6 Foods to Skip After 50

1. Fried foods that triple the calories

​If it helps, pause to imagine the vat of oil that basket of fries or onion rings has been submerged in, and consider how its saturated fat “may have a negative impact on blood cholesterol,” says Amy Gorin, CEO of Plant Based With Amy in Stamford, Connecticut. ​

2. Sugary drinks, including most bottled teas

​Soft drinks aren’t your only enemy. Bottled teas, fancy coffee drinks and “fresh” lemonades can all be loaded with the sweet stuff. “For example, the 16-ounce chai latte at Starbucks, one of its most popular drinks, has 42 grams of sugar,” Rosenbloom says.​

3. Packaged foods with sneaky sugars​

“Hidden sugars can be found in pasta sauces, yogurt, granola bars, instant oatmeal packets and breakfast cereals,” Allen says. Why’s that so harmful for older adults? “Excess sugar can put stress on organs such as the pancreas and liver,” Allen says, “which can increase blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels and raise the risk of fatty liver disease.”​​“Sugars increase one’s risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the incidence and prevalence of which increase as we age,” says Thomas Loepfe, a geriatrician at the Mayo Clinic. At a time in life when every calorie should be nutrient-dense, “added sugar really contributes to calories we don’t need.” ​

4. Foods loaded with stealth salt

"Seventy-five percent of people over age 60 have high blood pressure. And even if you're on medication, you want to lower your sodium intake,” Rosenbloom says. If you think you're eating a low-salt diet because you don't salt your grilled corn or soup, think about that frozen pizza or canned soup you just heated up.

5. Ultra-processed snacks​

Unless you’re picking an apple from a tree or getting your milk straight out of a cow, most of the food you eat is processed. It’s the ultra-processed foods that make the list to strike from your diet. “Minimally processed foods like bagged greens, diced vegetables and nuts offer convenience,” Allen says. “And canned tomatoes and frozen fruit and vegetables are an excellent way to enjoy produce processed at peak quality and freshness.”​​But many ready-to-eat, processed foods, including cake mixes, snack chips, ketchup, sweetened yogurt and “meat lovers” frozen pizzas, add food coloring, sodium, preservatives and other hard-to-pronounce additives to make consumers happy. And that’s not good for you.​​

6. Alcohol

The days of triple-margarita Mexican dinners should be behind you. Why? “Alcohol metabolism changes when we age, and we become more susceptible to its negative aspects,” Loepfe says. “Alcohol can impact fall risk, interact with the medications we take as we age and lead to an increased risk of dehydration. Alcohol contributes to many health problems, including liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, our immune system function and neurological diseases like dementia.”