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Foods that are not good for you in any way, shape, or form So eat only only occasionally, if at all, and avoid 100% if you’re trying to lose weight : Soft drinks, naturally or artificially sweetened(except stevia sweetened) Candy Donuts Any food that is breaded and deep fried Fried or baked snack foods(tortilla chips, potato chips, etc.) Foods of debatable value Limit your quantity. Starred* items: not every day Boxed breakfast cereal*, the less sugar the better Whole-grain or refined-grain baked goods, cupcakes to bread Pretty much anything processed, from cottage cheese to fruit juice to pasta Processed meats*, such as cold cuts, bacon Beef*, pork*, lamb*, preferably pasture-raised Dairy, particularly sweetened products* such as yogurt or kefir Processed fats including olive and other oils, butter Eggs Health Foods Within sensible caloric limits, indulge yourself Vegetables raw or cooked NOT DEEP FRIED Fresh or minimally processed fruits High-fiber grains: amaranth, quinoa, millet, teff Wild rice Nuts, preferably raw Lean fish, seafood and poultry – but check your sources to limit exposure to toxins Homemade popcorn: because it keeps you away from unhealthy snack foods!! As a mother, a physician, and a human being, I care more about food and nutrition than almost anything else. I struggle with issues related to weight, energy, farming practices, environment, constraints of budget and time, just like you do. So, when I decide where to shop, what to make for dinner, what to recommend to a friend, patient, or family member, I’m drawing from my personal experience and from what I’ve been reading and researching for over 25 years. For more detail about my personal food journey, read my blog on this website or at eatyrvegetables.wordpress.com. |
Food! It’s entertainment, reward, comfort. It’s sustenance, energy, pleasure. We are all seduced by food advertisements, by the candies on display everywhere(even at the “health food” store), by the decadent desserts featured on magazine covers. How do we decide what to eat? And even more importantly, how do we decide what to feed our children?
In a nutshell, eat foods that have been processed as little as possible, mostly vegetables.
Does it really matter? You bet it does. Eating is something we do every day. The food we eat determines health of every single part of our bodies, from brain to heart to liver to kidneys to skin and everything else in between. Vegetables bring the most benefit per calorie, and refined sugars the least(zero). Also worth considering: animal products(meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs) bring with them everything the source animal has eaten or otherwise been exposed to, so it’s important to consider the origin of any animal products you consume. And since most animal products are calorie-dense, be sensible about how much of them you eat.
.What about grains? When in their “whole” state, i.e. not ground into flour, grains are kind of a middle ground food source. That is, they do offer some nutritional benefits, including protein, fiber, B vitamins, minerals; but they are big on starch, which your body turns into sugar and then (unless you’re very active) stores as fat.
What’s left? Fruits, almost as good as vegetables, but go easy on the extra-sweet varieties such as grapes and pineapple. And nuts, high in calories but packed with nutrients: nuts are a great source of quality fat.
Here is my current very short list of food ratings: