day could be harmful.

Vitamin K can affect the efficacy of blood thinners like Warfarin (coumadin), according to Klamer. “At the very least, consult your healthcare team,” she advises.

2. Foods High in Healthy Fats

Nuts and avocados are examples. This type of fat can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Healthy fats are good for you when eaten in moderation, but they are high in calories.

According to the US, an avocado contains 322 calories. USDA, and a cup of whole almonds has 828 calories.

According to Shannon Henry, a registered dietitian at EZCare Clinic, many packaged nuts are “salted with common table salt and sometimes even soaked in vegetable oil.” According to her, this can cause high blood pressure and increase heart disease risk.

3. Lemon Water

Easy and low-calorie lemon water makes drinking water more enjoyable. But, as Klamer points out, lemon is acidic, damaging tooth enamel and increasing the risk of cavities.

“I’ve had personal experience,” she says. The ADA’s Mouth Healthy consumer website advises avoiding acidic foods like oranges, limes, tomatoes, as well as acidic drinks like lemonade and orange juice.

Use a straw when drinking lemon water or other acidic drinks and rinse your mouth afterwards. Aside from that, it can help reduce side effects

4. Flavored Yogurt

RD Rachel McBryan of the College of Dietitians of BC in Nanaimo says yogurt is a convenient, nutrient-dense snack, but some brands are loaded with sugar. This is especially true for low-fat varieties, which she describes as a dessert rather than a snack.

The USDA notes that a container of low-fat peach yogurt typically contains 10 g of added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 g of sugar per day and men no more than 36 g.

McBryan recommends plain low-fat yogurt with healthy additions like fruit and nuts. The USDA recommends Greek yogurt because it contains nearly 20 g of protein per seven-ounce serving, compared to about half of regular yogurt.

5. Instant Oatmeal

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, oats are high in fiber, magnesium, and zinc. But many instant oatmeal brands are high in sugar, says McBryan. For example, 12 g of sugar are in a Quaker Instant Oatmeal Maple and Brown Sugar.

Instead, McBryan suggests making homemade overnight oats by mixing half a cup plain raw oats with half a cup dairy or plant-based liquid. She suggests adding fruit or peanut butter to it in the morning.

6. Fish That Contain Mercury

It’s high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, the US Department of Agriculture says. FDCA (FDA). According to a meta-analysis of 20 studies involving hundreds of thousands of people, eating one or two 2-ounce servings of fatty fish per week reduced the risk of heart disease death by 36%.

But eating too much of certain types can cause mercury poisoning.

The FDA suggests catfish, flounder, haddock, salmon, scallops, squid, and tilapia. Because they contain the least mercury. The FDA recommends canned light tuna because it contains three times less mercury than albacore tuna. Two to three times a week in a 4 oz serving of all these fish is fine.

The FDA advises eating bluefish, grouper, monkfish, and halibut only once a week, in 4 oz servings. Avoid foods high in mercury such as king mackerel, shark, marlin, bigeye tuna, orange roughy, tilefish, and swordfish.

7. Foods High in Fiber

Insufficient fiber in the diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. The Mayo Clinic recommends chia seeds, berries, black or baked beans, and lentils as high-fiber foods.

However, eating too much too quickly can cause constipation, gas, and bloating, according to the Mayo Clinic.

To counteract this, gradually increase your intake of fiber and water.

8. Dark Chocolate

Chocolate lovers reach for their antioxidant-rich bar, but this healthier treat isn’t innocent. The USDA states that 30 g, or 2.5 squares, of a typical 90 g dark chocolate bar with 70–85 percent cacao contains 170 calories. Most registered dietitians advise one square (68 calories) per day for weight loss or maintenance.

9. Foods High in Beta-Carotene

According to Mount Sinai, beta-carotene is abundant in carrots, cantaloupe, winter squash, and sweet potatoes. The hospital says beta-carotene is an antioxidant that may help boost immunity, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and improve vision and eye health.

However, foods high in beta-carotene contain pigments that can turn your skin yellow or orange. Discoloration occurs on thick skin areas like the palms and soles of the feet, according to a Cureus case study published in July 2019. Consumption of foods high in beta-carotene (more than 30 mg daily) causes it, according to a January 2021 StatPearls article. The Cureus study says carotenemia is “unlikely to have any serious consequences” because one carrot has about 4 mg of beta-carotene. But, as the CDC states, it’s important to know about the condition to avoid confusion with jaundice, a more serious condition that causes the skin and eye whites to turn yellow.

All of these foods, says Klamer, can be part of a balanced diet. Not that anyone Shouldn’t Binge on These Healthy Foods, she adds. Just avoid overdoing it on one.