Some people think I am a health food freak. I eat dehydrated flax bagels and nutritional yeast cheese sauce. I am not a health food freak, I am just trying to find healthy foods that I like.
I love Tostitos, saltines and graham crackers but they are not healthy. Tostitos have a lot of sodium, graham crackers have a lot of sugar and all three have significant carbohydrates. These snacks are processed and have many ingredients (soybean oil, citric acid, calcium phosphate, etc.), and they don't have any nutritional value.
Many people are addicted to processed food (not just me). The five most purchased grocery items in the US are:
- Soda
- Beer
- Cereal
- Frozen dinners
- Salty snacks CheatSheet
It is challenging to eat healthy. In addition to sodium, sugar, preservatives, and Glysophate, MSG is added to many foods for flavor. There are studies that show MSG can cause health issues. 7/13/18 MSG Investigation And, there are also concerns with GMO's. (9/20/19 Stomach Issues and GMO's)
The amount of ingredients added to our food is growing! In 1970, an average American person consumed 123 pounds of sugar per year. Today, each person consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar consumed in one week! DHHS Global salt consumption is forecasted to grow 1.9% annually through 2020 to 335 million metric tons. FoodExecutive Since the 1950s, the number of food additives allowed in U.S. food has grown from about 800 to more than 10,000. Marcela
The amount of ingredients added to our food is growing! In 1970, an average American person consumed 123 pounds of sugar per year. Today, each person consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar consumed in one week! DHHS Global salt consumption is forecasted to grow 1.9% annually through 2020 to 335 million metric tons. FoodExecutive Since the 1950s, the number of food additives allowed in U.S. food has grown from about 800 to more than 10,000. Marcela
My solution to eating healthy is to eat whole foods (not processed) and a wide variety of foods.
Two Simple Ways to Eat Healthy
Whole, Real or Natural foods are foods that are in their natural state with little or no processing, and no artificial ingredients. DowntoEarth Whole foods actually grow in a garden (potato) instead of being processed like a pop tart.
Be careful of labels. Any food label that says flavored, prepared, marinated, pre-cooked, or formed probably has some processing or ingredients the have been added.
Cook your own food: can vegetables when they are in season, make homemade soup, bake cookies and bread, use dried beans instead of canned beans.
To save time use a crock pot or instant pot to make dinner ahead of time, freeze leftovers for future meals, and cook on weekends.
Eliminate or reduce soda and bottled drinks from your diet by drinking water.
Beware: Sit-down restaurants are not necessarily healthy. For example: TGI Fridays Tomato Basil soup has 1930 mg sodium and 20 g carbohydrates. TGIF Nutrition As a comparison Campbell's Tomato Basil Soup has 790 mg sodium and 23 grams carbohydrates. Campbell's Tomato Soup TGI Friday's soup is probably canned!
To save time use a crock pot or instant pot to make dinner ahead of time, freeze leftovers for future meals, and cook on weekends.
Eliminate or reduce soda and bottled drinks from your diet by drinking water.
Beware: Sit-down restaurants are not necessarily healthy. For example: TGI Fridays Tomato Basil soup has 1930 mg sodium and 20 g carbohydrates. TGIF Nutrition As a comparison Campbell's Tomato Basil Soup has 790 mg sodium and 23 grams carbohydrates. Campbell's Tomato Soup TGI Friday's soup is probably canned!
2. Eat a wide of variety of foods
Studies show that people who eat a wide variety of food are healthier, live longer and have a reduced risk of developing lifestyle illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Studies show that people who eat a wide variety of food are healthier, live longer and have a reduced risk of developing lifestyle illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Instead of choosing one cereal product to eat, it is better to choose a selection of cereal products and alternate, say between wheat, oat, rye, rice, or barley. NutritionAustralia
Eat seasonal foods, such as asparagus in the spring, tomatoes and zucchini in the summer, squash and apples in the fall, and oranges in the winter.
Try new things that you don't necessarily eat very often such as chickpeas, lentils, dates and popcorn. 10/12/18 10 Reasons to Eat Popcorn
Add spices and herbs to your meals. They can transform a meal without adding salt or fat. NutritionAustralia Many spices and herbs are good for you such as garlic. ClevelandClinic
If you eat a lot of processed foods find alternatives that don't contain soy. Half of all genetically modified crops planted were genetically modified soybeans. Wikipedia Foods that may contain soy include: baked goods (breads, cookies, and crackers), canned broth and soup, canned tuna and meat, cereals, high-protein energy bars and snacks, processed meats, like deli meats, vegetable oil and worcestershire sauce. WebMD
I admire your dedication to finding those healthy yet tasty options. It’s just so exhausting to read and consider the long list of ingredients that Americans find in their foods that are detrimental to our health. I wish our FDA would help us consumers out a little more. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for your blogs and recipes! Thanks!
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