Healthier Food but Higher Calories/Carbs

Wtn_Gurl
Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
edited November 19 in Food and Nutrition
So I am choosing to do the whole food mostly plant based diet. it focuses on vegetables, fruits, etc. so I am trying a few new vegan soy products (almond milk-based, coconut-milk based, etc). However, the nutrients in the food are higher in a bad way. I.e. O'Soy yogurt - has 171 calories and 29 carbs and 26 grams sugar. but its vegan so its supposed to be better because its not an animal product (because animal products and dairy are supposed to have all these chemicals and bad stuff in it so im attempting at eating healthier using vegan products)..

Now, compared to the soy yogurt, my Dannon Lite and Fit which I LOVE has 80 calories and only 11 carbs, but its "dairy". So my nose is turning up at the texture and taste of the vegan yogurt. I think that since I believe calories is the way to go, I prefer the dairy products. so if going vegan is so great, but the calories and sugars and carbs will be higher, which I want to avoid, I don't think I want to go vegan, even though dairy and animal products are not supposed to be as good for you as vegan. now I just know some of you are scratching your head, what I'm trying to say is - even though dairy might not be as "good" for you as vegan products, the vegan products are not good and I wont want to eat them. I'd rather eat the dairy.

also, I tried to use almond milk in my coffee and again, trying to go for the healthier food item, it really tasted bad. I tried to put almond milk in my oatmeal, and the color and the taste just made it look pretty sad and I did not enjoy the oatmeal, which is a good healthy item. So again, the dairy wins out (half and half creamer).

so people tell me, go for a few weeks trying the new food till you like it.. However, that seems like too much of a "diet" and not a pleasant way to eat. I don't think I want to force myself to like something, especially since its not good for my macros.

«1

Replies

  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    Almond milk is just flavored expensive water. You get a measly serving of almonds for the whole container. I think 1 gram of protein per serving (which does not satisfy hunger). And if it has calcium, it's added calcium carbonate.
    Have real milk with your coffee if that is what you like (try organic). And have a serving of almonds a day instead.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    edited June 2017
    So I guess I'm trying to say - people who do not eat animal and dairy products are concerned bout the hormones and other things that they add to it, and so you are ingesting all that. however, I am wiling to deal with that for the sake of my goals - lower calories and lower carbs, etc. Are the hormones and other stuff they add to dairy and meat, are they really that bad? causing cancer and stuff? I watched some videos about it and it kinda scared me, but still if a food makes me go ewww I wont eat it and I really miss my Greek yogurt! and my eggs. and I could eat a nice steak right about now.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    Heres an example of what im talking about - someone wrote - Cow's milk yogurt is just not healthy, unfortunately. The cheap brands may contain bovine growth hormone, and even the organic brands contain hormones that were never meant for human consumption. Milk products contribute to osteoporosis, ironically, and raise the risk of cancers of the sexual organs and glands. Milk overloads the body with protein, which puts a strain on the kidneys. Soy yogurt or even goat milk yogurt eaten once in a while is a lot better for you"

    ok so that makes me sick to think about that, but I really want to eat my dairy and meat products!

    You're reading biased material.

    No one food item is healthy or unhealthy. What matters is the total diet.

    Eat a wide range of fruit/vegetables for your micros, Eat a reasonable level of protein and fats for your macros and you'll be fine.

    Don't sweat the small stuff.

  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    Heres an example of what im talking about - someone wrote - Cow's milk yogurt is just not healthy, unfortunately. The cheap brands may contain bovine growth hormone, and even the organic brands contain hormones that were never meant for human consumption. Milk products contribute to osteoporosis, ironically, and raise the risk of cancers of the sexual organs and glands. Milk overloads the body with protein, which puts a strain on the kidneys. Soy yogurt or even goat milk yogurt eaten once in a while is a lot better for you"

    ok so that makes me sick to think about that, but I really want to eat my dairy and meat products!

    How do you feel about the phytoestrogens in soy products that have been linked to breast cancer?

    I had not heard of that.

    wow, I think im trying to give myself permission to follow the way of eating that I think best.. but yes I have listened to the scare tactics. I really needed help thinking this thru. its helping me to go forward. I got caught up in the vegan thing.

  • ltkasmala
    ltkasmala Posts: 109 Member
    Five years ago I turned to a pescatarian diet (vegetarian that eats fish). I also still consume some dairy, mainly cheese and coffee creamer, and eggs. I wasn't a big fan of meat to start off with but made the change due to heart issues that run in my family. I did loose a lot of weight within a year. I'd suggest not focusing so much on what's bad but what is good with anything you eat. If you like the regular yogurt, eat it. I tried the vegan corndogs once and will never eat them again. I can do the veggie hot dogs, however. No idea what the difference is but the point is everything probably has pros/cons to it. Eat sensibly and in the right amounts. And enjoy food you like. You'll be more likely to stick to whatever life style change you are making and will get better results, I think....
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    Yeah, in addition to not reading scaremongering sites - also don't watch "documentaries" on Netflix. There are some truly awful food-based documentaries on Netflix that are all about fear, bad information, and are slanted to a specific viewpoint.

    The other thing I don't do is get into conversations about food with people in my circle of acquaintances. I don't want to be convinced to be a vegan, no matter how much someone else believes it helps them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion (and boy do they have them) about what they want to eat, but don't evangelize to me, thankyouverymuch.

  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Did you see that Netflix documentary? Scare tactics. These "doctors" are animal rights activists that pretend to be health gurus. They want the world to stop eating animals and are just trying to scare people.
    I will need evidence from real sites that milk causes osteoporosis.

    yes those are the ones!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »

    1. Cow's milk yogurt is just not healthy, unfortunately. - Not true.
    2. The cheap brands may contain bovine growth hormone, and even the organic brands contain hormones that were never meant for human consumption. - Then buy kinds that don't.
    3. Milk products contribute to osteoporosis, ironically. - NO
    4. and raise the risk of cancers of the sexual organs and glands. - This is news to me. How much do you have to ingest to raise your risk? I bet it's A LOT, like more than you'll ever eat in your life. Have you seen the original scientific study, or just media reports?
    5. Milk overloads the body with protein, which puts a strain on the kidneys. - No. Your kidneys are very good at what they do, and you, personally, will not eat too much protein for your kidneys to process. (Disclaimer - unless you have a medical condition).

    ok so that makes me sick to think about that, but I really want to eat my dairy and meat products!

    Since most of that isn't true, buy and eat your diary and meat. And like @rybo said, quit reading clickbait articles.

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/05/10/john_oliver_science_and_the_media.html

    Excerpt: When a small study shows that under extremely limited and narrow circumstances, coffee has some marginally potential benefits if consumed a certain way, that’s not really news. But it gets reported like it’s some huge advance, and that’s bad, because another study will inevitably come along and show that, under slightly (or wildly) different narrow circumstances coffee consumption has some potential marginal downsides, and then that gets reported as some big breakthrough.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    Netflix took the documentary down. Boy, that was fast.
    McGreggor just wants to save every cow and chicken in the world. He does not really care about health. Him saying that animal meat causes Type 2 Diabetes was absolutely insane.
    And saying that milk can cause osteoporosis could do people a lot of harm.
  • paniolo5
    paniolo5 Posts: 186 Member
    Nationally, dairy is no longer allowed to contain growth hormone. Dairy product manufacturers who label theirs as hormone-free only add that label so consumers will assume it's better than the other brands.

    I agree with other posters that so much of what we see in the media is scare tactics.

    I don't believe vegan is healthier than non-vegan, as shown by a lot of people who eat vegan but are still overweight & unhealthy. It's just a personal choice to go that way. There is so much conflicting information about what we should & shouldn't eat that it's all quite confusing. I don't profess to have any experience other than my own. My findings are that any plan that works for you, makes you feel good & keeps your health statistics where they should be (e.g., cholesterol levels, etc.) is the one that you will stick with. For me it's watching sugar, choosing better options like whole grain vs white flour products & generally trying to keep the product ingredient list short (& pronouncable!) with a splurge here & there that fits into my daily calorie limit. That might not work for everyone else but it works for me as long as I don't fall off the wagon. :)
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    thank you all! innately I believe I know what works best for me. I could feel full on 2 boiled eggs for only about 140 calories. if I eat a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and cream (coz it tastes good that way). I will be eating 400 calories. so the 140 egg breakfast is better.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    ok let me be brave here. do you all eat any sugar, brown sugar or anything? I mean real sugar! a little bit for flavor, some vinegary foods need a bit of brown sugar to be edible.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    Deleted comment. Giving up.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    ok let me be brave here. do you all eat any sugar, brown sugar or anything? I mean real sugar! a little bit for flavor, some vinegary foods need a bit of brown sugar to be edible.

    Yes. A teaspoon of sugar is 16 calories. I can fit that in my daily caloric allowance easily.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    ok let me be brave here. do you all eat any sugar, brown sugar or anything? I mean real sugar! a little bit for flavor, some vinegary foods need a bit of brown sugar to be edible.

    Yes. A teaspoon of sugar is 16 calories. I can fit that in my daily caloric allowance easily.

    This. If something I'm making calls for sugar I add it. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so not that often. If I want it, I fit it in. You really want to break the thought pattern of demonizing foods and seeing them as good or bad. It's all about amount and context.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    THANK YOU !!!!! this is liberating!!!!
  • ElizabethHanrahan
    ElizabethHanrahan Posts: 102 Member
    Unless you have an ALLERGY to dairy, Don't stop because of things you "heard". The texture and flavor of the vegan items WILL NEVER be the same as the dairy ones. I have tried EVERY BRAND since I AM allergic to dairy so I am not just trying to talk you out of being vegan. If you have a reason to go vegan ( philosophy, allergy, or religion) then do it. For ME, the benefits of dairy free out weigh the taste and calories (to a point). Just keep everything within your calories and you will be fine.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    I'm beginning to think that the IIFYM crowd might be right after all! (if it fits your macros). I'm not trying to be silly, but it may be true after all.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    The biggest factors for health are body weight, activity level and genetic. Eating WFPB, LCHF, Paleo, etc... doesn't automatically make you healthier. And the whole reason vegans are regarded as healthier is they tend to make better decisions in terms of food they eat and work out. Being that you are on MFP, you are already probably doing that.

    So concentrate on whole foods, exercise and don't watch documentaries. If you want, focused on getting adequate fiber, lean protiens, healthy fats (PUFA/MUFA) and limiting added sugars and SFA.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Stop reading fear mongering nonsense that comes with an agenda...a vegan diet can be healthy or not so much...just as an omnivorous diet can be healthy or not so much. There are fat vegans...there are vegans who get cancer...there are vegans who get diabetes because they're over weight, etc...any diet can be as healthy or not so much as you want to make it...but the "eat meat and you're going to die" is a bunch of cherry picked nonsense with not much more than, "well there might be some kind of correlation"..."but we can't really tell because there are so many variables"...but agenda driven sites and shows will cherry pick the stuff that works with their particular world view and agenda.

    If you're worried about carbs I'm not sure why you'd go vegan...most vegans eat 60%+ of their calories in carbohydrates, basically by default.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Stop reading fear mongering nonsense that comes with an agenda...a vegan diet can be healthy or not so much...just as an omnivorous diet can be healthy or not so much. There are fat vegans...there are vegans who get cancer...there are vegans who get diabetes because they're over weight, etc...any diet can be as healthy or not so much as you want to make it...but the "eat meat and you're going to die" is a bunch of cherry picked nonsense with not much more than, "well there might be some kind of correlation"..."but we can't really tell because there are so many variables"...but agenda driven sites and shows will cherry pick the stuff that works with their particular world view and agenda.

    If you're worried about carbs I'm not sure why you'd go vegan...most vegans eat 60%+ of their calories in carbohydrates, basically by default.

    I'm eating complex carbs, I have a pre-diabetes issue, but that is beginning to reverse quickly. I have done various types of ways of eating and I keep evolving, so here I am at this place dealing with the vegan stuff.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Stop reading fear mongering nonsense that comes with an agenda...a vegan diet can be healthy or not so much...just as an omnivorous diet can be healthy or not so much. There are fat vegans...there are vegans who get cancer...there are vegans who get diabetes because they're over weight, etc...any diet can be as healthy or not so much as you want to make it...but the "eat meat and you're going to die" is a bunch of cherry picked nonsense with not much more than, "well there might be some kind of correlation"..."but we can't really tell because there are so many variables"...but agenda driven sites and shows will cherry pick the stuff that works with their particular world view and agenda.

    If you're worried about carbs I'm not sure why you'd go vegan...most vegans eat 60%+ of their calories in carbohydrates, basically by default.

    I'm eating complex carbs, I have a pre-diabetes issue, but that is beginning to reverse quickly. I have done various types of ways of eating and I keep evolving, so here I am at this place dealing with the vegan stuff.

    There is one type of eating that you are missing: your type eating. Take your own eating style, the one you've always enjoyed, and do that. Make tweaks here and there to make the calories fit or if you wish to introduce more vegetables...etc and you're golden. Why are you hunting for another person's type of eating?
This discussion has been closed.

Categories