Obviously low-calorie and low-carb are different than “healthy”, but they are much easier to identify when reading a nutritional label. What should someone be looking out for to still eat (relatively) healthy without only eating raw veggies?
In: Biology
There’s no such thing as “healthy” or “unhealthy” food. All food contains nutrients of one form or another — that’s what makes it *food* — and no individual serving of any food is going to impact your health one way or the other.
However, there are *combinations* of nutrients that, *over time*, will impact your health positively or negatively.
The brief version is that you want a diet that is *balanced* between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and contains other essential nutrients (minerals, vitamins, etc.).
Calories versus nutrition. Some of the major macronutrients are on the standard label, like iron and potassium. Higher % daily values in stuff that isn’t carbs or sodium generally mean ‘healthier’
But like others said it’s a very broad word.
There’s a *lot* to it, but for basics: It’s a combination of nutrient density (not just how many calories, but also how many other things are also in each serving *besides* the caloric content; vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.), the composition of the macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein), and the type of each macronutrient (trans fats vs saturated fats vs monounsaturated fats, etc).
There’s also preservatives and the like that can be harmful in excess.
Basically, say you choose to eat eat an apple vs a piece of candy. One will have fiber, other nutrients and be a physically larger serving per given amount of calories, and the other will be a lump of sugar and nothing else besides preservatives, dyes and other things that are nutritionally useless. The apple will take more time to digest and the candy will almost instantly spike your blood sugar, which leads to an insulin spike to keep it within normal ranges, and over time that can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.
You’re also more likely to overeat lots of candy, but good luck eating enough apples to be harmful.
It’s fine to enjoy “unhealthy” treats from time to time, but repeated consumption is the real issue.
Raw veggies arent necessarily healthy, especially high FODMAP ones. Red meat, fatty fish, and especially liver, are far more nutrient dense than veggies, not to mention supply the right kind of fat that humans need for optimal brain function & hormones. Seed oils and added sugar are the things most need to avoid to eat “healthy”, and since most processed food contain seed oil that is what makes them “unhealthy”.
I wouldn’t think of any single item being healthy / unhealthy. (Besides obvious candidates like empty calories such as certain sweets)
Think about what you are eating as a whole. The best diet is the one that
a) gets you the calories that you need including those you’ll burn
b) gets you all the recommended nutrients
c) doesn’t give you excessive amounts of anything.
d) obviously as little as possible downright harmful substances like alcohol
Wether you get there by eating mostly vegetables or yoghurt, frankly doesn’t matter.
The more something need to be processed, the more flavors it loss during the process, the more addictive and enhancer needed also preservatives for long storage.
The biggest thing for me is having the fiber to carb ratio be 1:10. Harvard studies show this ratio comparable to whole grains. This will help keep the carb from spiking your blood sugar too much which will help keep you satiated. If your blood sugar spikes too much it will then crash fast and that will stimulate your appetite. It also helps your body use the carb more efficiently instead of turning it straight to fat.
I haven‘t seen a single good definition of the term „processed food“, so I don‘t think a statement like „all processed foods are unhealthy“ holds any ground. Cut, cooked and frozen carrots are certainly processed but not unhealthy. In my opinion unhealthy foods are those where the nutrients are way out of balance, and a healthy diet is one that contains the correct foods to form a good balance.
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