What foods are bad and what are good?

Ummm....what?

Bump I would like to know this aswell

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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