Overrated Healthy Eating Tips to Stop Following
By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Some healthy eating tips have been around for so long that it’s hard to remember how they first gained popularity. From not eating at night to cutting out all carbs and avoiding white rice like the plague, there are tons of diet-related rules that don’t actually have much backing despite their hype.
Here are 10 overrated tips that you can stop following. Instead, stick with a fresh meal plan that incorporates a balance of all kinds of healthy foods!
1 – All processed food is bad.
Food processing has numerous benefits, even though it’s often equated with unhealthy products that are high in sugar, salt, and additives. While it’s true that ultra-processed foods — think candy, soda, chips, and cured meats — are not beneficial to health, other processed foods can be quite nutritious. Yogurt, frozen vegetables, and canned beans are examples of healthy options that undergo processing to improve accessibility and shelf life.
2 – Only shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
The outdated rule to only shop the outer aisles of a grocery store is also based on the premise that all processed or shelf-stable food is unhealthy. The intent of this tip is usually to encourage shoppers to mostly purchase fresh foods like produce, meats and seafood, and dairy and limit snack foods found in the center aisles.
In reality, there are so many nutritious options that aren’t shelved in the perimeter aisles and don’t qualify as snack foods high in salt, sugar, or fat. The center of the grocery store is home to dried beans, whole grains, canned tomatoes, nuts and seeds, canned fish, and legume-based pastas, to name a few!
3 – Food is good or bad with no in between.
Restrictive diets and nutrition tips tend to label food as good or bad, but this black or white thinking is an overly simplified and even harmful way of viewing food. Pasta, for example, is sometimes demonized as a high-carb choice that spikes blood sugar without offering many benefits.
However, pasta can be a wonderful addition to a nutritionally balanced meal. For one, it’s a familiar and comforting food for so many people, making it a perfect vehicle to eat more vegetables or lean proteins. A bowl of pasta with roasted tomatoes, baked chicken, basil, and extra virgin olive oil is an example of a meal that incorporates pasta in a healthy way. In addition to pasta, incorporating desserts and snack foods on occasion is totally fair game as part of a balanced diet and positive approach to food!
4 – Don’t eat at night.
The campaign against not eating at night has undergone many iterations through the years. It’s often suggested that eating before bed will wreak havoc on your metabolism and weight loss goals. While indulging in excess calories from desserts and snack foods before going to sleep is certainly not helpful if you’re trying to lose weight, the act of eating at night is not inherently “bad.”
As long as you don’t consume more energy than you burn for the day, having a bedtime snack isn’t going to make or break your health goals. Just remember to choose something with protein and fiber, such as almonds and fruit, cottage cheese, or carrots and hummus. Plus, eating balanced meals throughout the day is important for not getting overly hungry and then overdoing it at night.
5 – Limit fruit because of sugar.
In some circles of the diet industry, fruit really gets a bad reputation! This usually stems from focusing on fruit’s sugar content instead of the beneficial fiber and nutrients it provides. Yes, fruit does contain sugar, but it’s naturally occurring. When consumed alongside fiber, the fruit in sugar is not going to spike blood sugar in the same way a candy bar would. Plus, it’s full of vitamins and minerals and is a great way to add energizing carbohydrates to your diet. Pairing fruit with a source of protein or fat, such as Greek yogurt or nut butter, is a great way to make it more filling.
6 – Eat fewer than 1200 calories per day.
Did you know that 1200 calories per day is the recommendation for a toddler? Current guidelines suggest that children between 2 and 3 years of age consume 1000 to 1400 daily calories. When thinking about the outdated tip to drastically cut calories to lose weight, it’s important to keep this in mind.
Eating fewer calories than you burn is key to weight loss, but you don’t need to overdo it. In fact, not eating enough can actually make it harder to drop those pounds. Focus on portion sizes and the quality of foods you eat, rather than every single calorie, instead.
7 – Cut out red meat.
The advice to limit red meat stems from the possible association between a high intake of saturated fat found in red meat and heart disease. Consuming lots of red meat, especially in the form of processed meats, may not be the wisest choice for overall health, but you don’t have to completely cut it out. Incorporating lean cuts of red meat, such as ground beef and flank steak, into balanced meals is a great way to get protein, iron, and several other important micronutrients. Just remember to pair your meat with plenty of vegetables and a source of healthy carbs, such as salad and a baked sweet potato.
8 – Foods with certain healthy ingredients are automatically good for you.
Some foods wear a “health halo,” meaning consumers often consider them nutritious without a second glance at the other ingredients. For instance, if you see the words oatmeal, honey, quinoa, flax, probiotics, protein, or coconut oil on food packaging, you may think that food is automatically a good choice. In reality, foods can still be high in added sugar or loaded with unnecessary ingredients even if they contain some good-for-you components. Instead of getting duped by “health halos,” take a step back and consider the overall nutrition of a food.
9 – Organic produce is the only way to go.
Organic produce is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides. It’s not necessarily pesticide-free, since organic pesticides can still be used, but it’s often considered healthier than conventional produce. However, the amount of pesticide residue on any type of produce in the United States is low and within the recommended limits put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Don’t let the fear of consuming pesticides from conventional produce prevent you from eating fruits and vegetables. There are so many benefits that you will miss from cutting out these foods.
10 – Frozen fruits and vegetables aren’t as nutritious as fresh.
Diet zealots and healthy food enthusiasts may have you convinced that frozen produce is worthless, but that’s certainly not true. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables typically have similar amounts of nutrients compared to their fresh counterparts and may even contain higher amounts of certain ones. If eating frozen produce helps you meet your daily fruit and veggie intake, all while preventing food waste, consider it a win!
Note from Healthy For Life Meals: Our menus are based on the latest science and expert nutrition recommendations, instead of outdated rules. Get started with one our menus today and enjoy fresh, nutritionally balanced meals! Save $10 off your first order with promo code: TryHFLM.