8 Food Mistakes Healthy People MakeWhen we encounter someone that is obviously very healthy, we might assume that their diets must be perfect. The truth is that even the healthiest of people do make honest mistakes when it comes to eating clean, and 9 times out of 10 it’s not because of a lack of effort but more likely because of a lack of information. The following is a list of common food mistakes that even healthy people make.

Buying ProduceWhen buying our groceries, many of us go weekly as a matter of saving time and avoiding multiple trips to the market during the work week. While this makes sense in theory, when it comes to buying produce this is a major nutritional mistake. Fruits and vegetables start to lose their nutritional value as soon as they are picked, and if you are buying and keeping them a week before they are eaten, most of the essential vitamins and minerals have been lost. So from a healthy eating perspective, multiple trips to the market each week at least for produce is the best way to go.

Eating OutWhen we cook at home, we know exactly what goes into our food. We can control the quality and nutritional content of our diets this way. But when we eat out we risk ordering foods made with less quality ingredients and very likely more pre-packaged and processed ingredients. That’s how the majority of restaurants prepare food because it costs them less. Restaurants that serve all organic and whole food meals are likely very expensive because it costs the establishment more to buy their ingredients without preservatives, chemicals or canned ingredients.

Portion SizesThis is another hazard of eating out too often. Restaurants typically serve portions that are way bigger than they need to be. This leads to eating far more than we mean to simply because it’s in front of us, which contributes to the high rate of obesity in this country. Even healthy people have a hard time discerning the proper amount to eat when the plates and portions in restaurants are so grossly oversized.

Convenience FoodsSome foods that would be healthy if they were fresh turn unhealthy very quickly when we buy them in convenience packages. Take for example pre-packaged carrot sticks with a side of light ranch dressing. It seems healthy – until you read the label. Keeping things like carrot sticks and ranch dressing fresh in a plastic package takes chemical treatment and loads of preservatives, all of which are very harmful to our bodies, and all for the sake of convenience. It’s a better idea to just get into the habit of buying fresh carrots, making a simple light dressing at home and bringing that with you in a Tupperware container.

Fat Free FoodsSince we’ve all been conditioned to believe that fat is the enemy, many of us buy foods that are fat-free. This can actually work against us, as there are some fats that are good for us such as olive oil, canola oil and avocado. These types of fats contain Omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for a healthy and well-balanced diet. Our brains for instance function best when we eat a diet with plenty of Omega 3’s.

Vitamin SupplementsIt sounds like a good idea to take lots of extra vitamins, but this is another common misnomer among healthy people. Our bodies can only absorb so much when it comes to vitamins. So if we are taking more than we need, our bodies eliminate the excess which only results in very expensive urine. Watch what you eat and only take vitamins that you are not getting naturally from the foods you normally eat.

Peeling Fruits and VeggiesMuch of the nutritional value in fresh fruits and vegetables exist in the peels of these foods. If we remove the skins of apples, for example, we are tossing all of the antioxidant properties of apples down the garbage disposal. The same holds true for carrots and potatoes. The peels not only contain vitamins and valuable phytochemicals, they also contain all the fiber of that particular food and fiber is one thing we do not want to short ourselves on.

JuicingJuicing can be very healthy but it must be done properly. When fruits and vegetables go through the juicer, the seeds and peels (fiber and other nutrients) are left behind. Also when people juice, they are not consuming much protein. When we juice, we must supplement fiber and protein so that our bodies stay balanced and well-nourished. This is easy to do with powdered protein and fiber – just add a scoop of each to your juice and you’ll be good to go.

Even healthy people make food mistakes. The solution to this is becoming as educated a consumer as you can possibly be. Pay attention to ingredients, labels and portion sizes. Know which nutrients and how much your body actually needs and make your food choices accordingly.

SOURCES:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-mistakes-that-can-get-way-healthy-eating?page=2

http://authoritynutrition.com/top-11-most-common-nutrition-mistakes/

www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/healthy_eating/9-ultimate-high-fiber-foods.html