Good vs bad food
Something I’ve learnt from studying nutrition and dietetics is that there is no such thing good and bad foods.
In this post I’m going to explain why there is no such thing as good or bad foods and how this shift in mentality can help your relationship with food.
What makes a food good or bad?
I understand that this heading might be a bit counterintuitive. But I used to think this way and I wanted to outline my thought process previously versus now.
Let’s take chocolate versus an apple. I would use to say the apple is a good food and chocolate is bad. I think we can all agree that the apple is the more nutritious option, and the chocolate is the less nutritious option. This is not necessarily a good or bad thing. If you eat 100 apples a day that could be a bad thing because you would be missing out on other nutrients from the diet, and you would get pretty bored of it. If you never eat chocolate and you love it and crave it, you would be miserable, you would be thinking of chocolate all the time and likely binge on it later on. It comes back to ‘everything in moderation’.
Every food has its place.
Foods can be more nutritious or less nutritious.
Some foods can be more nutritious than others.
Some foods provide certain nutrients that we know are good for our health, and others that are not so supportive of good health. Both scenarios can be a part of a healthy balanced diet.
Generally, nutritious foods are a part of your essential nutrient intake which are needed for optimal function. These include:
- Vitamins and minerals
- Protein source
- Fibre source
- Adequate energy
- Healthy fats (unsaturated fats)
These qualities are found in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, eggs, whole grain products, beans and legumes.
While less nutritious foods are generally:
- High in fat (saturated)
- High in excess sugar
- Alcoholic
These foods could be cake, muffins, chocolate, doughnuts, ice cream, muesli bars, cookies and other sweet biscuits, bacon, ham, salami, butter, cream, pies, pastry, pizza, potato chips, some sauces, energy drinks, fruit drinks, cordial, sweetened waters, syrups, and some sauces, beer, wine, and spirits.
How do I include treats into my diet?
All foods have their place in the diet.
Discretionary foods include chocolate, chips, lollies, biscuits, and pastries.
If you are a healthy individual, 0-2 servings of discretionary foods are acceptable.
A serving of chocolate would look like half a small bar or 25g. To understand more about discretionary foods and serving sizes click here.
Why is labelling ‘good’ verses ‘bad’ a big deal?
Labelling food as good or bad gives food power over you. It associates a sense of guilt or shame for having certain foods. We should be able to eat food and not feel guilty about it.
How to avoid labelling foods good and bad
An easy way to avoid labelling foods as good or bad is to ask yourself Is this food more, or less nutritious? Rather than good or bad. It takes away the power food holds over you and allows you to reflect on your food choice in a helpful way. If it is a nutritious choice, great! If it’s not, don’t stress you are allowed to enjoy yourself.
Other questions I like to ask myself to help me make food decisions are; do I have exercises or an event coming up, what have I already eaten today, do I need a concertation boost, am I feeling low on energy? All of these are helpful in deciding what the best food choice is for you at that moment.
I hope this post has helped you understand the difference between good/bad foods vs. nutritious vs. less nutritious foods and know how to include all foods into a balanced diet.
Let the posts come to you!
Recent posts
Healthy snacking
Snacking can get a bad rap. It is true that snacking can lead to weight gain and a poor-quality diet, however, the reverse is also true.
Snacks can certainly be a part of a healthy and balanced diet.
In this post, I am going to explain how to include snacks as a part of a nutritious and balanced diet.
Good vs bad food
In this post I’m going to explain why there is no such thing as good or bad foods and how this shift in mentality can help your relationship with food.
Are nuts bad for me?
Nuts can be protective against heart disease, cognitive health and can have a positive effect on weight control.
Enter any nutrition and fitness questions below!
Your question might feature in the next post!