Healthy Eating Is Not the Same As Diet

Take a moment to think about what “healthy” food means to you. Is this something low in calories? Low Fat? Low in carbohydrates? Content-free filling? This is not a healthy diet, it is a diet food. There is a difference.

You see, healthy habits are ones that you can sustainably maintain. When you are dieting, for example, trying to lose weight, your goal is to eat too little food. By definition, losing weight is not a healthy habit. You are deliberately malnourished in order to shrink your body. But you cannot contract forever, and of course it would not be healthy if you did.

Therefore, if you decide that you are going to lose weight by eating salads and chicken breasts instead of hamburgers and fries, you are doing two things at once. You are eating more vegetables and possibly healthier fats – these are healthy habits – and you are consuming fewer calories than before.

Yes, we often combine the goals of getting healthier and losing weight. But they are not the same thing. Simply eating healthier without making sure you are in a calorie deficit will not help you lose weight, and you will be disappointed if you expect that to happen. On the other hand, you need to eat right, even if you are not trying to lose weight.

There is a weight gain forum on Reddit that is known to be full of people who complain that it is difficult to gain targeted calories by eating chicken breast and stewed vegetables. Of course there is. This is a diet food. People eat it because it is low in calories. But we get the idea that low-calorie foods are good for us, and we fear being “unhealthy” if we eat anything other than dietary ones.

What healthy eating looks like without a diet

So what is “healthy” if not low in calories? It goes something like this:

• Fruits and vegetables of all colors
• Whole grains
• Protein
• “Good” fats, such as those found in vegetable oils.
• Variety, because each food has its own set of vitamins and nutrients.
• Not too much added sugar

Plus, it’s mentally great to be able to enjoy treats without berating yourself for it .

We’ve got a guide with some ideas on how to improve your diet, aside from calories. It’s not just about iceberg lettuce and chicken breasts. You can eat chicken thighs for dessert. You can add cereals, hearty vegetables, and fatty dressings to salads . You can eat – and I know it’s shocking – potatoes .

And don’t forget that in most cases, healthy food should come in large, not small, portions . What’s the point in a 400-calorie salad for lunch if you just get hungry and eat a 300-calorie chocolate bar later? Do yourself a favor and just eat 700 calories of nutritious food first.