The perfect food?

robertdc50
robertdc50 Posts: 50
in Food and Nutrition
I may be asking too much here, but has anybody discovered a low in everything bad and high in everything good food product? Usually for instance, if it's low in fat it's high in sodium! If it's low in sodium it's high in sugar, etc. etc. Is there a high protein high fibre food that's low in fat, sodium, sugar, and carbs? Oh yeah...that actually tastes good too :) I don't even mind cooking or baking the ingredients that result in this perfect dish :) I do know my way around a recipe or two.

Replies

  • karmac0matic
    karmac0matic Posts: 285
    most things you find are going to have at least one content high unless you're eating lettuce or salt-free something.

    just be careful with how much you're eating of certain things and you'll be free to try a bunch of different recipes. like if you notice a pasta dish you want has 1000 mg of sodium in it, eat half of a serving and enrich what's left of the meal portion with a salad or something (of course be careful with the dressing!)
  • theJTfitness
    theJTfitness Posts: 142 Member
    That my friend, is King Arthur's sword/The fountain of youth... Wish I could find it!
  • RebeccaP1972
    RebeccaP1972 Posts: 101 Member
    Robertdc50, If you find it please pass it along to me :)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I may be asking too much here, but has anybody discovered a low in everything bad and high in everything good food product? Usually for instance, if it's low in fat it's high in sodium! If it's low in sodium it's high in sugar, etc. etc. Is there a high protein high fibre food that's low in fat, sodium, sugar, and carbs? Oh yeah...that actually tastes good too :) I don't even mind cooking or baking the ingredients that result in this perfect dish :) I do know my way around a recipe or two.

    Context and dosage my friend. Fat and sugar and sodium in and of themselves are not "bad" And sugar, carbs, sodium and fat are essential to life
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Chocolate Milk!

    Eggs!

    Ice Cream!

    You won't find one food that has everything going on though. Not sure why you would want just one anyway.....
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    I may be asking too much here, but has anybody discovered a low in everything bad and high in everything good food product? Usually for instance, if it's low in fat it's high in sodium! If it's low in sodium it's high in sugar, etc. etc. Is there a high protein high fibre food that's low in fat, sodium, sugar, and carbs? Oh yeah...that actually tastes good too :) I don't even mind cooking or baking the ingredients that result in this perfect dish :) I do know my way around a recipe or two.

    Context and dosage my friend. Fat and sugar and sodium in and of themselves are not "bad" And sugar, carbs, sodium and fat are essential to life

    Also this ^^^^^^^^ x 1000
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    This

    SFS_OvenCookedBacon-10.jpg
  • robertdc50
    robertdc50 Posts: 50
    This

    SFS_OvenCookedBacon-10.jpg

    I wish :(:(:(
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    Experiment with new recipes for vegetables and legumes. Chili is nearly perfect--protein, a little fat, fiber, vitamins.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    I just throw everything I have in the fridge into a pot and boil it until the fire alarm tells me it's done.
    My theory is that it all ends up balancing out.

    Anybody want some tilapia-chocolate-V8-maple syrup-broccoli-mustard casserole?
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    According to Dr. Fuhrman, the super foods are greens, mushrooms, berries, onions, and beans. These foods have some of the most nutrients per calorie.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    There is no perfect food.


    Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Some foods with more fat are part of a healthy diet. Some foods with lower fat and a bit more sodium can be good, too. Some foods are high in carbs but low in fats and high in micronutrients (for example, fruits, whole grains). Any one of them eaten to excess can be unhealthy, but a mix of them (and other foods) is what makes a healthy diet.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You need to look at your nutrition as a whole, not individual sources of that nutrition. Fats, proteins, and carbs are all essential nutrients...where people tend to go wrong is consuming one or more of these macro-nutrients in an unbalanced fashion which prevents them from getting proper nutrition. Beyond that, people consume too much in general which is why they get fat...from that standpoint, it is much less about the composition of your diet and more about how much you are consuming in general.
  • ElaineBeekman
    ElaineBeekman Posts: 12 Member
    Don't eat things out of a box (or most cans).

    Seriously, even if fruit is higher in sugars, it's natural sugars. Look more for local/fresh fruits and vegetables than organic, because most organic produce in the store has to travel 10-100x further than local produce (meaning it's also probably older and less nutritious). Also, a lot of the local stuff will be organic or organically produced even if it's not certified organic (go to a farmer's market and ask the people there about their produce).

    Same goes with meats. Buy local, or invest in chest freezer and bulk in bulk straight from the slaughterhouse/farmer. Our local slaughterhouses offer 1/4 or 1/2 of pork, beef, or lamb/goat at about $3.00-$4.00/pound. You'll pay for the freezer within a year and you can do your own portioning for meat. Same with poultry. Go to the slaughterhouse or talk to a local producer. We get 24 at a time and freeze them. Granted, I am a farmer and not in an area where I get fish all that often, so my protein base for meat is red, but I'm sure you can do the same for fish. You might also try other meat sources - like goat/deer/bison. We raise goats and the meat is high in protein and low in fat. Legumes are awesome, too.

    You can make a lot of simple, tasty, foods without nearly as much added salt and sugar if you make them yourself instead of eating pre-made. Even snacks or protein bars/drinks, etc. Making a smoothie is not hard and cuts out a lot of the the added sugars. I agree that homemade chili is great, and has a good mix of nutrients. By keeping ingredients and basics in the freezer/kitchen you can make quick meals or if you make big batches and freeze extras you have the same convenience with better nutrition.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    A balanced diet....









    1287872438156247.jpeg
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Don't eat things out of a box (or most cans).

    Seriously, even if fruit is higher in sugars, it's natural sugars. Look more for local/fresh fruits and vegetables than organic, because most organic produce in the store has to travel 10-100x further than local produce (meaning it's also probably older and less nutritious). Also, a lot of the local stuff will be organic or organically produced even if it's not certified organic (go to a farmer's market and ask the people there about their produce).

    Same goes with meats. Buy local, or invest in chest freezer and bulk in bulk straight from the slaughterhouse/farmer. Our local slaughterhouses offer 1/4 or 1/2 of pork, beef, or lamb/goat at about $3.00-$4.00/pound. You'll pay for the freezer within a year and you can do your own portioning for meat. Same with poultry. Go to the slaughterhouse or talk to a local producer. We get 24 at a time and freeze them. Granted, I am a farmer and not in an area where I get fish all that often, so my protein base for meat is red, but I'm sure you can do the same for fish. You might also try other meat sources - like goat/deer/bison. We raise goats and the meat is high in protein and low in fat. Legumes are awesome, too.

    You can make a lot of simple, tasty, foods without nearly as much added salt and sugar if you make them yourself instead of eating pre-made. Even snacks or protein bars/drinks, etc. Making a smoothie is not hard and cuts out a lot of the the added sugars. I agree that homemade chili is great, and has a good mix of nutrients. By keeping ingredients and basics in the freezer/kitchen you can make quick meals or if you make big batches and freeze extras you have the same convenience with better nutrition.

    Would these be ok, they are in a box :/

    darling-clementines.jpg
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I don't know about "perfect", but there's a few foods I look to if I need to add fiber or protein, for example. Fiber = artichokes (get them frozen), pears, raspberries, protein=edamame, beans, white anchovies (not the super-salty ones). They are easy to add to loads of things (like over a salad) and don't have a ton of sodium, fat or calories.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Maybe try looking at the big picture of food intake instead of focusing on one, two or just a few foods.

    It's not one food that makes a diet unhealthy or healthy, its all of them put together that determines that.
  • robertdc50
    robertdc50 Posts: 50
    Maybe try looking at the big picture of food intake instead of focusing on one, two or just a few foods.

    It's not one food that makes a diet unhealthy or healthy, its all of them put together that determines that.

    I understand that, and I'm not looking for just a single item that meets the criteria. I try to balance the day's intake as best I can, but would like to have a half-dozen staples that I can eat on an alternating basis without having to constantly cross-check the rest of my day's meals.

    I guess there's no real answer but to continue what I'm doing.

    Thanks for all the suggestions. MFPers are the best :) BTW...frozen artichokes? Really?
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Well if you think of the three macros, carbs proteins and fats - it's easy to find foods low in one and high in the other two, and a few foods high in just one. It's about having some of those on hand.

    So a lot of us have a protein shake for protein only, and it's easy to find things high in carbs only.
    Meat or fish can be high in protein and lean, or relatively high in fat and protein.
    Nuts and seeds are mostly fats with some protein.
    Dairy can be high in fat and medium in protein, or you can get low fat dairy that has carbs instead.
    Try and get some vegetables into as many of your meals and snacks as you can to help you get your vitamins.


    It's only a three piece puzzle.

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