Three Foods You're Eating Wrong
I know, I know. I keep saying there’s no right or wrong to all this and now I'm telling you you’re eating food wrong.
The issue here isn’t that you should never be eating the foods listed below, it’s understanding the why behind each of these foods.
Whether you’re counting macros or simply making small changes, it’s important to know how the food you’re eating is fueling your body.
The problem is that mass marketing is a sneaky son of a bitch.
Nowadays you can find Sugar-O’s labeled as “A Great Source of Protein!” Since most people don’t understand why we need protein, what a healthy source is, or what to look for in a food label, they take the marketer at their word and pump tons of processed sugar into their system for those 2 little grams of Sugar-O’s protein.
Here are 3 foods commonly labeled/marketed/thought of in the “wrong” category:
1. Peanut Butter/Almond Butter
Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc. are sources of fat that also provide some protein. Their primary function, despite what marketers will have you believe, is fat.
Why?
Let’s compare a serving size of grilled chicken (a great source of protein, not a great source of fat) to a serving of almond butter (a great source of fat, not a great source of protein):
4oz Grilled Chicken:
Fat: 1-3 grams
Protein: 21-25 grams
2 Tablespoons Almond Butter:
Fat: 16 grams
Protein: 6-8 grams
As you can see, if your goal with this meal or snack is to get in as much protein as possible, chicken is a much better bet. While almond butter does contain some protein, its main function is fat.
2. Cheese
Like peanut and almond butter, the marketing industry has turned cheese into a powerhouse food for protein. A quick comparison shows that this is false advertising.
4oz Grilled Chicken:
Fat: 1-3 grams
Protein: 21-25 grams
1 Kraft Cheese Stick:
Fat: 7 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Cheese is primarily a source of fat and, as you can see in the comparison above, not the best option. Of course, this doesn’t mean cheese needs to be banned from your vocabulary and banished for life. It simply means when you’re choosing how to fuel your body, keep in mind what your food is offering and decide what would be most in your benefit.
3. Salad Dressing and Sauces
If stress is the “silent killer” of health because it can creep up and cause health issues without us noticing, salad dressing and sauces are the silent killers of nutrition.
Take a nourishing plate of beautiful vegetables, delicious lentils, and flavorful chickpeas. This nutrient-rich plate is ready to fuel you with energy for your day. Enter the silent killer. That mound of the ranch, Caesar dressing, or teriyaki sauce often contains so much unhealthy, processed fat and sugar that goes unaccounted for, it can counteract your good intentions in meal choices.
The good news is, knowing what to look for makes this an easy fix. When food shopping, check the nutrition label and look for sauces and dressing low in fat and sugar. Seasoning is typically a better bet than sauces (being cautious of sodium). When eating out, stick w a little bit of oil and vinegar and always ask for dressing on the side so you can regulate.