This week I’ve been extremely frustrated about the misinformation about nutrition online. It’s not uncommon that Instagram accounts that I love and admire share completely incorrect information, often because followers see an account with thousands of other followers and think it, therefore, must be reliable.
A hugely frustrating topic for me is food and shaming parents and how they choose to feed their families when it is often not just as simple as picking healthier foods and cooking at home, especially when you live somewhere where this is not always the cheapest option or lead a busy lifestyle.
Over the last few years, words like diets, superfoods, toxic foods, clean eating, and detox have been overused, and as a result of all the craziness, parents seem to be shamed or feel guilty about their food choices for their families.
Yes, we know that some foods over a long period of time are better for us than others. We know you shouldn’t eat fast food with a high-sugar soda for every meal. Eating a banana every day is probably better for you than eating a chocolate bar. But I am a firm believer that it really is not that simple. Food is food. And we shouldn’t be judging anyone that isn’t feeding their kids superfoods 3x a day or foods that you have seen online because they contain chemicals (whatever that means).
It’s well known by those around me that my big thing is BBQ chips. I could live without candy, cake, and ice cream but take away my BBQ chips, and I’ll never forgive you. If I’m stressed, it’s my go-to, and I could easily eat a family-size pack (and regularly do) that is meant to serve ten people but, in all honestly, serves me.
Is it ‘nutritious’ in the traditional sense of the definition? No. But does it serve a purpose? Yes, because food is more than just nutrition. Our body needs fat, calories, salt, and everything else, and you should not feel guilty if you are as balanced as you can and listen to your body. It’s called intuitive eating, and it’s important.
You’ll probably notice that if you cut something out of your diet, you want it more and probably end up binging it later. Intuitive eating stops this because there is no “I can’t have this food,” and it’s more “my body is telling me I need.” This is because our brains develop a preoccupation with food, so restricting that food type means you think about it more.
Three things I’ve heard lately that have made me crazy.
1. “Don’t eat that, it’s full of chemicals, and you shouldn’t eat things you can’t pronounce.”
Firstly, everything is made of chemicals. Yes. A blueberry is made of chemicals. YOU are made of chemicals. A banana probably has things you can’t pronounce or maybe never heard of, like phenylalanine and tryptophan – both essential to our diet and as natural as you can. But they are chemicals.
2. “I try to eat three superfoods a day.”
Great for you. But let’s be honest, that might not be practical or possible for everyone. Superfoods is a marketing term for something particularly high in a certain nutrient. It could be eggs, raspberries, avocados, and so on. A lot of time, they are pretty expensive, and we live in a time with food insecurity and crazy living costs (have you seen the cost of eggs right now?).
3. “One of the first steps to a healthier lifestyle is eliminating toxins and toxic foods.”
Any good dietician or nutritionist with a basic understanding of toxicology will tell you it’s not about the toxin but the dosage. The dosage makes the poison. I’m seeing this idea of toxic foods and overprocessed foods all over social media, and then the person will go on to list their own brand of protein shakes or bars that “aren’t toxic.” The most recent version of this I saw advertised their brand as having no chemicals, just ingredients. Make it make sense.
Here are three foods you definitely shouldn’t eat.
- Foods you are allergic to. Stay away from those, for sure.
- Foods that are passed their expiration date or moldy.
- Foods that you don’t like the taste or texture.
It’s as simple as that!
