By: Holly L. Goroff MS, RD, CDN
Welcome back! Glad you have returned. If you are new to this
week’s series, you may want to read Part
1 of Fact or Fad first.
So let’s just jump right into where we left of. Considering what
we discussed in the previous post, think of your healthy food as being a result
of the following equation:
{My Healthy Food = ‘Standard Healthy Food Recommendation’ + YOU}
STANDARD HEALTHY FOOD RECOMMENDATION*
Generally healthy
recommendation of eating whole foods, fruit and vegetables (flash frozen is an
excellent and affordable alternative to fresh foods) lean meats, low sugar,
salt, trans and saturated fats. Focus on foods that are minimally processed to
avoid eating lots of fillers and hard-to-identify ingredients.
*This is not meant a
comprehensive list, but a general concept with selected examples of healthy
foods.
In addition to the standard recommendations, what is unique
to your life that changes your needs? Do you have increased nutritional needs
because you’re an athlete, pregnant or recovering from an illness? Do you have
allergies or intolerances? Identifying this will help you sort through the
multitude of health claims that make us all feel like we need all the foods
with the special claims.
Here is an example.
If someone is gluten intolerant or has Celiac disease, it is wise for them to
adopt a gluten-free diet. A gluten-free diet is not like a weight- loss diet
where you can ‘cheat’ and just start again later. Celiac is an immune reaction
causing inflammation of your gut, and therefore, malabsorption and potential
nutrient deficiencies. If someone requires a gluten-free diet, they need to be
gluten-free 100% of the time.
If you have no intolerance for gluten or no diagnosis of
Celiac disease, having a gluten-free item is not a healthier choice than a
gluten-containing item. In other words, having a sandwich with gluten-free bread
and then later a gluten-containing brownie is a useless combination. Either you
need to be gluten free or you don’t. A gluten-free food item does not make it
healthier. It does make it more expensive though.
Another example: Carbohydrates (Carbs) are a needed nutrient
(MUCH needed). Carbs come from grains and plant sugars. There are no carbs in
protein or fat. Carbs do not cause someone to gain weight – eating too much
does! Balance your meals and don’t overeat and you’ll be fine. If you are
trying to eat healthy then you are likely also trying stay away from overly
processed foods as recommended. Remember that low carb does NOT mean healthier.
But, if you are choosing to eat low carb just eat less carbs! No need to
purchase a carb that says it’s not.
You get the idea…
Now that we have established the foundational principle of
health/healthy foods, let’s create a simple series of questions we can apply to
ask ourselves, “is this food actually healthy for me or not.”
- Is this food WHOLE? Meaning in its original form or close to it?
- Fresh or frozen fruit or vegetables, fresh meat or fish, plain bagged rice etc. As opposed to Rice-A-Roni. If yes – it’s sounding healthy!
- If it’s a packaged good, is there a health claim and is it relevant to you?
- i.e. gluten-free. Do you require gluten free foods? If yes, this might be a good choice, if no, then probably not.
- Are you buying a packaged good for a reason (nutrition or health claim - i.e. antioxidant rich) that you can easily get from eating whole foods like fruit and vegetables?
- If yes, consider replacing the package with some blueberries! (for antioxidants at least).
- What is the first ingredient? The first ingredient is also the primary ingredient.
- For whole grain anything, the first ingredient should have the word ‘whole’ in it. If it’s enriched, refined white flour, sugar or similar, put it down or know it’s a treat (if it’s cake or some other indulgence).
- Does it seem like there are a lot of ingredients for a simple item (example: tomato sauce)?
- If, yes, my guess is it is highly processed and it likely has lots of additives you don’t need for maximally healthy food.
If you can get the majority of your diet to consist of
healthy foods, you‘re in a great place for keeping a healthy body! Completely
eliminating the yummy treats you love that fall under the ‘not-so healthy’
category is a recipe for disaster. Allow yourself some treats but also treat
your body well, by choosing wisely most of the time.
If you commented in
part 1’s post, think back to your response and let me know what foods you
thought were healthy and are now thinking otherwise? Post your strategies for
healthier shopping.
If you have further questions feel free to post them at themobiledietitian.com or The
Mobile Dietitian on Facebook!
About the Author: Holly is an experienced dietitian in both clinical and community nutrition. She is currently serving as the Clinical Nutrition Manager at now guest blogger for Choosy Kids! She received her Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Studies from the Steinhardt School at New York University. She is published through her research and contributing work at Burke Rehabilitation Center investigating nutritional factors impacting neurological rehabilitation in stroke patients.
In addition to managing her staff of clinical nutritionists, she has a passion for serving at-need and underserved communities. She teaches outreach programs focused on mindful eating and strategies to make healthier lifestyle choices to at-risk community populations. She has recently been made lead in her hospital for teaching and managing the outreach classes to reduce childhood obesity.
She has expertise in: weight loss and management, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dealing with polypharmacy and achieving nutrition goals, achieving wellness goals in a creative and resourceful manner and motivating change.
