good food/bad food

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  • ksolksol
    ksolksol Posts: 194 Member
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    I don't like to classify foods as "good" or "bad," other than of course something that will give you food poisoning. I find I do better if I don't turn food into a moral issue. I don't sin when I eat a donut, I eat a donut. It makes me woozy, so I limit my donuts, but if I really, really want one, I fit it into my day and don't worry about it.

    Taking this attitude has actually made me less prone to eat the donuts because they don't become forbidden fruit that I must have.

    That said, if you are looking for foods that are more health-enhancing, FOR MOST PEOPLE, you've got your basic veggies, fruits, whole-grains, etc., less sugar, salt and processed foods. Notice I said FOR MOST PEOPLE. You may have to experiment with what makes you feel good and fits into what you can manage in your life. For someone working two jobs, some processed foods might be a life-saver some nights. I know people with medical conditions for whom whole grains could send them into a horrible crisis. For me, I've found that I do better with more fat in my diet than many think advisable.

    There seems to be a societal thing where veggies are somehow punishment and awful, and tasty foods involve large amounts of sugar, fat and salt and even larger amounts of processing. I found that the more I got away from that .... honestly, fast food and its ilk taste kind of gross to me now. Who knows, you might find the same thing I'll eat it without the slightest bit of guilt when the situation calls for it (mostly while traveling) but I don't seek it out..
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Good foods:
    Fresh vegetables, raw or steamed
    Fresh fruits
    All natural yogurt or kefir
    Nuts and nut butter
    Non gmo meats, preferably grass or vegetable fed
    Whole grains and breads, pastas, rice and flours made from whole grains

    Bad foods:
    Foods that are highly processed and or chock full of preservatives
    Frozen dinners
    Soda

    The easiest way to think about it (in general) is the more layers of packaging a food has the worse it is for you in terms of its nutritional content.

    Yes you can still lose weight eating 1000 calories of twinkles every day, but you will not be healthy long term. If you choose to keep your head in the sand about this very simple concept, that's fine, but its really very simple.

    Shoot, I roast my veggies and can't afford grass-fed meats. Guess I'm doomed. DOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEEEDDDDD.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    Good foods:
    Fresh vegetables, raw or steamed
    Fresh fruits
    All natural yogurt or kefir
    Nuts and nut butter
    Non gmo meats, preferably grass or vegetable fed
    Whole grains and breads, pastas, rice and flours made from whole grains

    Bad foods:
    Foods that are highly processed and or chock full of preservatives
    Frozen dinners
    Soda

    The easiest way to think about it (in general) is the more layers of packaging a food has the worse it is for you in terms of its nutritional content.

    Yes you can still lose weight eating 1000 calories of twinkles every day, but you will not be healthy long term. If you choose to keep your head in the sand about this very simple concept, that's fine, but its really very simple.

    People are saying any food can be good in moderation or as part of a varied balanced diet - nobody is suggesting eating only Twinkies.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Bad food: the ones with mold that aren't supposed to have mold.
    Good food: everything else that has calories

    It really depends on your goals, allergies, religious beliefs, taste preferences, abilities in the kitchen, lifestyle, what your husband will eat, cost, how well it stores in your cupboards...
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 Member
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    Think of it this way, OP, there is not a single food out there that is so good that it should make up 100% of your diet. Rather than thinking about good/bad think it terms of how to create a diet that achieves goals such as: (1) providing sufficient protein, fats, carbs, fiber, and micronutrients, (2) keeps you within your calorie goals, (3) does not leave you hungry, and (4) provides enough treats so that you feel mentally satisfied and not feeling deprived.

    The end result, is what is "good" at any time of day is the result of the above calculation. Tracking your diet allows you to make an informed decision about this.

    The very first thing I ate today was a Krispy Kreme donut. That was followed by an egg and egg white omelet with cheese. Lunch today will be lean meats, veggies, a salad, and cheese. Dinner will be lean meats, veggies, and a salad. And, I'll very likely have a beer before bed. This will satisfy all 4 of the above criteria for me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Think of it this way, OP, there is not a single food out there that is so good that it should make up 100% of your diet. Rather than thinking about good/bad think it terms of how to create a diet that achieves goals such as: (1) providing sufficient protein, fats, carbs, fiber, and micronutrients, (2) keeps you within your calorie goals, (3) does not leave you hungry, and (4) provides enough treats so that you feel mentally satisfied and not feeling deprived.

    The end result, is what is "good" at any time of day is the result of the above calculation. Tracking your diet allows you to make an informed decision about this.

    The very first thing I ate today was a Krispy Kreme donut. That was followed by an egg and egg white omelet with cheese. Lunch today will be lean meats, veggies, a salad, and cheese. Dinner will be lean meats, veggies, and a salad. And, I'll very likely have a beer before bed. This will satisfy all 4 of the above criteria for me.
    Yep.

    Also, if you are worried about preservatives, you can make your own stuff. For example, because I am not a big pizza parlor pizza fan (nothing wrong with it, it's just not my idea of what I want to eat, mostly because I'm lactose intolerant and asking for extra everything to compensate is too much), I make my own homemade pizza, right down to the crust and all the good stuff I pile on that is not cheesy.

    In my opinion, aside from allergies, tummy upsets, and what the doctor has told you to avoid due to a medical reason, classifying foods as good or bad indicates a poor relationship to food. The better you can make your relationship with food, the better your lifetime journey together will be.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    Some of the responses on here are not what you are asking:

    Good Foods: Fruits, Vegetables, Meat (in moderation), Dairy (occaisonally), Grains (whole grains are great, nuts legumes), Fats/Oils (in moderation),

    Bad Foods: Processed Foods (they contain way too much sodium), candy (sugar), fast food (too may calories).
    That's silly.

    Corn chips are processed and awesome. Caramel has sugar and is greatness. Whataburger is fast food and is epic.

    What do you put "in moderation" after meat? Are you implying unlimited amounts of fruit are "good"?
  • cowebber123
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    Some of the responses on here are not what you are asking:

    Good Foods: Fruits, Vegetables, Meat (in moderation), Dairy (occaisonally), Grains (whole grains are great, nuts legumes), Fats/Oils (in moderation),

    Bad Foods: Processed Foods (they contain way too much sodium), candy (sugar), fast food (too may calories).

    Try some foods that incorporate what you like, but make them at home, don't eat out too much.

    And no, I am not a vegetarian...just love veggies and ranch. Also watch the Ranch and what you drink. Most people are quick to talk about the eating aspect, but watch what you drink as well. I once knew a person who drank an entire carton of orange juice because she thought she was drinking something healthy. Read the labels. The calorie intake is for the serving size, not the whole thing. For a 8oz glass of orange juice was 110 calories, with 22 g of sugar. Imagine the entire carton. Exercie is the key to eating what you want.

    Thank you and yes thats what I was looking for like specifics like which nuts are better for you than others and stuff like that not like a brief idea i always know that i wanted to know more if detail because different foods can do different things for you. I'm looking for high protein and low fat and sodium
  • cowebber123
    Options
    Good foods:
    Fresh vegetables, raw or steamed
    Fresh fruits
    All natural yogurt or kefir
    Nuts and nut butter
    Non gmo meats, preferably grass or vegetable fed
    Whole grains and breads, pastas, rice and flours made from whole grains

    Bad foods:
    Foods that are highly processed and or chock full of preservatives
    Frozen dinners
    Soda

    The easiest way to think about it (in general) is the more layers of packaging a food has the worse it is for you in terms of its nutritional content.

    Yes you can still lose weight eating 1000 calories of twinkles every day, but you will not be healthy long term. If you choose to keep your head in the sand about this very simple concept, that's fine, but its really very simple.

    Thank you so much this is what I was looking for ^.^ I want to keep the weight off however I dont want to competely change my whole eating habits because as everybody should know it will never stick. I just wanted to know what foods I should be eating more of so I could and the ones that are not good i stay away from more and try to avoid them.
  • cowebber123
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^

    :laugh:
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,244 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^

    People ARE trying to help you and are giving you good advice. But I am not talking about those who are giving you lists of "good" foods and "bad" foods. The people with the REAL advice are those saying to stop labeling foods and to enjoy what you eat in moderation. And they have told you this again, and again, and again, and again but you seem to just ignore them. So if you really want to learn then listen to those who actually know what they are talking about instead of getting so uppity about it and ignoring them.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^
    You don't want help, you want confirmation of what you wanted to hear, right or wrong.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^
    wKN7qV2.gif
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^
    I am not trying to be mean here, nor was I trying to be mean in my post, but you are doing yourself a disservice by trying to categorize food into good and bad.

    I used to do the same thing and I lost weight, gained, lost, etc., until I learned how to simply eat the foods I like in moderation. In fact, May 2013 marks when I learned how to eat all the foods I love in moderation. I lost 44 pounds this way and have been maintaining for some months now. This morning I had 52 grams of bacon, 150 grams of egg, 35 grams homemade bread (half a slice), 2 grams of butter, 8 grams of almond butter, and 1.5 cups of steamed milk in coffee. My morning snack was a Greek yogurt with 8 grams of sunflower seeds.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    Can people please stop being so rude on here. I'm not trying to get you all to fight or say how what the other person is saying is stupid. Thats not the point and most of you are not taking this seriously. If you can't take this seriously then get out and leave my post alone. I actually want to lose the weight and have help but some of you guys are just making fun of each other or giving dumb responses that is not helping me so please go away and take your "trying to help" somewhere else. Sorry if this makes anyone upset I just want true help and answers. Thank you and have a wonderful day ^.^

    :laugh:

    Um...it sounds like you're only hearing what you want to hear.

    Ouch - border line rude :bigsmile:
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    Good foods: Foods that allow you to achieve your required daily nutritional goals.

    Bad Foods: Foods that you consume that cause you to exceed your daily nutritional goals over a period of time.


    In essence, there are no bad foods.