The 10 Most Unhealthy Foods By Simon McNeil Nutrition Correspondent Ever since we were little, we were told to eat our fruits and vegetables, and to avoid those sugary snacks that our mouths salivate for... yeah, right! Is that why more than 50% of North Americans (especially men) die each year of cardiovascular disease, mostly related to unhealthy eating habits? So before giving you a list of no-no foods, here are the top foods you should eat. 10 foods you should eat: 1. Sweet potatoes. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. 2. 100% whole grain bread contains many more vitamins and minerals than its white counterpart. 3. Broccoli comes packed with vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid. 4. Watermelon makes an excellent source of vitamin C and carotenoids. 5. Beans win the inexpensive, low fat, high protein award. Plus they contain lots of iron, folic acid and fiber. 6. Cantaloupe supplies all the daily requirements of vitamin A and C in just a quarter slice. 7. Spinach and kale provide calcium, fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin C. 8. Oranges contain vitamin C, plus abundant folic acid, potassium and fiber. 9. Oatmeal provides soluble fiber that helps lower bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol. 10. 1% milk ranks as an excellent source of protein, with little or no artery-clogging fat or cholesterol. ~ generally bad ~ Solid fats Anything from land animals or coconut and palm oils. Reduce your intake because they're safe for frying and slow to spoil. They're a quick and easy way to add taste and calories. These oils compete with the "good" oils for the nutrients, which slows down some of the essential cell functions. In order to absorb these fats, we must increase production of cholesterol. To have them in our blood, we also make additional cholesterol. Heated, deep fried fats and oils All toxic despite good taste. They aren't naturally found in food and they interfere with certain essential oils. They raise the bad cholesterol. Nearly all store-bought baked goods are made with shortening. Contrary to popular belief, butter is better than margarine. White refined flour and most store-bought pasta The bran and germ that are removed from such items are amazingly good sources of minerals and vitamins. They lack the essential nutrients, even after enrichment. Better to stick with whole grain products because white refined flour and store-bought pasta are linked to an increase in heart disease. White rice No, this does not mean to completely avoid eating white rice. However, brown rice does have nutrients that can't be found in white rice. One can possibly mix white and brown rice together for a great combination of flavor. Sugar (white and brown), molasses and soft drinks All of us are used to grabbing a Coke from the vending machine at work or school, but what we may not be so aware of is that the fructose portion of refined sugar is a building block for cholesterol. So what foods should I not even think about? 10 foods you should never eat: 1. Quaker Oats 100 % Natural Oats and Honey Granola contain 3 teaspoons of sugar per half cup, and come laden with more artery-clogging fat than a McDonald's hamburger. 2. Gwaltney Great Dogs Chicken Franks contain 10 or 11 grams of fat per frank. Most hotdog manufacturers now offer pork, beef, turkey, or soy franks with zero to 2.5 grams of fat per frank. 3. Entemann's Rich Frosted Donut Variety Pack has as much saturated fat as 9 strips of bacon (10 grams). 4. Nissin Cup Noodles with Shrimp contain pre-fried and pre-salted noodles, compounded by the practice of using artery-clogging palm oil. They add 6 times as much sodium to the noodles as potato chips contain. 5. Frito-Lay's Wow Potato Chips are fried in olestra, a recently formulated fat substitute that some people cannot digest. 6. Oscar Mayer Lunchables contain heavily processed meat, cheese and mostly white-flour crackers. 7. Burger King's french fries have a salty coating that allow more fat to be absorbed. 8. Campbell's red label soups come brimming with salt. 9. Bugles are fried in highly saturated coconut oil. Baked Bugles are better. 10. Contadina's Alfredo Sauce contains a large amount of butter.