Some foods slow metabolism, and others cause you to gain weight, which also slows down your body processes. The end result is a cycle of not being able to burn off the calories that you take in from food. Many poor dietary practices come from eating foods high in fat or carbohydrates that were once "healthy" foods, when people needed and expended more energy through physical exercise than they do now. To prevent weight gain, stay active and learn which foods to avoid.
Fatty Foods
Fatty foods slow metabolism by taking longer to digest and holding other foods in the digestive tract along with them. Foods to avoid include fatty meats such as beef and pork rib cuts, poultry with skin and oily fish such as pickled herring.
Added fat in cooking can cause weight gain when you exceed both your fat and calorie allowances for the day. For example, a large order of French fries, a fried chicken fillet sandwich or a taco adds from 29 to 32 g of fat and as much as 571 calories to your totals, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. The FDA suggests limiting daily fat intake to 65 g and calories to 2,000 or less for an average diet.
Refined Grains
Foods made from refined grains, in which the fiber and other nutrients are lost during processing, are among the less-nutritious foods that slow metabolism by encouraging weight gain. White rice, white bread and any foods made with refined white flour, such as buns, bagels, muffins and regular as opposed to whole-wheat egg noodles, represent foods to avoid.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans notes that eating foods with fewer beneficial nutrients, like dietary fiber and vitamins, makes it harder for you to get adequate nutrition without gaining weight. You may be tempted to increase portion sizes or eat more of other foods to make up the nutritional difference, which adds to your daily calorie count.
Sweetened Foods
Some foods have fewer good nutrients due to their detrimental sugar content, which can lead to weight gain and slow metabolism. Breakfast cereals, for instance, have lower amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals per serving when they contain large amounts of sugar.
Besides added-sugar cereals, limit your intake of foods with added corn syrup or other caloric sweeteners, like some varieties of yogurt and peanut butter. The USDA Dietary Guidelines cite regular soft drinks as classic foods to avoid, as they contribute high sugar and calories but no beneficial nutrients to your diet.
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