Hey, Dr. Ken Brown here.

As a gastroenterologist, I’m not looking at food just by calories. I’m looking at what it does once it gets inside your gut.

You already heard the first four foods I try to avoid:

Diet soda

Processed deli meats

Sugar-free gum

Pre-washed bagged salad

Here are a few more I personally avoid or seriously limit:

1. Most packaged protein bars

A lot of these look healthy on the front of the package, but many are packed with sugar alcohols and fibers that can ferment in the gut and cause gas, bloating, or cramping.

1. “Sugar-free” candy

Same issue. Sugar-free does not always mean gut-friendly. Sorbitol, maltitol, and similar sweeteners can be brutal if you’re prone to bloating or diarrhea.

1. Pre-Popped Popcorn

A lot of pre-popped popcorn is made with seed oils, flavor powders, preservatives, and additives that can turn a simple snack into something your gut may not love.

1. Energy drinks

Between the caffeine, artificial sweeteners, carbonation, and additives, these can be rough on the gut. I see a lot of people with reflux, urgency, or stomach irritation who drink these daily.

1. Frozen processed meals

Not all frozen food is bad, but many frozen meals are loaded with sodium, preservatives, low-quality oils, and additives. They’re convenient, but I would not make them a daily habit.

1. Seed oils

I try to limit oils like soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sunflower oil, especially when they show up over and over in fried foods, packaged snacks, dressings, sauces, and processed meals.