We’re always being told what we should and shouldn’t eat, to the point where at times, it can feel as though none of the foods we love or have the desire to eat, are even ‘allowed’.
Of course, we know that a healthy diet is one of the cornerstones of good health. After all, ‘Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food’, as Hippocrates once said. But the world we live in is filled with conflicting advice.
“Nutrition advice on social media is often driven more by attention than evidence,” says Dr Megan Rossi, founder of The Gut Health Doctor. “Very few foods need to be completely avoided by the general population. For most people, health is shaped far more by overall dietary patterns than by one single ingredient or food.”
Often, even the foods we’re told are good for us, end up being unhealthy. But what about the ‘unhealthy’ foods that you could actually get away with eating more of?
Snack on full fat yogurt
Fat has been demonised for years, which meant many of us switched to low fat everything, including yogurt. The problem is, many low fat products just replace fat with added sugar and flavourings.
“Go for full-fat Greek yogurt which is naturally high in protein, helping to keep you full and keep blood sugar balanced,” says Natasha Draycott, lead nutritionist at Rheal Superfoods. This helps to avoid energy peaks and crashes which leave you moody, hungry, tired and unproductive.
Plus, Dr Rossi says that fermented dairy products like yogurt have “consistently been linked with positive health outcomes, including benefits for gut health and even heart health”. Many yogurts contain live beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, linked to increased gut microbiome diversity; look for live and active cultures on your yogurt label.
Dr Rossi adds: “Fat also plays an important role in supporting the absorption of certain fat-soluble nutrients. Yoghurt is also a nutrient powerhouse, being a great source of calcium, iodine, B vitamins (particularly B2 and B12), phosphorus and potassium.”
Aim for around 150 to 200g as a portion.
Spread butter on your toast
What? Butter? Surely not? Turns out, the block of delicious, spreadable goodness sitting in your fridge isn’t as bad as you might think.
“In moderation, real butter is a minimally processed fat source that contains fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A,” says Natasha.
Check the ingredients on your butter as real butter contains cream or milk and often some salt. Other butter-like spreads however also pack in vegetable oils and emulsifiers. Grass fed butter is generally the best option where possible, but portion size still matters: aim for around 1 to 2 teaspoons.
Natasha adds that spreading butter on your bread can help avoid sugar spikes and crashes. “Pairing carbs with fats, protein and fibre can help create a steadier energy release.”
Tuck into cereal for breakfast
A cupboard staple that’s received endless bad press over recent years is cereal. But while sugar coated rice puffs or chocolate loops aren’t the best choice for your everyday breakfast, some cereals are actually worth stocking up on. *gasp*.
First up, look at the ingredients of your cereal. “By law, manufacturers have to list ingredients in order of quantity,” says Natasha. “The first ingredient is what the majority of the food is made up of. If a cereal starts with sugar, it’s usually a tell-tale sign that it’s too high in sugar.” It’s also best to avoid cereals with added syrups and food colourings.
“The daily recommended intake for free sugars is 30g for adults and 24g for children. Free sugars means added sugars, not naturally occurring sugars in fruit or milk, for example. Ideally you wouldn’t want your breakfast to contain 10g of free sugar, however quite a lot of cereals contain around 10 to 11g of sugar per 30g serving,” explains Natasha. “Oats, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat and no-sugar muesli can all be good options.”
Many cereals, made from oats, barley or wheat for example, also pack in decent amounts of fibre. In the UK, most adults eat just above half the recommended 30g of fibre per day, according to The Association of UK Dietitians. But, fibre helps avoid constipation and even helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
“Granola also tends to have nuts and seeds for extra nutrition. Most cereals have also been fortified with vitamins and minerals such as folate, other B vitamins, calcium, iron and vitamin D, so you’ll benefit from those,” says Natasha.
Aim for 30 to 45g of cereal and then pair it with other foods. “If you’re having granola with Greek yogurt and adding seeds or nuts, you’re increasing the protein, fibre and healthy fat content of your breakfast, so it’s much more balanced.”
Try a scoop of protein powder mixed in with your oats and liquid of choice, along with a spoon of chia seeds and honey; sliced banana on Weetabix with milk and a tablespoon of nut butter; or try using plain oats or crushed Shredded Wheat in homemade energy balls or bars.
Sprinkle cheese on your salad
Whether you enjoy it with wine, melted on toast, grated over pasta or simply sliced on a cracker, cheese is a versatile food. Yet, it gets a bad rap for being high in fat.
“Although it’s a source of saturated fat, it’s a good source of protein and calcium,” says Natasha.
In fact, parmesan tops the protein charts containing up to a whopping 36g of protein per 100g. “Parmesan is also naturally rich in calcium. Because it’s fermented and aged over a long period, it contains very low lactose levels, which can make it easier to tolerate for people with lactose sensitivity,” adds Dr Rossi.
It’s hard to resist the lure of cheese, but stick to controlled portions if you can. The British Heart Foundation recommends one index finger length of hard cheese, 2 tbsp of reduced-fat or low-fat cream cheese and 3 tbsp of cottage cheese. Lighter, softer cheeses such as cottage cheese or ricotta tend to be lower in fat and higher in water content.
Instead of making cheese the main focus of your meal, add it into meals instead. “For example, you could add cheese, such as feta or crumbled cheddar, to a salad made with fruit, leafy greens and vegetables,” says Natasha. Check out our feta salad recipes for inspiration
Treat yourself to chocolate
Past research by the British Heart Foundation found that the average Brit consumes a staggering 7,560 chocolate bars in a lifetime. But the ‘naughty’ food that so many of us feel guilty eating isn’t as bad as you think.
Cacao is rich in nutrients including antioxidants, which Natasha says are like an ‘antidote’ to oxidative stress in the body. “Oxidative stress can build up from poor diet, nutrient deficiencies, toxic exposure, poor sleep, smoking, pollution and chronic stress. Over time, this contributes to inflammation and damage to cells. Antioxidants help mop up some of these unstable molecules and support cellular health.”
It doesn’t stop there. In a review of eight trials with a total of 433 participants, dark chocolate helped lower LDL cholesterol – the ‘bad’ kind of cholesterol – associated with a higher risk of heart disease.
Rather than ultra processed milk chocolate or white, go for darker chocolate – at least 70% cocoa. Natasha says around two to four squares of dark chocolate makes up a portion. Pair with berries or nuts for a balanced snack.
source https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/unhealthy-foods-you-could-probably-eat-more-of
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