SALT LAKE CITY – We’ve all heard them before: food rules to follow if you’re on a diet or want to eat healthy.
Does deviating from these rules cause you to cheat on your diet or keep you from living your healthiest life?
Not necessary. In fact, there are some nutrition and diet rules that dietitians say it’s okay – and maybe even encourage – to break.
Here are seven “food rules” you don’t have to follow to run a healthy one, and you may find some relief knowing these rules might be better broken.
Only eat ‘good’ foods
All diets have a list of good and bad foods. The banned foods are usually labeled as ‘bad for you’. So, what happens when you eat foods that are labeled as bad? Are all your efforts in vain? Are you a bad person for eating those foods?
“Labeling foods as good / bad or healthy / unhealthy makes us feel guilty when we eat what are called ‘bad’ foods,” said registered dietitian Maria Adams, an adjunct lecturer at Endicott College.
Adams went on to explain that food is neither good nor bad. No moral value is attached to food. It’s just food, and “all food has a place in the diet,” she said. When you realize that all foods are not inherently good or bad, the doors to a more flexible and realistic diet will open.
Don’t eat after 7pm
Cutting yourself off from food at a specific time is a general dietary rule; however, it is not a registered dietitian that Anne Mauney proposes to follow.
“If you ignore your body’s signals, you just wake up starved in the middle of the night,” Mauney said. “What time to stop eating depends a lot on what works for your body and your lifestyle.”
If you’re really hungry in the evening, go ahead and eat. Don’t let a clock tell you when you’re hungry – let your body tell you.
That said, if you’re often hungry late at night, Mauney recommends researching why.
“For example, are your meals earlier in the day too small, unsatisfactory or unbalanced in terms of macronutrients?” she asks.
Do not eat carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the most recent macronutrient demonized by popular fad diets that claim that staying away from carbs will lead you to a healthier, happier life. However, whole grains and starchy vegetables such as sweet potato, oats, quinoa and brown rice can be included in a healthy diet, according to registered dietitian-nutritionist Lisa Young, author of “Finally Full, Finally Slim.”
“As with any food, (carbohydrates) won’t cause weight gain unless you eat too much,” said Young.
Our bodies function best when fed with a variety of foods, including those containing carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are our brain’s preferred energy sources. In addition, whole grains, fruits and many starchy vegetables provide important nutrients for our body – such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients – and are good for our gut health.
Eat 6 small meals a day
There is no set number of meals you should eat each day for optimal health. As with any diet, what works best for one person will not work for another. If you don’t have time to eat six small breaks a day, you may want to eat three meals a day. If you feel better by eating smaller amounts of food more often, do so.
You can eat just as healthy by eating three meals a day as six meals a day. Eating three meals with 600 calories a day has the same thermal effect as eating six meals with 300 calories a day. There is no difference in your metabolism whether you eat more often or not, as long as you consume the same amount of calories.
What really matters is that each person uses their individual circumstances to determine how often to eat. Whatever you choose, be consistent because your body will respond and feel better with meals at regular intervals – whatever that may be for you.
Don’t eat anything white
White bread, white rice, white pasta, white potatoes, and even bananas are often the first things to be put aside when people go on a diet.
Registered dietitian-nutritionist KeyVion Miller said she often hears from patients who are told not to eat these foods. She suggests it is a better idea to encourage people to pair these foods with lots of vegetables or add fiber-rich foods like beans, peas, or lentils to boost the nutritional value of the entire meal.
For example, if you’re serving a chicken stir-fry over white rice, toss extra vegetables through the stir-fry to add color and nutrients. Or if you like white potatoes, slice some and roast them in the oven with a variety of vegetables for a delicious side dish.
“Even a so-called ‘perfect’ diet – which doesn’t exist – can give way to these foods,” Miller said.
Only shop near the supermarket
This premise of this rule is that if you only shop at the edge of the store, you are buying only the freshest, healthiest food, while staying away from processed, prepackaged foods.
“The truth is, if you only shop near the grocery store, you’re missing out on tons of nutrient-rich foods like grains, beans, canned vegetables and oils,” said registered dietitian-nutritionist Kristen Smith.
Smith explained that foods such as grains and grains have enough B vitamins and fiber-rich ingredients to keep you feeling full. She also recommends going down the aisles so you don’t miss out on foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, canned fish, flaxseeds, and canola and olive oils, which can help with brain and brain health. heart.
Never eat processed foods
There are many processed foods that can still be healthy for you. In fact, most of the foods we buy at the store have been processed to some degree. For example, canned tuna, yogurt, frozen vegetables, sliced cheese, canned beans, hummus and ground flaxseeds have all been processed from their original state into what you see on store shelves.
Registered dietitian-nutritionist Sarah Schlichter assures customers it’s okay to eat processed foods.
“While we know that a diet high in whole foods can have many benefits, processed foods can still bring nutrients to the table. Plus, they can be a source of convenience and pleasure for those busy snacks or meals (eg minute rice, frozen pizza, chicken sausage). , vegetable mixes, etc.), ”she said.
Schlichter recommends thinking of processed foods simply as foods made up of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. She says you add them when needed or as needed to reduce stress, support a consistent diet, feed the family, and save money.
Editor’s Note: Everything in this article is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended and should not be construed as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care practitioner if you have any questions about a medical conditionAll opinions, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available are those of the respective author (s) or distributor (s) and not KSL. KSL does not endorse and is not responsible for the correctness or reliability of any opinion, information or statement in this article. KSL expressly disclaims all liability with regard to actions taken or not taken on the basis of the content of this article.