Non-essential (NEEDNT) food list – a new tool against obesity
Researchers at the University of Otago, Christchurch have developed a new list of 49 'NEEDNT' foods as part of a treatment research programme for obesity.
The list, published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, has been developed primarily to help obese people more clearly identify those foods that are best avoided in a healthy diet, and only eaten from time to time as a treat, or in some cases avoided altogether.
The researchers describe NEEDNT foods (see list below) as those that are energy (calorie) dense or high in fat and/or added sugars, foods that are prepared using a high fat cooking method, such as frying or roasting, or those foods that have a large amount of energy relative to their essential nutrient (vitamin and/or mineral) content.
THE COMPLETE NEEDNT LIST: 1. Alcoholic drinks 2. Biscuits 3. Butter, lard, dripping or similar fat (used as a spread or in bak- ing/cooking, etc.) 4. Cakes
5. Chocolate 6. Coconut cream 7. Condensed milk 8. Cordial 9. Corn chips 10. Cream (including crème fraiche)
11. Crisps (including vegetable crisps)
12. Desserts/puddings 13. Doughnuts
14. Drinking Chocolate, Milo, etc.
15. Energy drinks 16. Flavoured milk/milkshakes 17. Fruit tinned in syrup (even lite syrup!) 18. Fried food 19. Frozen yoghurt
20. Fruit juice (except tomato juice and unsweetened black- currant juice) 21. Glucose
22. High fat crackers (≥ 10g fat per 100g) 23. Honey
24. Hot chips 25. Ice cream 26. Jam
27. Marmalade 28. Mayonnaise 29. Muesli bars 30. Muffins 31. Nuts roasted in fat or oil 32. Pastries 33. Pies 34. Popcorn with butter or oil 35. Quiches 36. Reduced cream
37. Regular luncheon sausage 38. Regular powdered drinks (e.g., Raro)
39. Regular salami 40. Regular sausages 41. Regular soft drinks 42. Rollups 43. Sour cream
44. Sugar (added to anything including drinks, baking, cook- ing, etc.)
45. Sweets/lollies
46. Syrups such as golden syrup, treacle, maple syrup 47. Toasted muesli and any other breakfast cereal with ≥ 15g sugar per 100g cereal 48. Whole Milk 49. Yoghurt-type products with ≥ 10g sugar per 100g yoghurt Source: University of Otago
