It may not be Thanksgiving yet, but the holiday season is almost upon us, and with it, the specter of 2025 looms over the horizon with its motivational New Year’s resolutions and goals.

If you want to get ahead of the curve, four nutritionists shared with Newsweek their top picks for foods to ditch in a year-end kitchen makeover.

1. Protein bars and shakes

First, all four experts agreed that ultra-processed protein bars and shakes should be phased out in 2024.

Jamie Maitland, a certified holistic nutritionist and author of The 21 Day Reset Cookbookhe said Newsweek: “Let’s leave ultra-processed protein bars and shakes behind, especially those with artificial sweeteners and inflammatory ingredients.”

She recommended swapping them out for higher-quality options like hemp seed powder or organic, grass-fed whey.

Nutritionist Catherine Gervacio, diet consultant for the supplement brand WOWMD, agreed, saying, “Lower it. They are loaded with artificial ingredients or high in sugar. Whole protein sources are generally better.”

Nutritional therapist Alli Godbold, of Feed Your Health, went even further, saying: “Everybody ultra-processed foods should be avoided: anything with a long list of additives such as E numbers, stabilizers, preservatives, thickeners.

“None of these things are contained in fresh foods and make processed foods much less nutritious and potentially harmful to gut microbes.”

And nutritionist-dietitian Mindy Haar, assistant dean at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions, said any protein powders, bars or supplements are unnecessary for most people and go “beyond what the body needs “.

“Protein has calories and needs to be processed by the kidneys, so adding more than you need because ‘you’re working out’ or ‘it’s healthy’ doesn’t make sense,” she said.

2. Foods containing “natural flavors”

Next, any food product with the words “natural flavors” in their ingredient lists was out, nutritionists said.

“Despite the name, natural flavors are often just as processed as artificial flavors,” Maitland said. “They are created by ‘aromatists’: scientists employed to create and manipulate flavors in a laboratory.

“While they may sound better, natural flavors can still upset your gut, trigger cravings, and provide no real nutritional benefit.”

Gervacio agreed, clarifying that “natural flavors” were not “inherently bad” but that the phrase was “vague” and they could be highly processed.

Gervacio and Haar both suggested flavored yogurts for the ditch list, with Gervacio warning about added sugars and flavors.

Haar said, “A serving of flavored yogurt can have the equivalent of five to six teaspoons of added sugar.”

They both recommended trying plain yogurt with fresh fruit instead.

3. Energy drinks

Another food that must be given up before next year is energy drinksaccording to nutritionists.

Gervacio said they are “generally best avoided because of the high caffeine, sugar and artificial ingredients, which can affect heart health and sleep.”

Maitland agreed, saying that energy drinks might promise a quick energy boost, but they came out shortly after a crash and contained “a lot of chemicals and not a lot of real nutrition.”

Godbold went a step further, saying he would add all flavored juices to the ditch list because they were “too artificial and high in sugar.”

Gervacio also said that all soda would be best avoided, “regular soda for its high sugar content and diet soda for the artificial sweeteners that can affect metabolism.”

Foods to ditch: Some additional suggestions

Nutritionists haven’t always agreed with each other on their lists of foods to give up this winter, so here are some additional suggestions – which should be taken with a grain of salt.

Maitland said seed oils such as canola, soybean and corn should be ditched because they are “highly refined and high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation and disrupt the balance between omega-3 and omega- 6. the fats in your body.”

However, Gervacio said, “These oils are fine if consumption is limited.”

Maitland also suggested ditching fake meat alternatives because they can be “highly refined and full of additives” and “made using inflammatory ingredients and preservatives that aren’t great for your body.”

Godbold agreed and said he would add plant-based cheese, plant-based butter and some plant-based milks to the list and that “it’s better to eat real or find other alternatives.”

Gervacio wasn’t so sure. She said: “Some plant-based options are nutritious, but a whole diet with natural sources of protein is ideal.”

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