Top 10 Most Overrated Foods You Probably Eat A LOT

Many of us love to gulp one of these beverages after a productive workout or during particularly hectic mornings, and why shouldn’t we? Smoothies can be delicious and nutritious. Here’s the thing: a lot of smoothies are either jam-packed with sugar and basically one step away from being a milkshake, or they taste like blended spinach - or worse, kale. Smoothies have been masquerading as a health food for quite some time, but today they’re just a bit too trendy. When did solid food get such a bad rap anyway?

Here’s a food many healthy eaters should recognize from their cheat days: a potential superfood, dark chocolate is supposedly healthier than milk chocolate, what with its antioxidants, fiber, iron, magnesium and more. More like a hypothetical miracle than a superfood, as it’s also supposed to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, protect your skin from sun damage and improve brain damage. But, if you’re craving a Snickers, and instead you chomp on a piece of dark chocolate, we doubt your sweet tooth’s gonna be satisfied. Y’see, dark chocolate actually tastes quite bitter. Plus, it may be healthier, but it’s still chocolate and should be consumed in moderation.

More than just a tough to pronounce word, quinoa has also been labeled a superfood by some due to its supposedly insane protein levels. And if you’re happy eating it instead of pasta, congratulations! You’ve cut your carb count significantly and are eating a “better” grain. BUT, the protein thing is kind of a myth: a cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein, while one hard-boiled egg has 6 and a cup of cooked spaghetti has 5. Are the extra few grams of protein worth it? Because, let’s be honest: quinoa doesn’t taste like much on its own…

Do people actually like the taste of lobster, or is it just a status symbol? You know you’re living large when you can say “I’m taking you out for lobster, honey,” and – okay – it tastes pretty good. But, of course it does: lobster is almost always smothered in butter! A tennis shoe covered in butter would taste good. Actual lobster meat doesn’t have a TON of flavor; plus, it’s really pricey and takes a whole lotta work to eat. Next time you’ve got $30 to drop on an entrée, do yourself a favor and order the steak instead; it’s better bang for your buck.

A step up from hot sauce, Sriracha is a Thai sauce made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. And it’s become so popular as a condiment recently that, in some restaurants, it’s earned a spot beside the ketchup and mustard. Whoa, guys: Sriracha is by no means as versatile as ketchup and mustard. We’re not saying it’s a bad sauce; in fact, the various fast food chains with Sriracha-flavored burgers are certainly onto something. no good steak will be improved with the addition of Sriracha. Plus, there are so many quality hot sauces out there; it seems strange that Sriracha gets all the attention.

Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K, C, A, and fiber – and those are just the tip of the iceberg for this lettuce alternative. But before you become adopt a kale-centric diet, consider the following: first, kale can be incredibly hard to digest. In fact, you can actually develop abdominal issues from forcing your body to digest too much kale. Second, raw kale tastes absolutely horrible. So, unless you swallow it whole, you’re going to miss out on the intended health effects. And really, chewing on kale for two minutes for a couple of vitamins is not our idea of a good time.

Caramel apples certainly look appealing on the surface, especially around Halloween. However, have you ever actually tried to eat one? It can be a frustrating ordeal. As young trick-or-treaters, many of us probably had a mishap while eating a caramel apple where sticky goop wound up in our hair, eyes or clothing. Decades later, it’s not much easier to eat, and if you’re going for healthy, the thick layer of caramelized sugar kinda ruins that objective. Sure, if they’re decorated in a fancy way, they’re prime Instagram fodder, but practically speaking there’s not much going for caramel apples.

Especially in grade school, cupcakes were the go-to birthday snack. And they’re great if you don’t want to dig in to a full cake. But, basic knowledge of mathematical ratios would prove to you that, for the most part, they’re not worth gushing over. Unless the baker piles on the frosting, you get twice as much boring cake in every bite as you get delicious icing and sprinkles. In many cases, a good two-thirds of this treat is not even worth the carbs or calories. But, despite this revelation, cupcakes still reign supreme above ice cream and candy bars as a decadent dessert trend.

You’ve probably seen someone obsess over chocolate spread like it’s manna from the heavens. But, like, it’s a chocolate imposter. Nutella, for example, is an Italian brand of “sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread” that was actually first created as a way to stretch the chocolate rations during WWII, and it has so little chocolate in it, it can’t even legally be labeled “chocolate cream” in Italy! Sure, it’s tasty and all, but we’re not sure how vital it is to that balanced breakfast of yours. Oh, and don’t even get us started on how hard it is to scrape the last remnants of the spread outta the jar at the end…

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable, or in this case dishonorable, mentions:
- Foie Gras
- Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
- Caviar

This is probably one of the most controversial #1s in WatchMojo history. But hear us out: bacon is a damn fine food, and the best part of most breakfast combos. Sadly, however, the public’s obsession with this above-average food has reached cult-like levels. There are bacon-flavored lollipops, bacon-flavored ice cream, even bacon-flavored vodka. More traditionally, there are meals like the BLT to satisfy your craving, but even then the bacon is more of a supporting player than the star of the show. And we’re not even going to mention its unhealthy properties… So remember: bacon is not a religion; just a savory breakfast food.