Remember when we were taught in school that food is a basic necessity of life? Rightly so! I mean, you'd barely survive more than a few weeks without food.

But what happens when what's supposed to help sustain life becomes the very thing that's killing us? Funny right?

But the truth is that in a few years, we'll look back at some of the food we're presently consuming and laugh at ourselves, especially since we're exchanging real food with loads of snacks and fries that can kill us.

Are you worried yet? Wait until you see all the foods that will take us closer to our graves if we don't change.

Too much red meat

I know you love a well-seasoned plate of meat. I love it, too, but we must watch how much of it we eat, especially with research showing it as a major cause of diabetes-related death. But meat is not all bad.

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After all, it also provides a variety of nutrients, including iron, B vitamins, zinc, and iron. So, the beauty is in moderation. Don't eat meat like your life depends on it.

Too many sugary beverages

If you're between 25 and 64, you definitely should watch how much soda and sugary beverages you're taking. CNN once reported it as a leading cause of early death compared to other dietary factors.

It's even worse when you look at all the conditions associated with sugary drinks. The last thing you'd want is to suffer any kind of tooth decay or obesity, talk more death.

The rule of thumb is to replace as much of your daily intake of sugary beverages as possible with tea, flavoured water, milk and other healthy fluids.

Lack of enough vegetables

You've definitely heard people talk about how healthy vegetables are. You probably just don't know that a lack of it can also kill you. Not including vegetables in meals accounted for 7.6% of the deaths studied in the CNN reports.

So you see, our mothers were not wrong after all. All the important nutrients packed in vegetables will definitely help you live a healthy life.

Skipping the most important meal of the day

I know we're talking about food types, but I won't pass on the opportunity to talk about this point, especially considering how our busy lifestyle is causing us to skip breakfast daily.

Unfortunately, many do not know how important breakfast is and that skipping it will push them to the grave.

Highly processed carbohydrates

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Highly processed carbohydrates like white bread, pastries, and sugary cereals may seem like the perfect fast food for breakfast, but they're not.

The amount of work put into their processing strips them of their natural fibre and nutrients, leaving behind quickly digestible starch that can spike blood sugar levels.

When consumed in excess, these foods can cause weight gain, heart disease, and a rise in blood sugar.

So you see? You really must check what you're consuming if you want to live long. Check what you're eating and be sure you're eating them in the recommended quantities if you want to live long.