What foods are bad and what are good?

DeanaeB

Hello everyone you here that low fat foods and these frozen diet foods are good to loose weight. Then you here real food is better!!! You here that Splenda and Sweet N Low are bad for you and Margarine are bad. Real sugar bad too! So, what are we to eat to loose weight?????

bellevie23

I eat everything and anything in moderation LOL. Anybody could see that by looking at my diary. I will not end my relationship with the "bad" things I love, I will just interact with them a little less

tig_ol_bitties

Ummm....what?

DiannaMoorer

Real foods are better. I don't do fake sugar or margarine. Moderation is the key to weight loss. And foods that are as little processed as possible. And don't forget exercise.

Fat_2_Fit_Mommy

Bump I would like to know this aswell

hottottie11

Thinking about this too hard

Eat a balance diet
Eat at caloric deficit for loss
Eat the foods you enjoy

No good or bad foods, just good or bad habits

My1985Freckles

Low Fat and Fat Free "Diet" foods tend to add a lot of sodium to the product in order to get the taste "right."

The less processed the food is, the less preservatives it contains = healthier for you.

Fresh fruits and veggies are best, frozen second, and canned come in dead last because they have a TON of sodium due to processing.

mdawson2112

I eat everything and anything in moderation LOL. Anybody could see that by looking at my diary. I will not end my relationship with the "bad" things I love, I will just interact with them a little less

Great way to put it! I am a firm believer in not removing everyhting "bad" from your life just making some better choices about the bad and the good!

melsinct

Everyone goes by different rules. Some basics I think people should follow (just my opinion):

Real food is always better than man made food. Margarine is a lab experiment. Butter is real food.

Read ingredient lists. If it is a mile long and you don't recognize many of the ingredients, think to yourself "Would my body want to ingest this?"

Eat lots of vegetables (raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, whatever)

Cook for yourself as much as possible to control the ingredients and not eat gobs of sodium like you would via frozen meals, canned soups, etc.

When eating grains, make them whole. Whole grain bread is better than white bread.

With that said, I still like junk food once in a while. Nothing is banned. Everything in moderation.

Becky_Boodle

I stay away from everything you mentioned...
I try and eat as many whole foods as I can...
fish, veggies, eggs, fruits, nuts and my daily post-workout protein shake
I try and stay away from as many bad carbs...but have them in moderation
never anything frozen, canned or processed

eryn415

I try to eat as much fresh food as possible. I avoid "diet" foods because they usually don't taste that great, but I will indulge in sweets or a burrito from time to time. Nothing is off limits for me, as long as I keep my life balanced with exercise and lots of water to drink. That is about as simply as I can possibly put it.

Captain_Tightpants

General rule:
If it's around the outside of the grocery store - i.e. veggies, fruits, meats, nuts, eggs, fish, then it's good.
If it's in the middle aisles of the grocery store, in a tin, packet or box, probably not so good.

natachan

Oh god. Must. Suppress. Grammar nazi.

quick answer: no food is BAD with the exception of trans fat. There is no such thing as good food and bad food, only food.

Better answer: I'm assuming you are looking for overall health benefits so I will answer accordingly. Cutting back on heavily processed foods of all types, be they Taco Bell or those frozen diet meals, will prove a health benefit in the long term. Natural foods will provide you with a better balance of nutrients. If you can identify the plant or animal that the food comes from then there's a good bet it's at least moderately good for you.

However I don't bash processed foods entirely. I like sweet tea, and it has aspartame (sp?) in it. Just remember to honor the poet Horace's words and take everything in moderation.

UponThisRock

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

odusgolp

In my opinion (and it is just that, an opinion), if you are simply trying to lose weight none of that really matters. Have the splenda and fat free sour cream if that's your thing.

If you're trying to cut your chemicals, processed foods, food dyes, preservatives, etc. that's a whole different issue.

And to the "Never Eat Anything Frozen" comment... that's bologna - less healthy than bologna actually. I would encourage you to chop up veggies and freeze them. I'd also encourage you to freeze any meat you're not eating within a couple of days. Hell, I'd go so far as to encourage you to put your veggies, meat, and a delicious marinade in a ziploc and freeze the whole damn thing! Freezer Meals, baby!

odusgolp

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

Dude... why is it all... chewy and *kitten*??

taso42

Foods that fit your macros, taste good, and keep you satiated are good. The rest are bad. This may change from day to day and hour to hour. You may find some nights, that a bowl of ice cream becomes good, for example.

tangal88

Thinking about this too hard

Eat a balance diet
Eat at caloric deficit for loss
Eat the foods you enjoy

No good or bad foods, just good or bad habits

yep - well said.

This works for me also - lost 60 pounds this way, lots of inches all over, and have a Bikini ready body at age 47.
Moderation is all things. If I want it, I have it, just use some common sense, stay in your calorie and macro goals - and I personally have a free day once a week, as needed.

My1985Freckles

And to the "Never Eat Anything Frozen" comment... that's bologna - less healthy than bologna actually. I would encourage you to chop up veggies and freeze them. I'd also encourage you to freeze any meat you're not eating within a couple of days. Hell, I'd go so far as to encourage you to put your veggies, meat, and a delicious marinade in a ziploc and freeze the whole damn thing! Freezer Meals, baby!

Hubby did that with steak once.... Oh... Em... Gee.... BEST meal I ever had!

TeaBea

Thinking about this too hard

Eat a balance diet
Eat at caloric deficit for loss
Eat the foods you enjoy

No good or bad foods, just good or bad habits

I like this ^

Agreed "baby steps" - don't try to change your diet over night.

"Healthier" swap examples:

Yoplait Light has fake sugar (I'm ok with it) - but greek yogurt is still low in calories, has double the protein, and no fake sugar .... no brainer (for me)

White bread - no way am I giving up bread. Well, wheat bread has more fiber and more protein than white. Both nutrients will keep me full longer ......again switching is worth it (to me)

I used to pack pretzels, chips, or whatever in my lunch ...... switched to veggies, salads, etc. I do like veggies so this was an easy switch

I do like sugary "kids" cereals, but I found Kashi cereals I like just as well. Kashi generally has more fiber and more protein

leslie1610

LOVE the grammar nazi comment (the spelling nazi should be added as well!)!!!

infamousmk

Good foods: Ones you like
Bad foods: Ones you don't like


As long as you meet your caloric goals, you're all set!

bcattoes

For weight loss, the best foods are those that don't throw you over your calorie goals.

For heathy eating I suggest looking to the experts. This is a great evidenced based but easy to understand guide to healthy eating:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/index.html

bcattoes

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

Dude... why is it all... chewy and *kitten*??

If it's chewy and *kitten* you are preparing it incorrectly.

UponThisRock

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

Dude... why is it all... chewy and *kitten*??

I reminds me more of oatmeal than rice

melsinct

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

Dude... why is it all... chewy and *kitten*??

If it's chewy and *kitten* you are preparing it incorrectly.

Heh. I was about to say the same thing. You could always buy a rice cooker- perfect rice every time! Properly cooked brown rice is soft (not chewy) and has a nutty flavor. To me, it is more complex tasting than white. I eat both, but some dishes pair better with white, some with brown.

My1985Freckles

Brown rice sucks, I know that much.

Dude... why is it all... chewy and *kitten*??

If it's chewy and *kitten* you are preparing it incorrectly.

Agreed, you are overcooking it.

DeanaeB

WOWZER!!! THANKS! All good advice and keep them coming. I try to eat real food, but sometimes go for the diet lunches. Then take a day on the weekend and have anything I want, a cheat day! I would like to know easy things for lunch? I do protein bars and can of low sodium V8 sometimes.

tladame

I agree with the majority here. Eat the 'real' versions of food (butter, sugar, etc.) in moderation. If you want a natural sweetener (instead of an artificial one), Stevia and Xylitol are better choices than Splenda or Sweet n Low.

I know, it can be confusing when you hear so many different opinions on how to lose weight, what types of food you should eat, carbs/no carbs, etc. You may have to experiment with different combinations of food & exercise until you find out what works for you.

My1985Freckles

For lunch, I take whatever I had leftover from dinner the night before. I make a lot of recipes from CookingLight.com

My favorites include.... Chicken Gumbo, Morroccan Chicken, Linguini with Peppery Shrimp, Beef Tenderloin with Cherry Black Pepper Sauce, Ancho Pork Medallions, Chicken Posole.... MmmmmMmmmm! All delicious and most are super quick to make! The Ancho Pork Medallions are ready in like 15 minutes!

I only cook for hubby and myself so I shoot for 4-6 servings of whatever I am making. That way we have dinner and lunch the next day (and sometimes a second serving at dinner on those particularly hungry days).

And Stir Fry is my bestest friend. I'll throw chicken and a bag or two of frozn veggies in a pot and search for some liquid. I've used Italian Seasoning, Red Thai Curry Paste, Various Lawry's Marinades, Pineapple Juice.... You can't mess up stir fry.

Lesa_Sass

If you shop the outside perimeter of the grocery store, that generally is a good start. My rule of thumb is, if there is a word in the ingredients that I can not pronounce, I do not eat it.

I am not the cleanest eater on this site nor the healthiest but I have a pretty healthy and tasty diet if you would like to take a gander at my food diary.