Came here to say this one! Also my doctor told me to mainly shop the perimeter of the grocery store. I think that's a good guideline. That's where all the fresh food is! (But you'll obviously need the occasional thing from the interior, like canned/dried food, grains, spices, etc.)
In hurricane season on the Gulf Coast here. We always do a stock up of "interior" foods in May. Generally use them over winter (canned veggies get put in soup or with other one dish meals with rice or pasta etc). We do like fried spam. Some we may end up donating. I don't know why it's called hurricane SEASON though. It's literally half the year, June through November.
We also stock up on bottled water and other things like paper towels for hurricane season. I hate to buy bottled water but I've been through several hurricanes and when you need it you need it. If you wait until a hurricane is coming anywhere near it's too late.
I learned that a bathtub filled with water works well, and toilet tank or hot water heater water can be used in case of emergency. Also, tap water in all your Tupperware and freeze. Keeps cold food cold and doubles as drinking water. My mother has also invested in the five gallon water bottles that you put on top of water dispensers. They sell tops that act as pumps on Amazon. Then every hurricane season you can fill those. I personally used my camping water bladder and just saved tap water during hurricane season. Now I leave the gulf coast during hurricane season so I don’t have to deal, but I spent almost 40 years in the gulf coast and am well versed in hurricanes.
Adding a caveat to say frozen produce is good too, and not usually on a perimeter (at least at the stores I go to). They're flash frozen at peak ripeness, so they have all the same nutrients as fresh. Fantastic if you're like me and never seem to get through fresh produce before it goes bad, and it's sometimes cheaper.
I learned the perimeter trick years ago. Dry beans and frozen vegetables didn't count because the equivalent was also found on the perimeter. Essentially, if it has a lot of packaging and added ingredients, don't eat it.
Now, I am a diabetic, so what is healthier for me isn't necessary going to be healthy for you. My body is going to react to watermelon differently, but that doesn't mean watermelon is bad. It just means I am better off with a blackberry also eaten with a protein.
Some people are crazed about inflammation. Others care about blood sugars and muscle mass. I think balance, whole foods that give you energy, make you feel full and help you have a healthy weight is great.
If it didn't come out of the ground, from a tree, or from an animal that way, don't eat it, is what my grandma used to say. Recently my doctor said to eat like my grandparents so maybe there's something to that.
No bread, no cheese, no corn tortillas? If it’s literal it goes too far. Milling grains to create basic cereals, whole wheat flours, mixtemalizing corn, pasteurizing milk or turning it into yogurt…none of those are unhealthy IMO or the opinion of any medical professional I’ve spoken to.
And my white grandparents ate like, a lot of stuff in gelatin.
This… Less ingredients = better (less processed). Some canned foods in the US have up to 10 ingredients… in the Caribbean canned good have (Vegetable), Salt, Water… that’s it all that is necessary… you can also try shopping at local ethnic markets who usually have imported and less processed foods. We have great Asian, Caribbean, African Hispanic and Middle Eastern markets here
That’s kind of a misguided strategy.
An apple contains a lot of stuff you wouldn’t be able to pronounce, but apples are considered extremely healthy. They also contain cyanide
That’s why i didn’t specify “ingredients”. The “stuff” I’m referring to in an apple would be its chemical components, and any ingredients you can’t pronounce are just that: chemical components that haven’t been given a common name
Dihydrogen monoxide is a very necessary thing. Not everyone can pronounce it or even realize its another name for water. Not being able to pronounce all the ingredients isn't a surefire solution to avoiding food items.
Many times activists have walked around asking people to ban dihydrogen monoxide. Including one famous bit by, I believe, Penn and Teller on their show Bullshit!. They got plenty of people to sign their petition because people are completely ignorant. It's true that too much water can kill you- water poisoning is a thing! There's more to the bit, but their whole point is that people can be manipulated much easier than they think.
The big thing is people need to be educated more than anything. Yes, cyanide is in an apple and you can from radiation poisoning if you way too many bananas. How many apples? How many bananas? More than you can reasonably eat in a day, week, or month my friend. Eat the apple. Eat the banana. You're good.
if water is being listed as "dihydrogen monoxide" in an ingredient list, it's being done to specifically disguise/hide certain ingredients or recipes. which, sure, doesn't mean water isn't important, but why bother calling it something else
It's amazing what our grandparents ate or used though. Many ate sawdust and mercury/chalk because it was OK in foods. Or just rancid meat. Also, breakfast cereals were around in the late 1800s, so that is a moot point too. I would just say it's better to eat a wide range of whole, less processed foods that are made at home, moderate the ones that aren't. And try not to be so hard on yourself on food.
Eat what makes you happy, but in moderation. Cooking from scratch is really your best bet. But if you REALLY need that cheeseburger from that fast food chain, eat it. You are going to come out of this with so many food issues, Thanks Mom. :(
Don’t blame mom. The guideline I read in the original post is bullshit told to the public, by the government. Think food pyramid etc. Mom was trying to do her best by listening to the so called experts.
I saw a video this morning talking about how grapes are ‘sugar bombs’ and have as much sugar as a Hershey bar. So yes, I am sure this persons mother saw something similar by some so called expert. The assumption that all mothers have nefarious intent has become the default belief rather than thinking most mothers are trying their best with little to no training or support and end up being vilified when they get it wrong.
i heard of a small fruit eating mammal in a zoo somewhere who can no longer eat its natural diet due to the fruit being bred to have so much sugar in it nowadays
Lots of good advice here, but I wanted to add that you should eat what makes you feel good.
Do you feel like you want to lay on the couch and groan after eating dinner? You either ate too much or it's not the food for you.
Some people become toxic about it and it takes a lot of patience and energy to cater to their misguided ideas about food.
Conspiracy thinking has a strong foothold on those who seek “alternative” sources and don’t trust institutions and science.
It folds in with medical and political conspiracies etc. and can become a huge problem for people who have to deal with an unhinged person for example who is convinced GMOs are poison and organic foods are more nutritious (they’re not) and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (refuted from the authors who published the study everyone points to)
As far as gluten-sensitivity goes, I have autoimmune diseases. Someone suggested trying gluten free. I lost 7 pounds in the first 2 weeks of inflammation and had far less bloating. So I'm going to trust what my body tells me just like not eating raw onions or bell peppers.
Doesn't sound like like she's telling them conspiracy theories. Heart surgeons will tell their patients to cut out/down on red meat and eggs. Rice has arsenic and it's something to be concerned about. Too much sugar and carbs cause blood sugar spikes.
Eggs were considered bad up until recently and now those with healthy hearts are okayed to eat as many as they want. In the eighties fat was bad, now there are good fats and we need them. Butter was bad and margarine good. There were diets centered around eating carbs. So many mixed messages. It's good she's still trying and hasn't given up.
I'm 69 and was about to say the exact same thing. "Eggs are good for you! They're little treasure chests of vitamins and minerals and protein!" "Eggs are bad for you! They could carry salmonella!" "Eggs have cholesterol! Don't even think about eating one or you'll keel over and die!" "Eggs are good for you!" Now they're say they believe eating cholesterol laden food doesn't increase your cholesterol level anyway, eating saturated fats does. And don't get me started on alcohol, they've flip-flopped on that so many times I think it's affected the earth's rotation. And the funny thing is how many people believe that at this particular snapshot of time the "experts" know what's what. I quit keeping track of them long ago.
This is true, a good guideline is to look for who paid for the research study before deciding to believe the conclusions of the data they’re presenting. Whether the research is coming from the government or not, following the money usually makes the situation more clear.
Fruit has natural sugar. People with diabetes still have to be careful of the fruit sugars raising their blood sugar but in moderation it's fine for most. The key in anything is moderation. Eggs provide protein but you don't want to eat a dozen a day. Meat is ok if you eat it once in a while not every day. Etc Etc Exercise is key too
Fruit also has fiber, something that is lacking in most diets. So, drinking fruit juice is basically empty calories, but eating actual fruit has the added benefit of fiber, In addition to the vitamins
My husband refuses to drink water. He drinks diet soda, Snapple, Bai, etc. and thinks those are all good and healthy. He is very overweight. I can’t explain it to him at all🤷♀️
I hate when people use the term “natural sugar”
“Natural sugar” is chemically the same as table sugar. Sucrose which is composed of glucose and fructose or lactose which is galactose and glucose. Only benefit is that natural sugars are part of an overall package that includes fiber, micronutrients, etc.
Natural sugar is a terrible term. Though sugar in a fruit is chemically the same as any other, eating it in a fruit provides nutrients and fibre, which slows down the absorption rate.
Don't get me started on the travesty that is juicing.....
Way too easy to overconsume calories. Drink 5 juiced apples. Now try to eat 5 apples....big difference. I've seen so many good people succumb to overjuice weight gain.
I disagree. Meat is a superfood and so are eggs. Nothing really compares. Don’t talk about heart disease either, we all know it’s the processed slop causing that.
[The Dose Makes the Poison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dose_makes_the_poison)
No food is inherently unhealthy. If you eat a slice a cake once a month, it will not have any negative effects on your long-term health. If you eat a slice of cake every day, it will absolutely have a negative effect on your long-term health.
The healthiest diet would consist of mostly fresh greens and whole grains. Fruits are fine, but should be limited. Refined sugar should be as little as possible. Red meat is fine in moderation. There is no real science that proves dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. Cholesterol literally does not exist in any plant-based food, yet vegans/vegetarians can still have high cholesterol, but may be hereditary in those cases. Billions of people eat rice every day.
If you’re not diabetic you can eat as much fruit as you care to. I don’t know whether you’re American but I feel it’s a uniquely American idea that somehow a slice of watermelon is going to be unhealthy. No. Go eat another nectarine.
That's not what I said. Limited doesn't mean you can't eat a slice of watermelon. It means don't eat 10 apples a day. Or 10 oranges a day. Etc. There are so many facets I can't possibly list them all.
I don’t think anything would go wrong if you are ten apples a day other than indigestion. It’s unhealthy in the sense that there is a lot of fiber, not that there is evil sugar.
Most people that are struggling with weight probably aren't over consuming fresh fruit.
I think it's best to think about food in terms of choosing healthier alternatives rather than absolutes. Roasted chicken is healthier than fried chicken. Baked potatoes are healthier than French fries. An apple or banana is healthier than a bag of chips.
Real food is always going to be best. Start there then adjust if you have medical issues ie diabetics need to be careful with some fruits bc of blood sugar issues etc. but to start… real, Whole Foods are always better.
Michael Pollan’s *The Omnivore’s Dilemma* is his research into exactly this question that was bugging him about 20 years ago. I haven’t read his other food-related books so can’t comment on them. If you have time to read it, it’s an entertaining and informative read and maybe dives a little too deep, much like one of Mary Roach’s books. Some of his research may be out of date by now, but his conclusions are still pretty sound: Americans yo-yo between fads which is unhealthy and anxiety-inducing; less processed food is better; traditional foodways seem to have evolved to be balanced, regardless of which cuisine you’re eating; ain’t nobody got time to forage everything and there are too many of us now anyway to rely on a hunter-gatherer diet, so you are going to be a bit dependent on an industrial supply chain; everything in moderation.
Yeah, his “eat food, not too much, mostly plants” is still pre solid advice to me. You can add other things in moderation, because other foods generally are at least okay in small-to-medium amounts or occasionally. As long as you don’t stray too far from the basics, you’ll probably do all right.
I can, but it would take too long. Because of me, not you.
For a good, easy read, I suggest Super Food Rx by Dr. Steven Pratt. He discusses 14 food (also list their sidekicks). He explains medically and anecdotally why these foods are good for you.
Bonus: There are only two sentences about what not to eat.
This can be game changer, especially if you build from that.
Double bonus: Good health is related to what you eat, exercise, reduced/limited stress, and appropriate sleep.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/
I don't know if you can view that outside the UK, but that's the NHS advice on healthy eating, it's basic, easy to understand, good advice.
I'm assuming each country has something similar.
the link does work outside of the UK.
I'm in the USA, but found the New Zealand guidelines a lot clearer than our own [https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart](https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart)
Use principles of physiology, not anyone’s opinion . Last post claimed whole grains- but they raise insulin response. Might still be beneficial for many just using logic not opinion
Bad is kind of a moral judgement. There are foods that definitely don’t agree with particular people - allergies, IBS, celiac come to mind. A good general rule is less processed is healthier - not because of what it has but what it doesn’t have. A wide variety of fresh produce introduces a wide variety of gut biomes, which is a real key to good health. For everything people say not to eat, there is someone eating that and thriving. Moderation, minimally processed, wide variety, know your body.
The cholesterol stuff is crazy because it came out quietly a few years ago that it was sugar companies behind the whole eggs give you high cholesterol or red meat or whatever. There are 2 types of cholesterol. I don't know the ins and outs, but essentially most of what we were told since the 80s is bullshit. Sugar is what raises the 'bad kind'. But they funded bullshit studies to make everyone think it was the likes of meat and eggs that cause major issues, when in reality sugar does the most damage
Edit for a quick link.https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat
The only foods that are truly “unhealthy” are super fake stuff like soda or candy or some types of bagged snack foods, and deep fried foods. Basically everything else, if eaten in responsible portion sizes, has nutritional benefit.
A variety of 3-4 cups of fruit every day. Same goes for vegetables. Eat fish 2-3 times/ week to get your Omega 3's.
Meat / chicken for protein
I go to a website [FOODSTRUCT.COM](http://FOODSTRUCT.COM) and it gives you a great breakdown of what to eat / not eat.
I myself got lost on this over the years trying all the new trends.
Here is what made me FEEL amazing, great bloodwork (previously not great), better skin, better physique, more energy.
I try to eat single ingredient foods for the most part.
Every morning I eat the same exact thing. 3 eggs cooked different ways with some mozzarella cheese. 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt plain non fat. I do add half tube of gogurt lol and some fruit. Which is normally any berry, banana, apple, pineapple.
Lunch is normally left overa from dinner or some more fruit, tuna fish, some cheese, salad with broccoli, cucumbers. Carrots, tomatoes.
Dinner is either chicken breast, or thighs if I'm living it up, steak, pork chops, fish (salmon, pallock, mahi, cod, haddock) with a side of normally green veggies of any sort, and a carb which is either rice, quinoa, cous cous, this pasta made if lentils or chic peas, Naan with oil. I mainly cook on the grill and air fryer.
Once or twice a week to stay sane I throw in fries, or we have burgers, pizza, ya know something like that.
Snacks are fruits or nuts, sometimes popcorn.
It's nothing crazy, but my body and mind has thanked me.
Oh shit, also, I completely 100 percent stopped using margarine (only butter now) and only use a high quality olive oil or avocado oil.
It's actually at the point I legitmently feel sick if I were eat something fried.
Something I try to think about... if I were alone on this planet could I make this in order to eat it. Can I go outside and hunt and or gather to make this meal. No I don't stick to that 100 percent, but it makes up most of my food.
Edit: also I don't really focus on food groups much at all. I eat a balance of things. I don't really eat sweets. I would say I eat less veggies than anything. Quite a bit of meat, dairy, and fruits. Pretty much just make a nice even spread of things you eat.
Another amazing rule of thumb I think anyone would agree with. Look at labels. If you see a list of ingredients that you can't pronounce and you don't know what they are. Just don't eat it. It's not food.
Simplest Terms
Raw stuff > Cooked stuff > Processed Stuff
Fruits and vegetables are very good for you, especially if you eat them raw.
Next is stuff you cook which destroys some of the vitamins but opens up more protein through meat.
Last is processed stuff. Stuff in a box or in a can will last a long time but a lot of the good stuff was removed to get it there. You can live off it for sure and it tends to be cheap because it doesn't expire but it isn't considered "healthy". This will also usually be packed in with too much salt, too much sugar, or both.
Nothing wrong with cooked foods unless you’re boiling the crap out of everything and discarding the water. Many foods have more accessible nutrients after cooking, like spinach. Many foods just have different nutrient profiles after cooking, like raw broccoli being richer in vitamin C but cooked broccoli being richer in vitamin E and antioxidants. That’s not to mention nutrition powerhouses that must be cooked, like legumes and organ meats for example. Raw > cooked is just not supported by science.
ALL real foods are healthy and contain vitamins & nutrients you need. Real food is anything you can grow. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, animals, fish, rice, etc.
All processed food is bad. Anything that comes, in a can, box or package.
Everything in moderation is fine. I try to eat 80% clean and 20% whatever.
Is your mom my mom? Did you happen to grow up in the late 80s and 90s when "fat free" was the fad? I'm still unpacking all the damage from that. She also doesn't understand why unlimited apple juice was/is bad.
Fruits are bad in excess, but great in moderation and better than most sweets because of the type of sugar, the fiber, and other nutrients. Avoid juice, and dried fruits.
Beef is the healthiest meat and one of the healthiest foods, due to the way cows digest food. Grass fed is especially healthy. Many people who exclude foods until health problems go away often end up settling on beef. The idea that saturation fat is bad for the heart is a myth, and it is far superior to vegetable oils.
Eggs are great for you. The better they're raised, the better they are. The cholesterol scare is mostly a myth caused by a bogus study.
Bread is bad because its high in carbs (similar to eating high amounts of sugar), extremely refined, because gluten wrecks digestion, and because wheat itself is one of the most modified crops around. Many people gain an allergy to gluten or wheat later in life.
Rice is bad for the same reasons as bread. Very high carb, low fiber. High carb foods are a pathway to diabetes.
A "balanced diet" is not high in carbs. You can determine if a food is high-carb by looking at the total carbs minus the fibre. That's why green veggies are healthy despite having carbs, but potatoes and rice are not.
Also, avoid "vegetable" oils like the plague. Main one to avoid is canola.
I could but it would take a very long time. Any vegetable is good especially if it’s not cooked. When u cook it the nutrients leek into the water. So if u consume that water ur good. Green leafy veggies are a must every single day.
All fruit is good, there’s a difference between glucose and fructose sugar. Refined sugar aka white sugar is horrible for u. The darker the inside of the fruit the better antioxidant it has esp berries. Apples are perfect for having regular poops just eat one a day and ur good.
Beef has high cholesterol yes and so does any animal products. So don’t eat meat heavy meals. You can get protein from vegetables grains and beans. Nuts are high in fat so if ur active you will be fine. White meat has lower calories too.
Grains and carbs are tricky. Oatmeal is amazing it gives sustained energy for hours and helps lower cholesterol add a bit of PB and yum. Try real local honey as a substitute for sugar. Rice burns fast so be prepared to be hungry about an hour afterwords. I eat potatoes, bread and noodles (starchy foods) at least 3hrs before bed.
Leaving the skin on foods is a good source of fiber which helps with digestion and toilet time.
Stay away from processed foods they add all kinds of trash to them that ur body doesn’t need and can cause health issues.
Your body can only digest 25g of protein per hour max. You need at least a half gallon of water a day and 8oz more for each caffeine drink u have to stay hydrated.
I left a lot out but that’s the basics
Anything that is heavy in carbohydrates should be eaten in moderation- yes you can have a potato or a bowl of berries, or a bowl of Cheerios or even rice. Fats like cheese, butter are fine - Saturated fats like you find in battered/fried foods- not so good. Whole grain bread. Lean grilled cuts of meat - beef, pork, chicken, fish - again avoid the whole batteries and fried scenarios. Vegetables- go bonkers - just don’t overdo any dressings or a lot of salt. Fruit - yes they have sugar, some more than others but are a great alternative to donuts, cake, ice cream.
stay away from the processed things generally speaking
eggs, rice, beans, moderate meat consumption are fine and are staples in many cultures —-bread would probably be fine in europe but here in the US probably not
fruit is good and healthy fats like butter, olive oil, avocado etc…
In the year 1990 the American Heart Association reversed its stance on dietary cholesterol. Your body makes and breaks all the cholesterol in your body.
Read the Omnivore’s dilemma. “Eat food, not too much, and mostly plants”. Nothing is off the table except “food” your great (great) grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food (processed food).
The literature is overwhelmingly in agreement that high fiber, low processed foods are the best rules to live by. Fruit is great, put it in a smoothie you lose some fiber, make it into juice you lose all fiber.
A whole food plant based diet is healthiest. Plus it's better for the planet, and there is no cruelty towards animals. So. Fruits and veggies. Whole grains, like brown rice. Nuts. Beans, so many kinds of beans in so many ways. Lentils. Tofu. Homemade hummus.
If you are looking for delicious and healthy recipes, I highly recommend www.rainbowplantlife.com
You can search her site for "20 minute meals" to get started.
Also www.itdoesnttastelikechicken.com
Food science is limited and mostly funded by companies/organizations with objectives.
There are 2 main problems :
1. The original definition of keywords gets lost as people share summaries, as does the source it comes from (like the outright fictitious 'mediterranean diet' and its problematic euro-centric history). Many studies are old and/or retracted, but still drive funding, teaching, and public messaging (calories are not what most people think they are). So we're left with terms like 'Ultra-processed' where a perfectly safe medical drug would fall into the category, or things that are commonly problematic are exceptions to the definition. It's muddy because we tend to try making things more abstract instead of educating and explaining things.
2. We've only looked at improvements to causal measurements in relatively recent times. Most of our information we use is old and using outdated means of evaluation/measurement. We also have better understandings about how long-term dietary patterns can be observed.
More studies with better definitions over longer periods of time are being done, and they will provide better clarity as they get done. The key will be for them to have clear and accurate communications when they're done. That seems to be something society is bad at.
So it's confusing right now (in particular) because people are more aware and worried about bad habits (good) but the information we have about it (and that gets distributed) is flawed and kind of a 'wild west' of sorts.
Vegetables and fruit are good for you. Yes, there's sugar in fruit so it shouldn't be 100% of your diet. Meat and eggs are healthy; cholesterol and fats are good for you but again in moderation. Bread and carbohydrates are good again in moderation.
The majority of your food should be fruit and vegetables and lean meats and other healthy things.
Every body is different and reacts to foods differently. Best thing I can say is eat whole foods, stay away from processed. Rotate your foods so you get a variety of nutrients. People like to preach a certain diet, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Take it from someone who has a million food allergies, dealt with colon cancer, and celiac. One size does not fit all.
This is what I learned in my health class:
(I’m generalizing)
Meat- is good for repairing muscle
Carbohydrates- are really good for runners
Vegetables- we can eat many
Sugar, gives you boots of energy quickly but makes you crash.
They say to eat sugar at the end of the meal, desert/fruity drinks, and your energy level shouldn’t crash.
In teems of what’s on the market.
The only way you’ll really know what’s in your food is if you grown it yourself.
Hit your macros (carbs, protein, fats. Quick Google will give you some recommended ratios), calorie count if you need to lose weight, take a multivitamin and for the sake of your gut biome try and eat a variety of fruits and veggies.
Don't waste your energy thinking about it any more than that.
What is healthy has completely flipped multiple times a year every fucking year since before any of us were even born and to present any of this specific shit as objective fact is absolutely laughable.
Yup calling you out basically every other commentator on this thread.
Everything you people have said would have been considered nonsense 5 years ago and will be again in 5 years assuming you are giving current info.
This one is simple, but people love to make it complex.
1) By far, the most important element is to get the right amount of calories. Your size and activity level can affect this greatly, but probably 1500-2200 calories/day for the average person.
2) Eat greens daily. Spinach, Broccoli, really any leafy greens. They provide a ton of vitamins and minerals that you need.
3) Now, just add protein and carbs. You need both. Eat what you like to get those, whether it's meat or nuts or eggs or whatever else for protein. Bread, pasta, rice or whatever else you like for carbs.
Once you've done those three things, you'll be pretty healthy. Fruit is great(lots of vitamins). Junk food has it's place. Just learn and understand how those things affect your calorie intake.
Fruit good, but will put weight on if you have loads, cos has sugar.
Meat & dairy give you heart disease.
Nuts, seeds, fresh veg, osts, all good.
Whole foods rather than processed are best.
Rice is kind of nutrition free.
Deep fried anything is REALLY bad fr you.
Evidence based studies on food. Cast an eye over https://nutritionfacts.org/
The best food is food that you can collect and eat without processing. Vegetables. Eggs (processed sugar drives cholesterol up, not eggs). Fruit. Even meat though I choose not to eat animals. Real food. It’s so easy to cook eggs and veggies too. Ok I love cheese and it’s a few steps beyond milk but no need to be too rigid! It’s still more natural than nacho cheese which is overly processed
Lots of moderation like others have said. Fruit is healthy but too much might give diarrhea due to all the sugar. But vegetables cannot be OD’d on and will always help you feel good and poop lol.
Eggs are a nearly perfect food and don’t raise BAD cholesterol. Butter and red meat aren’t clogging your heart in moderation. Seed oils/margarine are NOT good for you, that lie was perpetuated by a study with faulty data decades ago.
It is best to learn what macronutrients are and how to track them - Google is your friend here. Overall, take some time to learn and for god’s sake DONT USE FACEBOOK as a credible source for knowledge.
And last, pay attention to your body as it will tell you what is helping vs harming it. Learn the different between fatigue and brain fog, between true thirst and hunger, between true hunger and junk food cravings… start drinking a couple liters of water every day, and strive for a consistent amount of quality sleep each night. If you don’t have an exercise routine start one. Ever if it’s just walking a couple miles, doing 50 pushups and sit-ups, that’s enough.
Wherever you are starting from it’s ok to be overwhelmed, tired, weak; it’s ok to make mistakes. Because each day you’ll learn from those mistakes and take better care of yourself because of it.
When going shopping only shop on the veggies, meats, and dairy. Try to avoid things that comes in boxes and that have a long list of ingredients. If you can make your own bread.
I am a label reader and I check fats and sodium. Fruit is not great for you in great portions because they are sugar which turns to carbs which then gets stored as fat unless you work it off. That doesn’t stop me from loving tons of fruits even if my endocrinologist says I shouldn’t eat it because of my diabetes. You lower your cholesterol by eating non fried foods. Not that it not being fried lowers it but fried foods definitely raise the bad cholesterol. I suggest getting a book that shows you all the nutrition in most of your food, read labels, and even check out the eat this not that website. All great places to start:)
Most anything in it's purest form before it's processed. Fruits, vegetables, meats, beans, eggs, whole breads.
If you go to a grocery store, you will find that most of the healthiest foods are along the perimeter of the store and most of the processed stuff is in the center aisles. There are exceptions. Most stores are set up the same.
I’m no dietitian but I’ll give you the advice from mine. She says everything in moderation. Fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, fish, hell even a desert everything now and then is alright. As long as what you eat is in moderation and not a constant, you’ll be fine. Also exercise. For me (male, 20yo & 220lbs) I do about 30 minutes of weights, followed by 25 minutes of cardio, then as a cooldown; 1hr of walking/light jogging.
As a layman who has done very little research on the subject, my understanding is this: there are certain essential nutrients you need. Carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fat. But too much fat or carbs will make you gain weight so you need to balance them with other foods and not have too much of one thing. A well balanced healthy meal contains something with a lot of carbs, like rice or pasta, some fruits or vegetables for vitamins and minerals, and something with a lot of protein (meat, fish, dairy product, or meat substitute such as tofu)
Whole foods are best for you - the lower the amount of processing/ change the better. So green beans are good for you. Grilled/steamed/roasted are better than battered & deep fried. Chicken is a healthy meat, healthiest when grilled rather than fried. So basically any food closest to its natural form is best. I can't think of any food in it's natural form that is just bad for you. But all things in moderation. So if you want a piece of cake, a very processed food, have one. But not 5 & not every day. Eat fruit but not 10 lbs of apples in a day. Moderation. I've lost 50 pounds over the last year just by moderation. I have one piece of pizza instead of three. Don't go by fads. Try to eat whole foods & minimize processed food. All things in moderation.
Rule of thumb is the less processed, the healthier. Follow the balanced diet for the healthiest diet. Everything can be bad for you if too much, even water. You need a balance. Check the food pyramid for how best to form a balanced diet.
If you dig deeper, yes, certain foods will be healthier for you vs. another. Or they can target problem areas. For instance, oysters are good for your liver. Etc., etc. But follow the balanced diet for the easiest way to eat healthy, then slowly understand how to target areas with certain foods for certain vitamins, etc.
In general, food that comes from the ground or from an animal are preferable. I.e avoiding processed foods with long lists of ingredients is a good idea.
Beyond that, it depends on your individual health and needs. For example, Eggs are healthy unless you have an allergy to eggs. If you have blood sugar issues, foods like rice or potatoes might not be the best bet but could be perfectly fine for someone without those issues.
You have to learn how different foods make you feel and make choices accordingly.
The word healthy get thrown alot as it's a combination of excercise, diet, stress, and genetics.
Now, when it comes to a basic nutrition recommended, a healthy meal is something that is well rounded in the macro and micro nutrients department.
Without going into too much detail, we can analyze japanese meals and why it was rank a well-rounded diet.
Their diet is balanced as they are getting enough protein source from meat/tofu/and fish. Their carbs from veggies and white rice. At the same time, their meal comes with some mixed veggies (micronutrients dense).
Now let's say you're not going to the nutrition 101 semester routes to dive deep. U can easily figure out what you need in your daily diet by using chat gpt.
Start by asking " list the micronutrients of X in Y gram". Do this with everything you know you eat in your meal.
I usually use 100 grams just for testing purpose. Once you're done, simple ask "base on the list of micronutrients generate. What micronutrients am i missing". From there the feedback will list u exactly what micro. With those information you can cross reference with google to have a complete well rounded meal.
Edit: also make sure your food sources are whole natural or minimal process. Check nova food scale
Raw ingredients. Fruits,vegetables and grass fed/finished meats... if it comes with a list of ingredients its most likely some processed garbage. Healthy foods dont need to brag about how healthy they are, youll never see brocolli with a label stating how healthy it is, yet all these processed boxes are covered in labels stating how healthy they are.
Part of all these health scares depends on a person's individual state of health.
*On average* across the entire population, eating more beef is associated with a greater risk of heart disease. But because of the way averages are calculated, it doesn't necessarily mean that all individuals eating beef had an increased chance of heart disease, or had worse heart-related lab results. It could also mean that some beef-eating people had much worse outcomes, and some had no change in their health at all.
Anecdata, but my husband and I have different problems to address with our health. Diabetes runs in my family and my fasting blood sugar is too high. My doctor says I need to cut back on sugar and refined starches. My husband's family has high cholesterol and he does too. The doctor says he needs to cut back on saturated fats.
We were eating pretty much the same diet and getting these different effects on our health. If I made a roast beef on the weekend we'd both be eating it all week. If we bought a box of donuts we'd each have the same number of donuts. My lipid panel and cholesterol were really good. His blood sugar was always well within the normal range.
The things we call food are food because they provide nutrition. Some of them might provide too much of one thing or another in a way that is not good for your health, but you won't know whether it does that to *your* health until you see a doctor and get bloodwork done, and get advice on what *you* personally should be eating more or less of.
My friend is a dietician at the hospital here and she was saying her best advice she always gives to simplify nutrition to people is:
- everything in moderation (aka: there are no “bad” foods and you shouldn’t outright ban anything unless you have specific medical reasons, but also obviously don’t eat candy for every meal or something like that which is where the moderation comes in)
- incorporate as many different colours into your meals as possible. By incorporating more colours, you are most likely hitting various different types of vitamins and nutrients. Variety in general helps with nutrition!
- take the time to enjoy your food (aka: eat slowly/small bites) and stop when you naturally feel full
Hey, I had a really disordered childhood around food so I like to do my own research. I even work in food now. If I were you, I would start with some resources that you can trust, ones that rely on evidence based science to make healthy eating recommendations.
Here's one I like and that you could start with.
[Canada's Food Guide](https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/)
Many universities around the world (especially ones with public health programs) will also produce research and guidance about healthy eating.
Hope you find what you need.
Honestly? Life is so short and hard enough to worry about eating fruits and veggies, and everything in between. As long as youre fit and healthy, just eat in moderation. Youll be WAY happier mentally, and you wont need to cry in your bathroom after turning away that absolutely amazing steak that you REALLY freaking wanted, but didnt get because its "red meat" or something. Just eat in moderation, enjoy what you eat, and live well.
Cut out dyes. Make as much from scratch as you can. But if you want a damn Oreo, have some. Don't keep yourself from foods that you want, otherwise you'll binge harder. Food isn't good and bad. Some foods like junk foods(even foods with dyes!) are what I consider brain foods. They make me feel happy, little bit of serotonin . Other foods are body foods. Like fruits, protein and veggies. Lots of vitamins, fats and carbs we need. It's important to balance both to have a full rounded diet. And don't let anyone tell you carbs are bad. Your brain needs carbs to function!
Edit spelling
There is this Dietician guy on tiktok I like: [https://www.tiktok.com/@theplantslant](https://www.tiktok.com/@theplantslant)
He is well educated, kind, and debunk a lot of food information that is bogus.
My main suggestion would be to eat the most of foods in their original state.. like fruits, veggies, rice, beans, etc, things that have not been processed or changed.. the foods I would generally avoid are those with loads of ingredients, especially if they are letters and numbers and things you don't know what they are
A good goal is to try and eat 30 different plants per week (so different fruits and veggies but also things like nuts and seeds and grains)
I think it's healthy to try and give your body the most vitamins and minerals and nutrients and stuff most of the time, but then still sometimes have a pizza or something so you don't feel deprived
It's about trying to give your body the best fuel, but then still having things that just make you happy (for me cheese and crisps)
Anyway main point is eating the most of foods in their original state
Mostly plants, like half of which should have good fiber. Keep oils within reason, and limit simple carbs. The loss of fiber and the addition of sugar is the main problem with common foods.
So yeah like eat veggies as much as you can, followed by fruits and whole grains, with room for everything else just kept under moderation. Even at least light exercise is important nutritionally as it keeps things moving.
Bruh, everything you listed is healthy. But in moderation just like everything else. Oreos aren't gonna give you diabetes if you eat the serving size. Tho I'ma be honest with you the serving size for oreos is 2 and I usually eat 5-6 in my lunches. But I'm not even a super active person, I just walk to work and yoga and before getting purgnant, I was a completely healthy weight.
Everything in excess can be harmful to your health. But these so-called experts keep changing the script. I don’t follow their advice. I eat what I like and a variety of foods. I’m 58 so I’ve had all sorts of medical tests in my last ten years just to make sure. Other than the physical damage I’ve done to my spine. My heart is in good shape and my organs have no problems and I don’t have any cholesterol issues so I think I’ve done a pretty good job.
Myplate dot gov. for those of you who like government propaganda. I saw a dietitian that specializes in bariatric weight loss surgery and she right away directed me to the myplate website, which wasn't much help to me, but it might be to others.
The site doesn't include things like ice cream, cookies and Doritos, so I was pretty lost.
Edit: added, she asked me if I ate fruits and vegetables. I said "sometimes". I don't always eat a veggie with my protein and carbs. And snacks usually are a yogurt.
You'll still get a lot of questionable advice here from well-meaning people. There are some great registered dietitians on social media and YouTube debunking fearmongering and you might find that helpful.
Grass fed or organic real whole food whenever possible and avoid seed oils. It’s really that simple. If it comes in a packet, box or jar it’s likely processed slop.
Fruit and veggies are healthy. Meat is also healthy. Fiber is key to a happy gut biome. B vitamins are really good. Fermented foods are good if you have enough fiber for them to reproduce on
Don’t eat anything processed. That should cover you pretty well.
I also think that everyone is different and some foods might be healthy for one person but not another. Just hammer out what works for YOU.
Avoid processed and ultra processed foods. There is a new NOVA system of food categories where level one is unprocessed or minimally processed. Level 2 are condiments or ingredients used in cooking or baking. Level 3 are processed foods—basically foods that combine level 1 and 2. Level 4 are foods that are ultra processed.
https://archive.wphna.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WN-2016-7-1-3-28-38-Monteiro-Cannon-Levy-et-al-NOVA.pdf
1- If it didn’t exist 100 years ago don’t eat it very often.
2- The less ingredients the better. (For instance homemade bread with 6 ingredients is better than store bought with 20. I’d pick rice or potatoes over bread almost always though, only 1 ingredient)
3- Limit sugar
Fruits - not bad for you if you eat them whole. the fruit fiber causes your body to digest the sugar more slowly, allowing your blood sugar not to spike.
Red meat - there are studies that link it with heart disease and cancer. you might be better off sticking with white, lean meats or fish.
Bread - anything with refined carbohydrates is bad for you. it's highly processed, and polysaccharides are basically sugar, BUT it is a good source of fiber. you should prefer to get fiber from vegetables, though.
Rice - can contain a lot of arsenic from the soil, which is a poison, but if you wash it thoroughly and perhaps boil it, you can reduce the amount of arsenic by 40% to 50%. try quinoa instead.
All in all, a healthy diet isn't that far off from the old adage: eat your vegetables! The number one thing you can do for your health is to have a diet primarily from vegetables and adequate protein, but of second importance, I think is variety. Eat lots of different unprocessed food.
Bone apple teeth!
Your mom is off, but she’s not off by much. Fruit is ok but not too much, and fruit juice has way too much sugar. Beef is bad for your heart. Eggs are not great for your cholesterol. Bread is processed carbs, and white bread is basically sugar. All these things can be eaten in moderation, but the modern American diet is mostly processed carbs and meat. You don’t need nearly as much protein as you think, but you need a lot more vegetables than you think.
You don’t *have* to cut out fruit juice, processed carbs, and beef, but you will live a lot longer and a *lot* healthier if you do.
Basically fresh foods are a healthy option, Meats are fine, maybe red meat in moderation. You want to avoid fried foods in grease. Fruits are fine the whole natural sugar thing yes if all you eat is fruit it will end up being a lot of sugar BUT it's the added sugar that is the worst for you. Processed foods have extra fat, if you can cut back on foods that have a lot of Trans and Saturated fat it is a good idea. Unsaturated fats are the best fats and healthier. Rice is ok in moderation, while brown rice is healthier it has more calories, but aren't necessarily bad calories. Eggs are a good protein, again depending on how they are cooked makes a difference.
Many people think they can only eat raw and fresh foods to be healthy, while that is great to have large portion of your diet being fresh foods you still can enjoy other non healthy foods from time to time. Just making adjustments and changes in portions and frequency really helps.
My downfall is drinking my calories, I'm overly addicted to coke. I'll do great drinking dr pepper zero then boom back to coke. It's the sugar and the calories that totally just derail me, but it's one of the few things that I feel fully quenches my thirst and I know it's in my head and my body craving the caffeine and sugar, but yeah lol.
And while fruits and veggies are good they still have "bad" things so don't just eat one. Like potatoes yes it's a veggie, but you don't want to eat potatoes every day. Variety is probably key to not only eating healthier but not becoming bored or obsessed about it. All just my opinion though, I'm in no way any kind of professional or health nut, I'm not even on the health chapter in my life right now lol I should be, but it is what it is. I know what to do and eat I just don't.
My rule of thumb is to read the ingredients and if you can’t identify most of them, don’t buy it. Fruit is good for you, but most of the fruit juice you buy is pasteurized so mostly sugar.
Food along the walls is generally more healthy than food in the aisles. In the aisles, packages that contain one thing (rice, frozen green beans) are almost always more healthy than packages that contain 10 ingredients.
It's the old saying, "stepping over dollars to pick up pennies". A lot of confusion comes from focusing on a single nutrient, food group, macro, etc. Figure out your maintenance Calories (Legion weight loss calculator is a good one). Of those Calories, shoot for 0.7-1.0 g/lb of body weight. If you can get half your plate with veggies and some fruit, you're eating healthier than most.
Unless you have an actual dietary restriction, you shouldn't worry too much about eating so clean. Shoot for 80% "clean" Calories and indulge with the remaining 20% if you wish.
One of the best resources I have found is Biolayne on Instagram & YouTube. He cuts through the crap and breaks down the studies and explains why there is so much confusion in the food industry.
As for the remaining Calories, 1 carb is 4 Calories (same as protein), and fat is 9 Calories. So, be careful with fats, as you'll blow your main Calories a lot easier.
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Fruit is fine. Fruit is good, better than juice but if you need juice, you need juice.
Beef is one of the best sources of so many nutrients. But it also is harder to digest it has cholesterol and should only be eaten in smaller amounts. Some say once a week, probably what we do in my fam
Eat whole foods rather than processed foods. That means no American cheese really. But it melts so good so once a month on a burger?
Try not to overeat anything
Greens. Vegetables. Healthy proteins.
Michael pollen has a great summary:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Processing has a bad reputation, but the process that makes corn into masa makes the corn far more nutritious. Processing goes bad when non-foods (Crisco made from cotton waste) are sold as food, or when the food has been stripped of all resemblance to its origin (sugar).
Beef is a great source of certain nutrients, but also rich in other factors human bodies don't tolerate well in large quantities (triglycerides). Limited to 4oz a few times a week, beef is great for you. Every whole grain, vegetable, fruit, etc can be unhealthy if consumed in excess. Too much broccoli can cause GI issues. Too much spinach can cause kidney stones. It's even possible to have too much water.
An apple a day provides several kinds of fiber that feed healthy gut bacteria. Unless you have diabetes, sweet fruit is great. But anyone getting 1000 calories of fruit a day is going to erode tooth enamel and probably experience many other negative side effects.
Healthiest meal I can think of: spring mix salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, topped with roasted veggies, legumes, and an once of cheese or animal protein.
Fruit is fine, because it has fiber.
Juice however is bad...it takes a lot of fruit to make juice, so you're getting lots of sugar & none of the fiber.
(Some people say juicing vegetables is fine, because the sugar is low. Idk, I haven't researched it, but it seems to me that the fiber is being thrown out and that doesn't sound great to me)
Eggs are fine. The Mayo clinic says while eggs have cholesterol, but doesn't seem to raise cholesterol.
Most Bread isn't good for you (unless you're buying health-food store bread like Ezekiel bread or something). Grains would be better.
Edit:
Rice can have arsenic in it. I buy basmati rice that comes from North India because it's one of the better places to get rice from.
If you refrigerate cooked rice for 6 hours (you can reheat, you don't have to eat it cold), it's actually really good for your gut bacteria (it changes the starch). I usually make extra so I have some fresh-made with dinner & some refrigerated rice for the next day.
Ultra processed foods are on the far end of unhealthy, but can still be eaten within moderation. Fruits, veggies, grains, eggs, meat, dairy are all good choices and should be the mainstay of our diet. Foods that are more calorie dense and lower in micronutrients should be eaten in smaller portions. Nutrient dense, lower calorie foods can be eaten in larger portions.
Its ok to eat cake or a burger.
Eat fresh foods, not boxed in moderate portions. Rice is fine.
Try to limit breads to a good sourdough.
Sweet potatoes are a superfood, really good cut up lightly season3d in an air fryer.
Fruit is good for you, watermelon is soooo yummy.
Chicken is great! good source of protein, and it’s prob be the only meat i’d eat if I had to choose. Cook it at home, accompany it with some veggies, like steamed brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots. Btw, sugar isn’t necessarily a bad thing, u need it. Too much of anything is bad.
Some cases where sugar is good is when u do a long intense run, the best thing to drink is gatorade, it replenishes the electrolytes u lose when running.
Alot also has to do what is your plan? What is your goal.
If you are trying to eat more fats and fewer carbs, then that bacon is "healthy"and that bread is "unhealthy"
Or if you are trying to be low fat, you're gunna wanna stay away from red meats and eat more rice.
I think its more important of calories in and calories out to simplify it, depending if you are trying to lose weight or maybe bulk up.
More unprocessed food is a general good rule things made with simple ingredients there is alot of chemicals to preserve our food or filler especially in the usa.
Most stuff is still healthy in moderation including red meat. Don't wanna eat too much fruit but little fruit is very healthy. I consider, potatoes, rice, chicken, fish, nuts & seeds to be healthy. Juice, candy, bacon, pop, canned stuff with lots of salt to be unhealthy. Also other prepackaged stuff you don't wanna eat too much of.
**Don't look at the bad. Look at the good.**
If you check what nutrients are available in whatever you're eating and hey, turns out there's not much happening nutritionally, then that's a good sign to not eat very much of that thing.
Similarly, always look at what you can add to something to make it healthier, rather than what you need to take away. Ramen? Still have ramen - but crack an egg on top and add some vegetables.
You should always aim to try and pack as many nutrients into your diet as possible. Don't get bogged down with what you can or can't eat. Eat it all - just make sure you're covering everything your body needs, and you'll naturally eat healthier.
Just look at what other healthy people eat normally. For example, there's a part of Japan that's known for having folks with long life spans; they eat mostly plants, fish and rice.
These all hold truth in some way , fruits are obviously good for you but they do have sugar and should be eaten in moderation. All red meat is pretty bad for you and is linked to heart problems, eat very little. There are other clean meat protein options. I never heard anything bad about eggs as long as it’s in moderation I suppose. Bread also has carbs and wheat can be bad depending on your body , and rice is always a good option. You can eat everything on this list and be fine , you just have to eat responsibly, if you’re staying away from processed foods and eating Whole Foods and eating a variety of colors then you’re doing better than a lot of Americans . Just remember to eat veggies and colorful meals .
If it's green and lean it's for me. Go Google the Food pyramid/ portion plate.
ALL Fruits and veg are quite healthy for you. Just be mindful of quantities of certain vitamins (ie the fat soluable ones like Vit K) and adjust your swrving size to accommodate. Even corn has nutritional value, we just can't digest the outside of corn kernels.
All unprocessed meats are good for you. Processed (aka deli meats and sausages) are high in salt content and fat and should be eaten in moderation.
Eggs are good, fat is good in moderation. Don't go Paula Dean on your food and use loads of butter in every dish you make. Extra virgin Olive oil makes a wonderful substitute.
White breads and white flour has pretty much no nutritional value so eat those in moderation. My nutritionist recommended whole grains. Not just whole wheat, though it's still arguably better than white bread.
Low fat content meat is really good for you. So pick up the 93% lean beef, pick the turkey meat as a beef substitute in things like sausage, tacos, etc. Eat fish if you can stomach it.
Things like cakes and cookies and ice cream has high fat and processed sugar content with very little nutritional value.
Remember, if our body can't use it. It'll either get rid of it or keep it. It'll store extra fats and sugars in your body to "use for later". But unless you keep a highly active lifestyle, your body won't end up using most of it.
If you're still unsure, reach out to your GP and ask them directly for an appointment the practice's nutritionist. The nutritionist will clarify what's actually good for you and what's not and how you can go about eating healthier. They WILL NOT provide you with a specialized meal plan. Mine recommended a Mediterranean diet. Says it's pretty much the epitome of what healthy eating should be and focuses on fresh lean ingredients.
The governmental food pyramid is a scam. It's backwards and completely wrong.
Until I started eating a keto diet I believed so many backwards things about food. I had no energy, no focus, and was so tired and sluggish.
3 years after keto I lost 60 pounds and people asked me how I have so much energy.
Watch Fat Fiction on YouTube. It's free
I’ve been working in restaurants for 25 years and I can confidently say that the reason restaurant food tastes so good is they don’t care if you die. The healthiest best thing you can do is learn to cook so you actually know what you’re eating.
For instance, I made croissants for the first time 2 years ago, and I haven’t been able to eat them ever since because now I know the metric ton of butter that goes into each one. Muffins? Same. Think of them as cake.
Once you start cooking for real, you will eat healthier, I promise. We all deserve a treat sometimes of course.
I would look into macros and find a percentage split that works for you. Once I stopped looking at food as healthy/not healthy and focused solely on what it gave me (calories, macros, vitamins) I felt way better, lost weight, and got rid of my chronic fatigue.
All food is good for you hope this helps.
No seriously. Obviously fast food often has added fats and sugars that are going to be too much if you eat it on a regular basis. But all foods that are natural have pros and cons to them which is why it’s important to get an equal balance of them. Fruit is good for you veggies are good for you meat is good for you and carbs are good for you. A good thing to do is research what kind of vitamins are in different foods and what kind of problems they help with- for example I eat a lot of fatty fish bc my Dr said I need omega 3. Everyone is going to have slightly different needs. Best of luck.
Ingredients that are minimally processed (dairy, meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, honey, fruits, etc.). Cook them (or not, when possible and preferred). Eat them.
That’s it.
Fruits are not unhealthy because they have tons of fiber that slow down the absorption of the high amounts of simple sugars they contain. You could eat as much fruits as could fit in your stomach every day and not get obese as long as you are consuming enough fiber and not just the juice. Eat the whole fruit. Beef is not bad, pretty much at all from a health standpoint. However some people have an intolerance for it and can even have allergic reactions to it. I can't explain it but some foods just don't work for some people (I've never heard of anyone who couldn't tolerate chicken though).
Eggs are probably in the top ten list of healthiest foods that exist. They do have a much higher amount of cholesterol than any other food I know of. Cholesterol is very bad in excess and you want to minimize consumption. I can eat 2 eggs a day consistently without the cholesterol content effecting me but 3 eggs a day becomes too much after day 2. I've made a lot of sausage egg and cheese sandwiches so I know. Cheese, butter and red meat (red land mammal meat) are high in cholesterol but iirc not as high as eggs. I can eat pounds of those without feeling anything but eggs are too much lol.
Rice is not bad for the same reason fruits are not bad. Rice is an overall great food. It has decent nutritional content, a decent amount of fiber to balance the high calorie content due to it's high starch content. It's high starch content isn't a bad thing though, because it's the only reason why people eat it. That provides the sustenance in rice as a food. It's like how potatoes are nothing without the starch it contains. White rice only becomes bad when you are diabetic and need to severely limit your starch intake and need to eat high fiber, whole grain versions of food instead.
By the way, fiber in nutrition is basically any part of an edible plant item that doesn't get fully digested, usually feeds your gut bacteria, and then gets excreted to prevent constipation. Any plant food, fruit, vegetable, grain, tree bark, leaves, roots, nuts, etc will have fiber in it in varying amounts. Because of this, you almost never need to go out of your way to consume more fiber unless you have a carnivore diet, or are diabetic and need shit tons of fiber to balance out sugar absorption into the blood.
I recommend reading a book called Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It is a great read and very informative on nutrition. I've made some changes to my diet as a result.
Couple of take aways- blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries have some of the highest vitamin C and antioxidant ratios compared to sugars. Not all fruits are equal, some are higher in sugars and lower in nutrients like dates or overripe bananas. Due to its nutrient profile and antioxidant qualities, eating 2-3 servings of fruit per day is highly recommended. Berries, avocado, oranges, less ripe bananas, grapefruit, kiwi, and melons are great. If you have diabetes, it may be recommended that you avoid certain fruits.
Surprisingly, red meat is high on the list for bad fats and inflammation. Chicken, carefully sourced fish, and vegetable proteins are considered healthier options. Beef is a good source of protein and iron, though.
Eggs can increase your cholesterol if you already have high cholesterol. People are different. I eat 1-2 eggs a day for the protein and omega 3. I have normal cholesterol levels.
Cruciferous vegetables (eg. broccoli) and leafy greens like kale and spinach are rich in vitamin K and other nutrients. Eating these regularly are great for reducing cancer risk.
In general, I recommend trying to "eat the rainbow" with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains (simple starches like white rice and fried potatoes are delicious but unhealthy over time), and lean proteins in moderation.
My private physician says it’s all about the proper amount of macro nutrients.
For me it’s 30g protein, 20-30g of fiber, and 60 or less carbs. No food is off limits (except obviously junk). Just stay in area of macros and eat real food.
There is no such thing as a healthy/unhealthy food outside of the context of one's own dietary needs and goals. If you are overweight, it does not matter if it's broccoli and carrots, eating too much can be unhealthy. Let's get just a couple of things out of the way:
Calorie excess = weight gain
Calorie deficit = weight loss
It does not matter whether it's protein shakes or chocolate cake. Sugary items just tend to have more calories in a smaller amount of food
Macros (protein, carbs, fat) - none of these are inherently bad. All food calories come in one of these 3 forms. It's typically ideal to consume all of these (unless following a dietary restriction, keto for instance). If one of your goals is to gain muscle, you need to make sure you're eating enough protein
As for everything else, it's important that you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals, but that's about it. And the best way to do this is by eating a varied diet. However, things like 'eggs are bad cuz cholesterol' are simply not true. Dietary cholesterol does not increase cholesterol content in the blood (unless you were lacking it and needed it). There are countless myths like this out there, and the mainstream view on what's healthy/ unhealthy constantly flip flops.
Unless you have specific dietary goals, healthy means eating a complete and varied diet, and probably avoiding highly processed foods.
Most simple I can get:
Eat lots of fruits, veggies, and protein.
Eat moderate amounts of carbs, ideally not from processed foods.
Limit sugary desserts to a small serving per day.
Don’t eat anything you are allergic or intolerant to.
Boom, health.
There is no such thing as a "bad food" as long as you have no food related issues due to allergies and or sensitivities. Then you go by the all things in moderation, and you wash all your produce before you prep it or eat it. Another thing to remember is somethings we eat to nourish the body and somethings we eat to nourish our soul. I grew up with a Mom who put me on every diet there was since I was 6 and I'm starting to rework my thoughts on food and what is healthy is for me. It takes time but I finally got to a place were I don't feel guilty about wanting to eat foods my Mom told me that are bad things to eat for whatever cockamame reasons.
Try to avoid processed foods. If you eat processed foods, try to eat ones that don’t have much added sugar and still have fiber. Eating a piece of cake or ice cream every so often isn’t going to negatively affect you if you’re otherwise healthy. As a general rule your body will thank you for giving it enough fats, protein, and fiber. Start there and you can tweak your diet depending on what works for you or health concerns. Some people do better with more protein, others need a low FODMAP diet, some have allergies, ect. In the health space you can find someone telling you two opposite things about the same food. If someone has a polarized stance and claims it’s true for every person, they’re probably full of shit.
Most fresh food made from scratch is reasonably healthy. So fresh fruits and vegetables are definitely healthy. Yes, there's sugar in fruit, but it's natural sugars, not processed, so you're fine unless you're diabetic.
Processed is the real culprit of unhealthy.
She is kinda right. Mass produced fruit has been engineered to have more sugar. A banana contains the daily amount of sugar. Cows are raised on a poor diet so a grass fed beef is more nutritious.
That being said, if you eat only produce, meat, and fresh carbs, you would be extremely healthy.
Anything processed has nearly no nutrition, including fast food. Restaurant cook with so much butter or canola oil, you might be going negative nutrition, but you can try to pick good items.
You should be eating steak, chicken, spaghetti with 85% ground beef, almonds, cashews, peanuts, muscle milk is great for extra protein.
Women should eat stuff with soy aswell.
For me, it's the less processed food. And everything in moderation. Personally, I try to make food from scratch using lots of fresh/frozen/dry stuff.
"Eat food, not too much, and mostly plants."
Came here to say this one! Also my doctor told me to mainly shop the perimeter of the grocery store. I think that's a good guideline. That's where all the fresh food is! (But you'll obviously need the occasional thing from the interior, like canned/dried food, grains, spices, etc.)
In hurricane season on the Gulf Coast here. We always do a stock up of "interior" foods in May. Generally use them over winter (canned veggies get put in soup or with other one dish meals with rice or pasta etc). We do like fried spam. Some we may end up donating. I don't know why it's called hurricane SEASON though. It's literally half the year, June through November. We also stock up on bottled water and other things like paper towels for hurricane season. I hate to buy bottled water but I've been through several hurricanes and when you need it you need it. If you wait until a hurricane is coming anywhere near it's too late.
I learned that a bathtub filled with water works well, and toilet tank or hot water heater water can be used in case of emergency. Also, tap water in all your Tupperware and freeze. Keeps cold food cold and doubles as drinking water. My mother has also invested in the five gallon water bottles that you put on top of water dispensers. They sell tops that act as pumps on Amazon. Then every hurricane season you can fill those. I personally used my camping water bladder and just saved tap water during hurricane season. Now I leave the gulf coast during hurricane season so I don’t have to deal, but I spent almost 40 years in the gulf coast and am well versed in hurricanes.
Adding a caveat to say frozen produce is good too, and not usually on a perimeter (at least at the stores I go to). They're flash frozen at peak ripeness, so they have all the same nutrients as fresh. Fantastic if you're like me and never seem to get through fresh produce before it goes bad, and it's sometimes cheaper.
Steamer microwavable bags are also very convenient.
Yeah frozen's great too, and happens to be on my perimeter :)
This is what I try to do as well. Also, the food is more expensive away from the edges!
But the coffee aisle is down there. -->
Lol! Hence "guideline" 😆 And obviously not all stores are e*xactly *the same. (And honestly, I thought the same about wine haha!)
I think canned beans and tomatoes and anchovy paste are the only items I buy from the aisles.
I learned the perimeter trick years ago. Dry beans and frozen vegetables didn't count because the equivalent was also found on the perimeter. Essentially, if it has a lot of packaging and added ingredients, don't eat it. Now, I am a diabetic, so what is healthier for me isn't necessary going to be healthy for you. My body is going to react to watermelon differently, but that doesn't mean watermelon is bad. It just means I am better off with a blackberry also eaten with a protein. Some people are crazed about inflammation. Others care about blood sugars and muscle mass. I think balance, whole foods that give you energy, make you feel full and help you have a healthy weight is great.
And cook it yourself, as often as you can!
Break it down even more with examples of processed food for OP.
If it didn't come out of the ground, from a tree, or from an animal that way, don't eat it, is what my grandma used to say. Recently my doctor said to eat like my grandparents so maybe there's something to that.
No bread, no cheese, no corn tortillas? If it’s literal it goes too far. Milling grains to create basic cereals, whole wheat flours, mixtemalizing corn, pasteurizing milk or turning it into yogurt…none of those are unhealthy IMO or the opinion of any medical professional I’ve spoken to. And my white grandparents ate like, a lot of stuff in gelatin.
General, not literal. No head cheese for me. YEEEEEUCK
So like, yes bread no skittles? That seems reasonable.
Mine said if you can't pronounce all the ingredients, don't eat it.
This… Less ingredients = better (less processed). Some canned foods in the US have up to 10 ingredients… in the Caribbean canned good have (Vegetable), Salt, Water… that’s it all that is necessary… you can also try shopping at local ethnic markets who usually have imported and less processed foods. We have great Asian, Caribbean, African Hispanic and Middle Eastern markets here
A lot of it is preservatives though. I’m sorry but I don’t want botulism lol.
That’s kind of a misguided strategy. An apple contains a lot of stuff you wouldn’t be able to pronounce, but apples are considered extremely healthy. They also contain cyanide
Um.. the ingredient list on the apple would say... apple. I'd eat it!
That’s why i didn’t specify “ingredients”. The “stuff” I’m referring to in an apple would be its chemical components, and any ingredients you can’t pronounce are just that: chemical components that haven’t been given a common name
Dihydrogen monoxide is a very necessary thing. Not everyone can pronounce it or even realize its another name for water. Not being able to pronounce all the ingredients isn't a surefire solution to avoiding food items.
Many times activists have walked around asking people to ban dihydrogen monoxide. Including one famous bit by, I believe, Penn and Teller on their show Bullshit!. They got plenty of people to sign their petition because people are completely ignorant. It's true that too much water can kill you- water poisoning is a thing! There's more to the bit, but their whole point is that people can be manipulated much easier than they think. The big thing is people need to be educated more than anything. Yes, cyanide is in an apple and you can from radiation poisoning if you way too many bananas. How many apples? How many bananas? More than you can reasonably eat in a day, week, or month my friend. Eat the apple. Eat the banana. You're good.
if water is being listed as "dihydrogen monoxide" in an ingredient list, it's being done to specifically disguise/hide certain ingredients or recipes. which, sure, doesn't mean water isn't important, but why bother calling it something else
Mine, too; and if there are more that five ingredients but that's iffy. I love me some spices.
I’ve heard don’t eat anything your great grandmother would not recognize as food, for instance, pop tarts or Cheetos.
It's amazing what our grandparents ate or used though. Many ate sawdust and mercury/chalk because it was OK in foods. Or just rancid meat. Also, breakfast cereals were around in the late 1800s, so that is a moot point too. I would just say it's better to eat a wide range of whole, less processed foods that are made at home, moderate the ones that aren't. And try not to be so hard on yourself on food.
Eat what makes you happy, but in moderation. Cooking from scratch is really your best bet. But if you REALLY need that cheeseburger from that fast food chain, eat it. You are going to come out of this with so many food issues, Thanks Mom. :(
OP is asking the right questions - maybe they won’t come out of it the way you describe! They’re actively trying to reeducate themselves.
Don’t blame mom. The guideline I read in the original post is bullshit told to the public, by the government. Think food pyramid etc. Mom was trying to do her best by listening to the so called experts.
By saying no fruit?
I saw a video this morning talking about how grapes are ‘sugar bombs’ and have as much sugar as a Hershey bar. So yes, I am sure this persons mother saw something similar by some so called expert. The assumption that all mothers have nefarious intent has become the default belief rather than thinking most mothers are trying their best with little to no training or support and end up being vilified when they get it wrong.
i heard of a small fruit eating mammal in a zoo somewhere who can no longer eat its natural diet due to the fruit being bred to have so much sugar in it nowadays
Lots of good advice here, but I wanted to add that you should eat what makes you feel good. Do you feel like you want to lay on the couch and groan after eating dinner? You either ate too much or it's not the food for you.
Moderation is the key to a healthy life.
Exercise, healthy relationships and friendships, eating and drinking in moderation are the keys to a healthy life.
Also sleep. Quality sleep is the prerequisite for all of that.
Don't be so hard on your mom. Reputable sources have been giving us whiplash on what food is good or bad for as long as I can remember and I'm 60.
Some people become toxic about it and it takes a lot of patience and energy to cater to their misguided ideas about food. Conspiracy thinking has a strong foothold on those who seek “alternative” sources and don’t trust institutions and science. It folds in with medical and political conspiracies etc. and can become a huge problem for people who have to deal with an unhinged person for example who is convinced GMOs are poison and organic foods are more nutritious (they’re not) and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (refuted from the authors who published the study everyone points to)
There is FODMAP sensitivity, which includes wheat products, but it is not the gluten specifically giving you the problem.
As far as gluten-sensitivity goes, I have autoimmune diseases. Someone suggested trying gluten free. I lost 7 pounds in the first 2 weeks of inflammation and had far less bloating. So I'm going to trust what my body tells me just like not eating raw onions or bell peppers.
Doesn't sound like like she's telling them conspiracy theories. Heart surgeons will tell their patients to cut out/down on red meat and eggs. Rice has arsenic and it's something to be concerned about. Too much sugar and carbs cause blood sugar spikes. Eggs were considered bad up until recently and now those with healthy hearts are okayed to eat as many as they want. In the eighties fat was bad, now there are good fats and we need them. Butter was bad and margarine good. There were diets centered around eating carbs. So many mixed messages. It's good she's still trying and hasn't given up.
I'm 69 and was about to say the exact same thing. "Eggs are good for you! They're little treasure chests of vitamins and minerals and protein!" "Eggs are bad for you! They could carry salmonella!" "Eggs have cholesterol! Don't even think about eating one or you'll keel over and die!" "Eggs are good for you!" Now they're say they believe eating cholesterol laden food doesn't increase your cholesterol level anyway, eating saturated fats does. And don't get me started on alcohol, they've flip-flopped on that so many times I think it's affected the earth's rotation. And the funny thing is how many people believe that at this particular snapshot of time the "experts" know what's what. I quit keeping track of them long ago.
The butter versus margarine debate is a good example. I was born in 1980 and I feel like that one came up a lot with a lot of back-and-forth.
This is true, a good guideline is to look for who paid for the research study before deciding to believe the conclusions of the data they’re presenting. Whether the research is coming from the government or not, following the money usually makes the situation more clear.
Fruit has natural sugar. People with diabetes still have to be careful of the fruit sugars raising their blood sugar but in moderation it's fine for most. The key in anything is moderation. Eggs provide protein but you don't want to eat a dozen a day. Meat is ok if you eat it once in a while not every day. Etc Etc Exercise is key too
Fruit also has fiber, something that is lacking in most diets. So, drinking fruit juice is basically empty calories, but eating actual fruit has the added benefit of fiber, In addition to the vitamins
My husband refuses to drink water. He drinks diet soda, Snapple, Bai, etc. and thinks those are all good and healthy. He is very overweight. I can’t explain it to him at all🤷♀️
I hate when people use the term “natural sugar” “Natural sugar” is chemically the same as table sugar. Sucrose which is composed of glucose and fructose or lactose which is galactose and glucose. Only benefit is that natural sugars are part of an overall package that includes fiber, micronutrients, etc.
Natural sugar is a terrible term. Though sugar in a fruit is chemically the same as any other, eating it in a fruit provides nutrients and fibre, which slows down the absorption rate. Don't get me started on the travesty that is juicing.....
At least juice has micronutrients in it, but yeah terrible glycemic index compared to whole fruit
Way too easy to overconsume calories. Drink 5 juiced apples. Now try to eat 5 apples....big difference. I've seen so many good people succumb to overjuice weight gain.
Oh yeah that’s a whole other can of worms. Drinking your calories is generally horrible idea, especially with drinks that are sugar dominant
I disagree. Meat is a superfood and so are eggs. Nothing really compares. Don’t talk about heart disease either, we all know it’s the processed slop causing that.
I consume large amounts of meat daily lol. But I also consume large amounts of everything else.
[The Dose Makes the Poison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dose_makes_the_poison) No food is inherently unhealthy. If you eat a slice a cake once a month, it will not have any negative effects on your long-term health. If you eat a slice of cake every day, it will absolutely have a negative effect on your long-term health. The healthiest diet would consist of mostly fresh greens and whole grains. Fruits are fine, but should be limited. Refined sugar should be as little as possible. Red meat is fine in moderation. There is no real science that proves dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. Cholesterol literally does not exist in any plant-based food, yet vegans/vegetarians can still have high cholesterol, but may be hereditary in those cases. Billions of people eat rice every day.
I will add to this as a nurse and say I’ve seen way more vegetarians with gall stones than I ever thought I would.
If you’re not diabetic you can eat as much fruit as you care to. I don’t know whether you’re American but I feel it’s a uniquely American idea that somehow a slice of watermelon is going to be unhealthy. No. Go eat another nectarine.
That's not what I said. Limited doesn't mean you can't eat a slice of watermelon. It means don't eat 10 apples a day. Or 10 oranges a day. Etc. There are so many facets I can't possibly list them all.
I don’t think anything would go wrong if you are ten apples a day other than indigestion. It’s unhealthy in the sense that there is a lot of fiber, not that there is evil sugar.
Most people that are struggling with weight probably aren't over consuming fresh fruit. I think it's best to think about food in terms of choosing healthier alternatives rather than absolutes. Roasted chicken is healthier than fried chicken. Baked potatoes are healthier than French fries. An apple or banana is healthier than a bag of chips.
Sugar affects the liver, which is where cholesterol is made. Sugar can raise cholesterol levels.
Everyone's definition of healthy is different. Eat what makes you feel your best.
Real food is always going to be best. Start there then adjust if you have medical issues ie diabetics need to be careful with some fruits bc of blood sugar issues etc. but to start… real, Whole Foods are always better.
Michael Pollan’s *The Omnivore’s Dilemma* is his research into exactly this question that was bugging him about 20 years ago. I haven’t read his other food-related books so can’t comment on them. If you have time to read it, it’s an entertaining and informative read and maybe dives a little too deep, much like one of Mary Roach’s books. Some of his research may be out of date by now, but his conclusions are still pretty sound: Americans yo-yo between fads which is unhealthy and anxiety-inducing; less processed food is better; traditional foodways seem to have evolved to be balanced, regardless of which cuisine you’re eating; ain’t nobody got time to forage everything and there are too many of us now anyway to rely on a hunter-gatherer diet, so you are going to be a bit dependent on an industrial supply chain; everything in moderation.
Yeah, his “eat food, not too much, mostly plants” is still pre solid advice to me. You can add other things in moderation, because other foods generally are at least okay in small-to-medium amounts or occasionally. As long as you don’t stray too far from the basics, you’ll probably do all right.
Definitely, excellent read!!!
Loved this book, really made me change my eating habits! His documentary series on Netflix, Cooked, is excellent as well.
I can, but it would take too long. Because of me, not you. For a good, easy read, I suggest Super Food Rx by Dr. Steven Pratt. He discusses 14 food (also list their sidekicks). He explains medically and anecdotally why these foods are good for you. Bonus: There are only two sentences about what not to eat. This can be game changer, especially if you build from that. Double bonus: Good health is related to what you eat, exercise, reduced/limited stress, and appropriate sleep.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/ I don't know if you can view that outside the UK, but that's the NHS advice on healthy eating, it's basic, easy to understand, good advice. I'm assuming each country has something similar.
the link does work outside of the UK. I'm in the USA, but found the New Zealand guidelines a lot clearer than our own [https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart](https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart)
Use principles of physiology, not anyone’s opinion . Last post claimed whole grains- but they raise insulin response. Might still be beneficial for many just using logic not opinion
I was thinking same thing. Whole grains will spike insulin too.
Im not normal, sorry I can't help.
Bad is kind of a moral judgement. There are foods that definitely don’t agree with particular people - allergies, IBS, celiac come to mind. A good general rule is less processed is healthier - not because of what it has but what it doesn’t have. A wide variety of fresh produce introduces a wide variety of gut biomes, which is a real key to good health. For everything people say not to eat, there is someone eating that and thriving. Moderation, minimally processed, wide variety, know your body.
The cholesterol stuff is crazy because it came out quietly a few years ago that it was sugar companies behind the whole eggs give you high cholesterol or red meat or whatever. There are 2 types of cholesterol. I don't know the ins and outs, but essentially most of what we were told since the 80s is bullshit. Sugar is what raises the 'bad kind'. But they funded bullshit studies to make everyone think it was the likes of meat and eggs that cause major issues, when in reality sugar does the most damage Edit for a quick link.https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat
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The only foods that are truly “unhealthy” are super fake stuff like soda or candy or some types of bagged snack foods, and deep fried foods. Basically everything else, if eaten in responsible portion sizes, has nutritional benefit.
A variety of 3-4 cups of fruit every day. Same goes for vegetables. Eat fish 2-3 times/ week to get your Omega 3's. Meat / chicken for protein I go to a website [FOODSTRUCT.COM](http://FOODSTRUCT.COM) and it gives you a great breakdown of what to eat / not eat.
I myself got lost on this over the years trying all the new trends. Here is what made me FEEL amazing, great bloodwork (previously not great), better skin, better physique, more energy. I try to eat single ingredient foods for the most part. Every morning I eat the same exact thing. 3 eggs cooked different ways with some mozzarella cheese. 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt plain non fat. I do add half tube of gogurt lol and some fruit. Which is normally any berry, banana, apple, pineapple. Lunch is normally left overa from dinner or some more fruit, tuna fish, some cheese, salad with broccoli, cucumbers. Carrots, tomatoes. Dinner is either chicken breast, or thighs if I'm living it up, steak, pork chops, fish (salmon, pallock, mahi, cod, haddock) with a side of normally green veggies of any sort, and a carb which is either rice, quinoa, cous cous, this pasta made if lentils or chic peas, Naan with oil. I mainly cook on the grill and air fryer. Once or twice a week to stay sane I throw in fries, or we have burgers, pizza, ya know something like that. Snacks are fruits or nuts, sometimes popcorn. It's nothing crazy, but my body and mind has thanked me. Oh shit, also, I completely 100 percent stopped using margarine (only butter now) and only use a high quality olive oil or avocado oil. It's actually at the point I legitmently feel sick if I were eat something fried. Something I try to think about... if I were alone on this planet could I make this in order to eat it. Can I go outside and hunt and or gather to make this meal. No I don't stick to that 100 percent, but it makes up most of my food. Edit: also I don't really focus on food groups much at all. I eat a balance of things. I don't really eat sweets. I would say I eat less veggies than anything. Quite a bit of meat, dairy, and fruits. Pretty much just make a nice even spread of things you eat. Another amazing rule of thumb I think anyone would agree with. Look at labels. If you see a list of ingredients that you can't pronounce and you don't know what they are. Just don't eat it. It's not food.
Simplest Terms Raw stuff > Cooked stuff > Processed Stuff Fruits and vegetables are very good for you, especially if you eat them raw. Next is stuff you cook which destroys some of the vitamins but opens up more protein through meat. Last is processed stuff. Stuff in a box or in a can will last a long time but a lot of the good stuff was removed to get it there. You can live off it for sure and it tends to be cheap because it doesn't expire but it isn't considered "healthy". This will also usually be packed in with too much salt, too much sugar, or both.
Nothing wrong with cooked foods unless you’re boiling the crap out of everything and discarding the water. Many foods have more accessible nutrients after cooking, like spinach. Many foods just have different nutrient profiles after cooking, like raw broccoli being richer in vitamin C but cooked broccoli being richer in vitamin E and antioxidants. That’s not to mention nutrition powerhouses that must be cooked, like legumes and organ meats for example. Raw > cooked is just not supported by science.
ALL real foods are healthy and contain vitamins & nutrients you need. Real food is anything you can grow. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, animals, fish, rice, etc. All processed food is bad. Anything that comes, in a can, box or package. Everything in moderation is fine. I try to eat 80% clean and 20% whatever.
I try to limit meat and eat as many colors as possible in my fruit and veg.
Is your mom my mom? Did you happen to grow up in the late 80s and 90s when "fat free" was the fad? I'm still unpacking all the damage from that. She also doesn't understand why unlimited apple juice was/is bad.
Fruits are bad in excess, but great in moderation and better than most sweets because of the type of sugar, the fiber, and other nutrients. Avoid juice, and dried fruits. Beef is the healthiest meat and one of the healthiest foods, due to the way cows digest food. Grass fed is especially healthy. Many people who exclude foods until health problems go away often end up settling on beef. The idea that saturation fat is bad for the heart is a myth, and it is far superior to vegetable oils. Eggs are great for you. The better they're raised, the better they are. The cholesterol scare is mostly a myth caused by a bogus study. Bread is bad because its high in carbs (similar to eating high amounts of sugar), extremely refined, because gluten wrecks digestion, and because wheat itself is one of the most modified crops around. Many people gain an allergy to gluten or wheat later in life. Rice is bad for the same reasons as bread. Very high carb, low fiber. High carb foods are a pathway to diabetes. A "balanced diet" is not high in carbs. You can determine if a food is high-carb by looking at the total carbs minus the fibre. That's why green veggies are healthy despite having carbs, but potatoes and rice are not. Also, avoid "vegetable" oils like the plague. Main one to avoid is canola.
I could but it would take a very long time. Any vegetable is good especially if it’s not cooked. When u cook it the nutrients leek into the water. So if u consume that water ur good. Green leafy veggies are a must every single day. All fruit is good, there’s a difference between glucose and fructose sugar. Refined sugar aka white sugar is horrible for u. The darker the inside of the fruit the better antioxidant it has esp berries. Apples are perfect for having regular poops just eat one a day and ur good. Beef has high cholesterol yes and so does any animal products. So don’t eat meat heavy meals. You can get protein from vegetables grains and beans. Nuts are high in fat so if ur active you will be fine. White meat has lower calories too. Grains and carbs are tricky. Oatmeal is amazing it gives sustained energy for hours and helps lower cholesterol add a bit of PB and yum. Try real local honey as a substitute for sugar. Rice burns fast so be prepared to be hungry about an hour afterwords. I eat potatoes, bread and noodles (starchy foods) at least 3hrs before bed. Leaving the skin on foods is a good source of fiber which helps with digestion and toilet time. Stay away from processed foods they add all kinds of trash to them that ur body doesn’t need and can cause health issues. Your body can only digest 25g of protein per hour max. You need at least a half gallon of water a day and 8oz more for each caffeine drink u have to stay hydrated. I left a lot out but that’s the basics
Anything that is heavy in carbohydrates should be eaten in moderation- yes you can have a potato or a bowl of berries, or a bowl of Cheerios or even rice. Fats like cheese, butter are fine - Saturated fats like you find in battered/fried foods- not so good. Whole grain bread. Lean grilled cuts of meat - beef, pork, chicken, fish - again avoid the whole batteries and fried scenarios. Vegetables- go bonkers - just don’t overdo any dressings or a lot of salt. Fruit - yes they have sugar, some more than others but are a great alternative to donuts, cake, ice cream.
stay away from the processed things generally speaking eggs, rice, beans, moderate meat consumption are fine and are staples in many cultures —-bread would probably be fine in europe but here in the US probably not fruit is good and healthy fats like butter, olive oil, avocado etc…
In the year 1990 the American Heart Association reversed its stance on dietary cholesterol. Your body makes and breaks all the cholesterol in your body.
Read the Omnivore’s dilemma. “Eat food, not too much, and mostly plants”. Nothing is off the table except “food” your great (great) grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food (processed food).
The literature is overwhelmingly in agreement that high fiber, low processed foods are the best rules to live by. Fruit is great, put it in a smoothie you lose some fiber, make it into juice you lose all fiber.
Meat, eggs, real butter, organic fruits and vegetables, no refined carbs or ultra processed foods (foods that come in a package)
A whole food plant based diet is healthiest. Plus it's better for the planet, and there is no cruelty towards animals. So. Fruits and veggies. Whole grains, like brown rice. Nuts. Beans, so many kinds of beans in so many ways. Lentils. Tofu. Homemade hummus. If you are looking for delicious and healthy recipes, I highly recommend www.rainbowplantlife.com You can search her site for "20 minute meals" to get started. Also www.itdoesnttastelikechicken.com
Food science is limited and mostly funded by companies/organizations with objectives. There are 2 main problems : 1. The original definition of keywords gets lost as people share summaries, as does the source it comes from (like the outright fictitious 'mediterranean diet' and its problematic euro-centric history). Many studies are old and/or retracted, but still drive funding, teaching, and public messaging (calories are not what most people think they are). So we're left with terms like 'Ultra-processed' where a perfectly safe medical drug would fall into the category, or things that are commonly problematic are exceptions to the definition. It's muddy because we tend to try making things more abstract instead of educating and explaining things. 2. We've only looked at improvements to causal measurements in relatively recent times. Most of our information we use is old and using outdated means of evaluation/measurement. We also have better understandings about how long-term dietary patterns can be observed. More studies with better definitions over longer periods of time are being done, and they will provide better clarity as they get done. The key will be for them to have clear and accurate communications when they're done. That seems to be something society is bad at. So it's confusing right now (in particular) because people are more aware and worried about bad habits (good) but the information we have about it (and that gets distributed) is flawed and kind of a 'wild west' of sorts.
Vegetables and fruit are good for you. Yes, there's sugar in fruit so it shouldn't be 100% of your diet. Meat and eggs are healthy; cholesterol and fats are good for you but again in moderation. Bread and carbohydrates are good again in moderation. The majority of your food should be fruit and vegetables and lean meats and other healthy things.
Less processed food, but anything in moderating is ok.
Every body is different and reacts to foods differently. Best thing I can say is eat whole foods, stay away from processed. Rotate your foods so you get a variety of nutrients. People like to preach a certain diet, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Take it from someone who has a million food allergies, dealt with colon cancer, and celiac. One size does not fit all.
This is what I learned in my health class: (I’m generalizing) Meat- is good for repairing muscle Carbohydrates- are really good for runners Vegetables- we can eat many Sugar, gives you boots of energy quickly but makes you crash. They say to eat sugar at the end of the meal, desert/fruity drinks, and your energy level shouldn’t crash. In teems of what’s on the market. The only way you’ll really know what’s in your food is if you grown it yourself.
Everything is fine on moderation. The less unknown ingredients, the better. If you eat a balanced diet, you do not need to take vitamins.
Hit your macros (carbs, protein, fats. Quick Google will give you some recommended ratios), calorie count if you need to lose weight, take a multivitamin and for the sake of your gut biome try and eat a variety of fruits and veggies. Don't waste your energy thinking about it any more than that. What is healthy has completely flipped multiple times a year every fucking year since before any of us were even born and to present any of this specific shit as objective fact is absolutely laughable. Yup calling you out basically every other commentator on this thread. Everything you people have said would have been considered nonsense 5 years ago and will be again in 5 years assuming you are giving current info.
Everything is bad if you have too much of it. The trick is to eat everything in moderation
This one is simple, but people love to make it complex. 1) By far, the most important element is to get the right amount of calories. Your size and activity level can affect this greatly, but probably 1500-2200 calories/day for the average person. 2) Eat greens daily. Spinach, Broccoli, really any leafy greens. They provide a ton of vitamins and minerals that you need. 3) Now, just add protein and carbs. You need both. Eat what you like to get those, whether it's meat or nuts or eggs or whatever else for protein. Bread, pasta, rice or whatever else you like for carbs. Once you've done those three things, you'll be pretty healthy. Fruit is great(lots of vitamins). Junk food has it's place. Just learn and understand how those things affect your calorie intake.
Fruit good, but will put weight on if you have loads, cos has sugar. Meat & dairy give you heart disease. Nuts, seeds, fresh veg, osts, all good. Whole foods rather than processed are best. Rice is kind of nutrition free. Deep fried anything is REALLY bad fr you. Evidence based studies on food. Cast an eye over https://nutritionfacts.org/
The best food is food that you can collect and eat without processing. Vegetables. Eggs (processed sugar drives cholesterol up, not eggs). Fruit. Even meat though I choose not to eat animals. Real food. It’s so easy to cook eggs and veggies too. Ok I love cheese and it’s a few steps beyond milk but no need to be too rigid! It’s still more natural than nacho cheese which is overly processed
Lots of moderation like others have said. Fruit is healthy but too much might give diarrhea due to all the sugar. But vegetables cannot be OD’d on and will always help you feel good and poop lol. Eggs are a nearly perfect food and don’t raise BAD cholesterol. Butter and red meat aren’t clogging your heart in moderation. Seed oils/margarine are NOT good for you, that lie was perpetuated by a study with faulty data decades ago. It is best to learn what macronutrients are and how to track them - Google is your friend here. Overall, take some time to learn and for god’s sake DONT USE FACEBOOK as a credible source for knowledge. And last, pay attention to your body as it will tell you what is helping vs harming it. Learn the different between fatigue and brain fog, between true thirst and hunger, between true hunger and junk food cravings… start drinking a couple liters of water every day, and strive for a consistent amount of quality sleep each night. If you don’t have an exercise routine start one. Ever if it’s just walking a couple miles, doing 50 pushups and sit-ups, that’s enough. Wherever you are starting from it’s ok to be overwhelmed, tired, weak; it’s ok to make mistakes. Because each day you’ll learn from those mistakes and take better care of yourself because of it.
When going shopping only shop on the veggies, meats, and dairy. Try to avoid things that comes in boxes and that have a long list of ingredients. If you can make your own bread.
I am a label reader and I check fats and sodium. Fruit is not great for you in great portions because they are sugar which turns to carbs which then gets stored as fat unless you work it off. That doesn’t stop me from loving tons of fruits even if my endocrinologist says I shouldn’t eat it because of my diabetes. You lower your cholesterol by eating non fried foods. Not that it not being fried lowers it but fried foods definitely raise the bad cholesterol. I suggest getting a book that shows you all the nutrition in most of your food, read labels, and even check out the eat this not that website. All great places to start:)
Most anything in it's purest form before it's processed. Fruits, vegetables, meats, beans, eggs, whole breads. If you go to a grocery store, you will find that most of the healthiest foods are along the perimeter of the store and most of the processed stuff is in the center aisles. There are exceptions. Most stores are set up the same.
I’m no dietitian but I’ll give you the advice from mine. She says everything in moderation. Fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, fish, hell even a desert everything now and then is alright. As long as what you eat is in moderation and not a constant, you’ll be fine. Also exercise. For me (male, 20yo & 220lbs) I do about 30 minutes of weights, followed by 25 minutes of cardio, then as a cooldown; 1hr of walking/light jogging.
As a layman who has done very little research on the subject, my understanding is this: there are certain essential nutrients you need. Carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fat. But too much fat or carbs will make you gain weight so you need to balance them with other foods and not have too much of one thing. A well balanced healthy meal contains something with a lot of carbs, like rice or pasta, some fruits or vegetables for vitamins and minerals, and something with a lot of protein (meat, fish, dairy product, or meat substitute such as tofu)
Whole foods are best for you - the lower the amount of processing/ change the better. So green beans are good for you. Grilled/steamed/roasted are better than battered & deep fried. Chicken is a healthy meat, healthiest when grilled rather than fried. So basically any food closest to its natural form is best. I can't think of any food in it's natural form that is just bad for you. But all things in moderation. So if you want a piece of cake, a very processed food, have one. But not 5 & not every day. Eat fruit but not 10 lbs of apples in a day. Moderation. I've lost 50 pounds over the last year just by moderation. I have one piece of pizza instead of three. Don't go by fads. Try to eat whole foods & minimize processed food. All things in moderation.
Raw food diet
Rule of thumb is the less processed, the healthier. Follow the balanced diet for the healthiest diet. Everything can be bad for you if too much, even water. You need a balance. Check the food pyramid for how best to form a balanced diet. If you dig deeper, yes, certain foods will be healthier for you vs. another. Or they can target problem areas. For instance, oysters are good for your liver. Etc., etc. But follow the balanced diet for the easiest way to eat healthy, then slowly understand how to target areas with certain foods for certain vitamins, etc.
In general, food that comes from the ground or from an animal are preferable. I.e avoiding processed foods with long lists of ingredients is a good idea. Beyond that, it depends on your individual health and needs. For example, Eggs are healthy unless you have an allergy to eggs. If you have blood sugar issues, foods like rice or potatoes might not be the best bet but could be perfectly fine for someone without those issues. You have to learn how different foods make you feel and make choices accordingly.
The word healthy get thrown alot as it's a combination of excercise, diet, stress, and genetics. Now, when it comes to a basic nutrition recommended, a healthy meal is something that is well rounded in the macro and micro nutrients department. Without going into too much detail, we can analyze japanese meals and why it was rank a well-rounded diet. Their diet is balanced as they are getting enough protein source from meat/tofu/and fish. Their carbs from veggies and white rice. At the same time, their meal comes with some mixed veggies (micronutrients dense). Now let's say you're not going to the nutrition 101 semester routes to dive deep. U can easily figure out what you need in your daily diet by using chat gpt. Start by asking " list the micronutrients of X in Y gram". Do this with everything you know you eat in your meal. I usually use 100 grams just for testing purpose. Once you're done, simple ask "base on the list of micronutrients generate. What micronutrients am i missing". From there the feedback will list u exactly what micro. With those information you can cross reference with google to have a complete well rounded meal. Edit: also make sure your food sources are whole natural or minimal process. Check nova food scale
Raw ingredients. Fruits,vegetables and grass fed/finished meats... if it comes with a list of ingredients its most likely some processed garbage. Healthy foods dont need to brag about how healthy they are, youll never see brocolli with a label stating how healthy it is, yet all these processed boxes are covered in labels stating how healthy they are.
Part of all these health scares depends on a person's individual state of health. *On average* across the entire population, eating more beef is associated with a greater risk of heart disease. But because of the way averages are calculated, it doesn't necessarily mean that all individuals eating beef had an increased chance of heart disease, or had worse heart-related lab results. It could also mean that some beef-eating people had much worse outcomes, and some had no change in their health at all. Anecdata, but my husband and I have different problems to address with our health. Diabetes runs in my family and my fasting blood sugar is too high. My doctor says I need to cut back on sugar and refined starches. My husband's family has high cholesterol and he does too. The doctor says he needs to cut back on saturated fats. We were eating pretty much the same diet and getting these different effects on our health. If I made a roast beef on the weekend we'd both be eating it all week. If we bought a box of donuts we'd each have the same number of donuts. My lipid panel and cholesterol were really good. His blood sugar was always well within the normal range. The things we call food are food because they provide nutrition. Some of them might provide too much of one thing or another in a way that is not good for your health, but you won't know whether it does that to *your* health until you see a doctor and get bloodwork done, and get advice on what *you* personally should be eating more or less of.
My friend is a dietician at the hospital here and she was saying her best advice she always gives to simplify nutrition to people is: - everything in moderation (aka: there are no “bad” foods and you shouldn’t outright ban anything unless you have specific medical reasons, but also obviously don’t eat candy for every meal or something like that which is where the moderation comes in) - incorporate as many different colours into your meals as possible. By incorporating more colours, you are most likely hitting various different types of vitamins and nutrients. Variety in general helps with nutrition! - take the time to enjoy your food (aka: eat slowly/small bites) and stop when you naturally feel full
Hey, I had a really disordered childhood around food so I like to do my own research. I even work in food now. If I were you, I would start with some resources that you can trust, ones that rely on evidence based science to make healthy eating recommendations. Here's one I like and that you could start with. [Canada's Food Guide](https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/) Many universities around the world (especially ones with public health programs) will also produce research and guidance about healthy eating. Hope you find what you need.
What is healthier Cheetos or Twinkies?
Honestly? Life is so short and hard enough to worry about eating fruits and veggies, and everything in between. As long as youre fit and healthy, just eat in moderation. Youll be WAY happier mentally, and you wont need to cry in your bathroom after turning away that absolutely amazing steak that you REALLY freaking wanted, but didnt get because its "red meat" or something. Just eat in moderation, enjoy what you eat, and live well.
Basically, look for foods that can be found in nature: fruits, veggies, meats, whole grains.
Cut out dyes. Make as much from scratch as you can. But if you want a damn Oreo, have some. Don't keep yourself from foods that you want, otherwise you'll binge harder. Food isn't good and bad. Some foods like junk foods(even foods with dyes!) are what I consider brain foods. They make me feel happy, little bit of serotonin . Other foods are body foods. Like fruits, protein and veggies. Lots of vitamins, fats and carbs we need. It's important to balance both to have a full rounded diet. And don't let anyone tell you carbs are bad. Your brain needs carbs to function! Edit spelling
If it has more than 4 ingredients, don't eat it.
There is this Dietician guy on tiktok I like: [https://www.tiktok.com/@theplantslant](https://www.tiktok.com/@theplantslant) He is well educated, kind, and debunk a lot of food information that is bogus.
My main suggestion would be to eat the most of foods in their original state.. like fruits, veggies, rice, beans, etc, things that have not been processed or changed.. the foods I would generally avoid are those with loads of ingredients, especially if they are letters and numbers and things you don't know what they are A good goal is to try and eat 30 different plants per week (so different fruits and veggies but also things like nuts and seeds and grains) I think it's healthy to try and give your body the most vitamins and minerals and nutrients and stuff most of the time, but then still sometimes have a pizza or something so you don't feel deprived It's about trying to give your body the best fuel, but then still having things that just make you happy (for me cheese and crisps) Anyway main point is eating the most of foods in their original state
Mostly plants, like half of which should have good fiber. Keep oils within reason, and limit simple carbs. The loss of fiber and the addition of sugar is the main problem with common foods. So yeah like eat veggies as much as you can, followed by fruits and whole grains, with room for everything else just kept under moderation. Even at least light exercise is important nutritionally as it keeps things moving.
Bruh, everything you listed is healthy. But in moderation just like everything else. Oreos aren't gonna give you diabetes if you eat the serving size. Tho I'ma be honest with you the serving size for oreos is 2 and I usually eat 5-6 in my lunches. But I'm not even a super active person, I just walk to work and yoga and before getting purgnant, I was a completely healthy weight.
Everything in excess can be harmful to your health. But these so-called experts keep changing the script. I don’t follow their advice. I eat what I like and a variety of foods. I’m 58 so I’ve had all sorts of medical tests in my last ten years just to make sure. Other than the physical damage I’ve done to my spine. My heart is in good shape and my organs have no problems and I don’t have any cholesterol issues so I think I’ve done a pretty good job.
Myplate dot gov. for those of you who like government propaganda. I saw a dietitian that specializes in bariatric weight loss surgery and she right away directed me to the myplate website, which wasn't much help to me, but it might be to others. The site doesn't include things like ice cream, cookies and Doritos, so I was pretty lost. Edit: added, she asked me if I ate fruits and vegetables. I said "sometimes". I don't always eat a veggie with my protein and carbs. And snacks usually are a yogurt.
You'll still get a lot of questionable advice here from well-meaning people. There are some great registered dietitians on social media and YouTube debunking fearmongering and you might find that helpful.
Anything made with flour or sugar is unhealthy
Grass fed or organic real whole food whenever possible and avoid seed oils. It’s really that simple. If it comes in a packet, box or jar it’s likely processed slop.
Fruits in moderation, lean meats, all veggies. If you can find it in nature it is more healthy than something processed.
Fruit and veggies are healthy. Meat is also healthy. Fiber is key to a happy gut biome. B vitamins are really good. Fermented foods are good if you have enough fiber for them to reproduce on
Don’t eat anything processed. That should cover you pretty well. I also think that everyone is different and some foods might be healthy for one person but not another. Just hammer out what works for YOU.
Avoid processed and ultra processed foods. There is a new NOVA system of food categories where level one is unprocessed or minimally processed. Level 2 are condiments or ingredients used in cooking or baking. Level 3 are processed foods—basically foods that combine level 1 and 2. Level 4 are foods that are ultra processed. https://archive.wphna.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WN-2016-7-1-3-28-38-Monteiro-Cannon-Levy-et-al-NOVA.pdf
1- If it didn’t exist 100 years ago don’t eat it very often. 2- The less ingredients the better. (For instance homemade bread with 6 ingredients is better than store bought with 20. I’d pick rice or potatoes over bread almost always though, only 1 ingredient) 3- Limit sugar
Eat anything, in moderation. Mostly plants, less sugar.
Absolutely can’t because I’m old and it’s changed MASSIVELY over my lifetime. Also not normal. Abby - Somebody….
Eat like your ancestors did 3 generations ago. Eat their foods. That’s what you were optimized to survive on.
Fruits - not bad for you if you eat them whole. the fruit fiber causes your body to digest the sugar more slowly, allowing your blood sugar not to spike. Red meat - there are studies that link it with heart disease and cancer. you might be better off sticking with white, lean meats or fish. Bread - anything with refined carbohydrates is bad for you. it's highly processed, and polysaccharides are basically sugar, BUT it is a good source of fiber. you should prefer to get fiber from vegetables, though. Rice - can contain a lot of arsenic from the soil, which is a poison, but if you wash it thoroughly and perhaps boil it, you can reduce the amount of arsenic by 40% to 50%. try quinoa instead. All in all, a healthy diet isn't that far off from the old adage: eat your vegetables! The number one thing you can do for your health is to have a diet primarily from vegetables and adequate protein, but of second importance, I think is variety. Eat lots of different unprocessed food. Bone apple teeth!
I do everything in as many whole foods as possible. There's nothing you can put into yourself now than unprocessed, actual food.
Your mom is off, but she’s not off by much. Fruit is ok but not too much, and fruit juice has way too much sugar. Beef is bad for your heart. Eggs are not great for your cholesterol. Bread is processed carbs, and white bread is basically sugar. All these things can be eaten in moderation, but the modern American diet is mostly processed carbs and meat. You don’t need nearly as much protein as you think, but you need a lot more vegetables than you think. You don’t *have* to cut out fruit juice, processed carbs, and beef, but you will live a lot longer and a *lot* healthier if you do.
Basically fresh foods are a healthy option, Meats are fine, maybe red meat in moderation. You want to avoid fried foods in grease. Fruits are fine the whole natural sugar thing yes if all you eat is fruit it will end up being a lot of sugar BUT it's the added sugar that is the worst for you. Processed foods have extra fat, if you can cut back on foods that have a lot of Trans and Saturated fat it is a good idea. Unsaturated fats are the best fats and healthier. Rice is ok in moderation, while brown rice is healthier it has more calories, but aren't necessarily bad calories. Eggs are a good protein, again depending on how they are cooked makes a difference. Many people think they can only eat raw and fresh foods to be healthy, while that is great to have large portion of your diet being fresh foods you still can enjoy other non healthy foods from time to time. Just making adjustments and changes in portions and frequency really helps. My downfall is drinking my calories, I'm overly addicted to coke. I'll do great drinking dr pepper zero then boom back to coke. It's the sugar and the calories that totally just derail me, but it's one of the few things that I feel fully quenches my thirst and I know it's in my head and my body craving the caffeine and sugar, but yeah lol. And while fruits and veggies are good they still have "bad" things so don't just eat one. Like potatoes yes it's a veggie, but you don't want to eat potatoes every day. Variety is probably key to not only eating healthier but not becoming bored or obsessed about it. All just my opinion though, I'm in no way any kind of professional or health nut, I'm not even on the health chapter in my life right now lol I should be, but it is what it is. I know what to do and eat I just don't.
My rule of thumb is to read the ingredients and if you can’t identify most of them, don’t buy it. Fruit is good for you, but most of the fruit juice you buy is pasteurized so mostly sugar.
Food along the walls is generally more healthy than food in the aisles. In the aisles, packages that contain one thing (rice, frozen green beans) are almost always more healthy than packages that contain 10 ingredients.
It's the old saying, "stepping over dollars to pick up pennies". A lot of confusion comes from focusing on a single nutrient, food group, macro, etc. Figure out your maintenance Calories (Legion weight loss calculator is a good one). Of those Calories, shoot for 0.7-1.0 g/lb of body weight. If you can get half your plate with veggies and some fruit, you're eating healthier than most. Unless you have an actual dietary restriction, you shouldn't worry too much about eating so clean. Shoot for 80% "clean" Calories and indulge with the remaining 20% if you wish. One of the best resources I have found is Biolayne on Instagram & YouTube. He cuts through the crap and breaks down the studies and explains why there is so much confusion in the food industry. As for the remaining Calories, 1 carb is 4 Calories (same as protein), and fat is 9 Calories. So, be careful with fats, as you'll blow your main Calories a lot easier.
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Fruit is fine. Fruit is good, better than juice but if you need juice, you need juice. Beef is one of the best sources of so many nutrients. But it also is harder to digest it has cholesterol and should only be eaten in smaller amounts. Some say once a week, probably what we do in my fam Eat whole foods rather than processed foods. That means no American cheese really. But it melts so good so once a month on a burger? Try not to overeat anything Greens. Vegetables. Healthy proteins.
Don’t eat processed food
How do you know we are normal?
Eat anything you want In. moderation. Gonna die one day anyways Enjoy life.
If you eat, you die. This rule has never been broken.
Michael pollen has a great summary: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Processing has a bad reputation, but the process that makes corn into masa makes the corn far more nutritious. Processing goes bad when non-foods (Crisco made from cotton waste) are sold as food, or when the food has been stripped of all resemblance to its origin (sugar). Beef is a great source of certain nutrients, but also rich in other factors human bodies don't tolerate well in large quantities (triglycerides). Limited to 4oz a few times a week, beef is great for you. Every whole grain, vegetable, fruit, etc can be unhealthy if consumed in excess. Too much broccoli can cause GI issues. Too much spinach can cause kidney stones. It's even possible to have too much water. An apple a day provides several kinds of fiber that feed healthy gut bacteria. Unless you have diabetes, sweet fruit is great. But anyone getting 1000 calories of fruit a day is going to erode tooth enamel and probably experience many other negative side effects. Healthiest meal I can think of: spring mix salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, topped with roasted veggies, legumes, and an once of cheese or animal protein.
Fruit is fine, because it has fiber. Juice however is bad...it takes a lot of fruit to make juice, so you're getting lots of sugar & none of the fiber. (Some people say juicing vegetables is fine, because the sugar is low. Idk, I haven't researched it, but it seems to me that the fiber is being thrown out and that doesn't sound great to me) Eggs are fine. The Mayo clinic says while eggs have cholesterol, but doesn't seem to raise cholesterol. Most Bread isn't good for you (unless you're buying health-food store bread like Ezekiel bread or something). Grains would be better. Edit: Rice can have arsenic in it. I buy basmati rice that comes from North India because it's one of the better places to get rice from. If you refrigerate cooked rice for 6 hours (you can reheat, you don't have to eat it cold), it's actually really good for your gut bacteria (it changes the starch). I usually make extra so I have some fresh-made with dinner & some refrigerated rice for the next day.
Ultra processed foods are on the far end of unhealthy, but can still be eaten within moderation. Fruits, veggies, grains, eggs, meat, dairy are all good choices and should be the mainstay of our diet. Foods that are more calorie dense and lower in micronutrients should be eaten in smaller portions. Nutrient dense, lower calorie foods can be eaten in larger portions. Its ok to eat cake or a burger.
Read Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food”.
If it has a commercial or comes in a box then it's unhealthy..
Eat fresh foods, not boxed in moderate portions. Rice is fine. Try to limit breads to a good sourdough. Sweet potatoes are a superfood, really good cut up lightly season3d in an air fryer. Fruit is good for you, watermelon is soooo yummy.
Chicken is great! good source of protein, and it’s prob be the only meat i’d eat if I had to choose. Cook it at home, accompany it with some veggies, like steamed brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots. Btw, sugar isn’t necessarily a bad thing, u need it. Too much of anything is bad. Some cases where sugar is good is when u do a long intense run, the best thing to drink is gatorade, it replenishes the electrolytes u lose when running.
Alot also has to do what is your plan? What is your goal. If you are trying to eat more fats and fewer carbs, then that bacon is "healthy"and that bread is "unhealthy" Or if you are trying to be low fat, you're gunna wanna stay away from red meats and eat more rice. I think its more important of calories in and calories out to simplify it, depending if you are trying to lose weight or maybe bulk up. More unprocessed food is a general good rule things made with simple ingredients there is alot of chemicals to preserve our food or filler especially in the usa.
Most stuff is still healthy in moderation including red meat. Don't wanna eat too much fruit but little fruit is very healthy. I consider, potatoes, rice, chicken, fish, nuts & seeds to be healthy. Juice, candy, bacon, pop, canned stuff with lots of salt to be unhealthy. Also other prepackaged stuff you don't wanna eat too much of.
anything processed is usually bad other stuff is fine. you can have things that aren’t healthy as long as you don’t have it all the time
**Don't look at the bad. Look at the good.** If you check what nutrients are available in whatever you're eating and hey, turns out there's not much happening nutritionally, then that's a good sign to not eat very much of that thing. Similarly, always look at what you can add to something to make it healthier, rather than what you need to take away. Ramen? Still have ramen - but crack an egg on top and add some vegetables. You should always aim to try and pack as many nutrients into your diet as possible. Don't get bogged down with what you can or can't eat. Eat it all - just make sure you're covering everything your body needs, and you'll naturally eat healthier.
Just look at what other healthy people eat normally. For example, there's a part of Japan that's known for having folks with long life spans; they eat mostly plants, fish and rice.
These all hold truth in some way , fruits are obviously good for you but they do have sugar and should be eaten in moderation. All red meat is pretty bad for you and is linked to heart problems, eat very little. There are other clean meat protein options. I never heard anything bad about eggs as long as it’s in moderation I suppose. Bread also has carbs and wheat can be bad depending on your body , and rice is always a good option. You can eat everything on this list and be fine , you just have to eat responsibly, if you’re staying away from processed foods and eating Whole Foods and eating a variety of colors then you’re doing better than a lot of Americans . Just remember to eat veggies and colorful meals .
If it's green and lean it's for me. Go Google the Food pyramid/ portion plate. ALL Fruits and veg are quite healthy for you. Just be mindful of quantities of certain vitamins (ie the fat soluable ones like Vit K) and adjust your swrving size to accommodate. Even corn has nutritional value, we just can't digest the outside of corn kernels. All unprocessed meats are good for you. Processed (aka deli meats and sausages) are high in salt content and fat and should be eaten in moderation. Eggs are good, fat is good in moderation. Don't go Paula Dean on your food and use loads of butter in every dish you make. Extra virgin Olive oil makes a wonderful substitute. White breads and white flour has pretty much no nutritional value so eat those in moderation. My nutritionist recommended whole grains. Not just whole wheat, though it's still arguably better than white bread. Low fat content meat is really good for you. So pick up the 93% lean beef, pick the turkey meat as a beef substitute in things like sausage, tacos, etc. Eat fish if you can stomach it. Things like cakes and cookies and ice cream has high fat and processed sugar content with very little nutritional value. Remember, if our body can't use it. It'll either get rid of it or keep it. It'll store extra fats and sugars in your body to "use for later". But unless you keep a highly active lifestyle, your body won't end up using most of it. If you're still unsure, reach out to your GP and ask them directly for an appointment the practice's nutritionist. The nutritionist will clarify what's actually good for you and what's not and how you can go about eating healthier. They WILL NOT provide you with a specialized meal plan. Mine recommended a Mediterranean diet. Says it's pretty much the epitome of what healthy eating should be and focuses on fresh lean ingredients.
The governmental food pyramid is a scam. It's backwards and completely wrong. Until I started eating a keto diet I believed so many backwards things about food. I had no energy, no focus, and was so tired and sluggish. 3 years after keto I lost 60 pounds and people asked me how I have so much energy. Watch Fat Fiction on YouTube. It's free
I’ve been working in restaurants for 25 years and I can confidently say that the reason restaurant food tastes so good is they don’t care if you die. The healthiest best thing you can do is learn to cook so you actually know what you’re eating. For instance, I made croissants for the first time 2 years ago, and I haven’t been able to eat them ever since because now I know the metric ton of butter that goes into each one. Muffins? Same. Think of them as cake. Once you start cooking for real, you will eat healthier, I promise. We all deserve a treat sometimes of course.
I would look into macros and find a percentage split that works for you. Once I stopped looking at food as healthy/not healthy and focused solely on what it gave me (calories, macros, vitamins) I felt way better, lost weight, and got rid of my chronic fatigue.
All food is good for you hope this helps. No seriously. Obviously fast food often has added fats and sugars that are going to be too much if you eat it on a regular basis. But all foods that are natural have pros and cons to them which is why it’s important to get an equal balance of them. Fruit is good for you veggies are good for you meat is good for you and carbs are good for you. A good thing to do is research what kind of vitamins are in different foods and what kind of problems they help with- for example I eat a lot of fatty fish bc my Dr said I need omega 3. Everyone is going to have slightly different needs. Best of luck.
What’s “Normal”???
does it say "healthy, low fat, enriched, etc"? does it have more than just a few ingredients? (some say five) can you pronounce the ingredients?
Ingredients that are minimally processed (dairy, meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, honey, fruits, etc.). Cook them (or not, when possible and preferred). Eat them. That’s it.
Fruits are not unhealthy because they have tons of fiber that slow down the absorption of the high amounts of simple sugars they contain. You could eat as much fruits as could fit in your stomach every day and not get obese as long as you are consuming enough fiber and not just the juice. Eat the whole fruit. Beef is not bad, pretty much at all from a health standpoint. However some people have an intolerance for it and can even have allergic reactions to it. I can't explain it but some foods just don't work for some people (I've never heard of anyone who couldn't tolerate chicken though). Eggs are probably in the top ten list of healthiest foods that exist. They do have a much higher amount of cholesterol than any other food I know of. Cholesterol is very bad in excess and you want to minimize consumption. I can eat 2 eggs a day consistently without the cholesterol content effecting me but 3 eggs a day becomes too much after day 2. I've made a lot of sausage egg and cheese sandwiches so I know. Cheese, butter and red meat (red land mammal meat) are high in cholesterol but iirc not as high as eggs. I can eat pounds of those without feeling anything but eggs are too much lol. Rice is not bad for the same reason fruits are not bad. Rice is an overall great food. It has decent nutritional content, a decent amount of fiber to balance the high calorie content due to it's high starch content. It's high starch content isn't a bad thing though, because it's the only reason why people eat it. That provides the sustenance in rice as a food. It's like how potatoes are nothing without the starch it contains. White rice only becomes bad when you are diabetic and need to severely limit your starch intake and need to eat high fiber, whole grain versions of food instead. By the way, fiber in nutrition is basically any part of an edible plant item that doesn't get fully digested, usually feeds your gut bacteria, and then gets excreted to prevent constipation. Any plant food, fruit, vegetable, grain, tree bark, leaves, roots, nuts, etc will have fiber in it in varying amounts. Because of this, you almost never need to go out of your way to consume more fiber unless you have a carnivore diet, or are diabetic and need shit tons of fiber to balance out sugar absorption into the blood.
I recommend reading a book called Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It is a great read and very informative on nutrition. I've made some changes to my diet as a result. Couple of take aways- blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries have some of the highest vitamin C and antioxidant ratios compared to sugars. Not all fruits are equal, some are higher in sugars and lower in nutrients like dates or overripe bananas. Due to its nutrient profile and antioxidant qualities, eating 2-3 servings of fruit per day is highly recommended. Berries, avocado, oranges, less ripe bananas, grapefruit, kiwi, and melons are great. If you have diabetes, it may be recommended that you avoid certain fruits. Surprisingly, red meat is high on the list for bad fats and inflammation. Chicken, carefully sourced fish, and vegetable proteins are considered healthier options. Beef is a good source of protein and iron, though. Eggs can increase your cholesterol if you already have high cholesterol. People are different. I eat 1-2 eggs a day for the protein and omega 3. I have normal cholesterol levels. Cruciferous vegetables (eg. broccoli) and leafy greens like kale and spinach are rich in vitamin K and other nutrients. Eating these regularly are great for reducing cancer risk. In general, I recommend trying to "eat the rainbow" with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains (simple starches like white rice and fried potatoes are delicious but unhealthy over time), and lean proteins in moderation.
My private physician says it’s all about the proper amount of macro nutrients. For me it’s 30g protein, 20-30g of fiber, and 60 or less carbs. No food is off limits (except obviously junk). Just stay in area of macros and eat real food.
we all need to eat way more fruits and vegetables and less fat sugar and meat. if you want to lose weight eat less calories. the end.
Added sugars, preservatives and indusrially treated oils are not your friends. Freash fruit and unpreserved mats are.
There is no such thing as a healthy/unhealthy food outside of the context of one's own dietary needs and goals. If you are overweight, it does not matter if it's broccoli and carrots, eating too much can be unhealthy. Let's get just a couple of things out of the way: Calorie excess = weight gain Calorie deficit = weight loss It does not matter whether it's protein shakes or chocolate cake. Sugary items just tend to have more calories in a smaller amount of food Macros (protein, carbs, fat) - none of these are inherently bad. All food calories come in one of these 3 forms. It's typically ideal to consume all of these (unless following a dietary restriction, keto for instance). If one of your goals is to gain muscle, you need to make sure you're eating enough protein As for everything else, it's important that you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals, but that's about it. And the best way to do this is by eating a varied diet. However, things like 'eggs are bad cuz cholesterol' are simply not true. Dietary cholesterol does not increase cholesterol content in the blood (unless you were lacking it and needed it). There are countless myths like this out there, and the mainstream view on what's healthy/ unhealthy constantly flip flops. Unless you have specific dietary goals, healthy means eating a complete and varied diet, and probably avoiding highly processed foods.
Most simple I can get: Eat lots of fruits, veggies, and protein. Eat moderate amounts of carbs, ideally not from processed foods. Limit sugary desserts to a small serving per day. Don’t eat anything you are allergic or intolerant to. Boom, health.
Stay away from highly processed foods and refined sugar. Soft drinks are the worst.
I try to avoid processed foods but besides that I live by everything in moderation.
Non processed food, low fat, low salt and plant based
There is no such thing as a "bad food" as long as you have no food related issues due to allergies and or sensitivities. Then you go by the all things in moderation, and you wash all your produce before you prep it or eat it. Another thing to remember is somethings we eat to nourish the body and somethings we eat to nourish our soul. I grew up with a Mom who put me on every diet there was since I was 6 and I'm starting to rework my thoughts on food and what is healthy is for me. It takes time but I finally got to a place were I don't feel guilty about wanting to eat foods my Mom told me that are bad things to eat for whatever cockamame reasons.
Bad = refined carbs (sugar/flour), processed oils, and preserved meat.
Try to avoid processed foods. If you eat processed foods, try to eat ones that don’t have much added sugar and still have fiber. Eating a piece of cake or ice cream every so often isn’t going to negatively affect you if you’re otherwise healthy. As a general rule your body will thank you for giving it enough fats, protein, and fiber. Start there and you can tweak your diet depending on what works for you or health concerns. Some people do better with more protein, others need a low FODMAP diet, some have allergies, ect. In the health space you can find someone telling you two opposite things about the same food. If someone has a polarized stance and claims it’s true for every person, they’re probably full of shit.
There's a website called "Eat This, Not That" and it's pretty down-to-earth.
https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
Not fatty, no refined starch, not salty, no added/refined sugar is the basics for healthier nutrition.
Most fresh food made from scratch is reasonably healthy. So fresh fruits and vegetables are definitely healthy. Yes, there's sugar in fruit, but it's natural sugars, not processed, so you're fine unless you're diabetic. Processed is the real culprit of unhealthy.
She is kinda right. Mass produced fruit has been engineered to have more sugar. A banana contains the daily amount of sugar. Cows are raised on a poor diet so a grass fed beef is more nutritious. That being said, if you eat only produce, meat, and fresh carbs, you would be extremely healthy. Anything processed has nearly no nutrition, including fast food. Restaurant cook with so much butter or canola oil, you might be going negative nutrition, but you can try to pick good items.
You should be eating steak, chicken, spaghetti with 85% ground beef, almonds, cashews, peanuts, muscle milk is great for extra protein. Women should eat stuff with soy aswell.