I’ll just go ahead and say “yes” to this one. I think there are bad foods. There are foods that I will not eat. When I was 305 pounds, I didn’t feel that any food was bad. If I wanted to eat an entire half gallon carton of full-fat ice cream with Oreos sprinkled in it for good measure, I would. If I wanted two triple cheeseburger sandwiches complete with fries and a coke then I’d eat them. I knew that those kinds of foods weren’t good for me, but I convinced myself that it didn’t really matter what I ate.
My reasoning was that I was so big anyway, that there was no way I’d ever be able to lose 150 pounds, so I might as well enjoy all the food I desired. I did feel guilty sometimes after I ate “bad” foods all day long , but the guilt wasn’t enough to stop me from eating those foods. When I was writing this post, part of me wanted to say no food is “bad, because I do believe in moderation. But even within moderation, there are quite a few foods I do not eat.
I think it would be interesting to see if there are foods on your “no” list. Here’s a few things, with my reasons for not eating them, that I don’t eat anymore.
Movie theatre popcorn – Did you know there are between 1000 and 1200 calories, and 60 grams of saturated fat in a large tub of movie popcorn? Not to mention the sodium. I just can’t do it! (Source: WebMd)
Chicken Pot Pie I don’t make – Marie Callendar’s chicken pot pie has 1040 calories and 24 grams of fat. Other brands are similiar, and restaurant pies are too.
Most canned soups – The sodium counts on most of these makes these a no on my list.
Beef and pork – I know there is nothing inherently wrong with these. It all started when I got ecoli food poisoning and was in the hospital for four days. I had eaten a restaurant hamburger that wasn’t completely done. That crossed beef off my list, and pork soon followed.
Soft drinks – I stopped drinking these a long time ago. The calories are high (240 for 20 oz), and most of the diet drinks have artifical sweeteners, which I try to avoid.
My list has changed over the years, but these are the foods currently on my ”bad” list.
Do you have anything that’s a “no” for you? Diane
Canned soup, candy of all kinds, ice cream and soda pop are on my list right now for starters. Too much salt and sugar in these which are triggers for me to eat bad.
Well, I think I could add all of the foods your just mentioned to my list. There are foods that I avoid because of the way they make me feel, but I’ve never thought of them being “bad foods.” That’s a good way to look at it though.
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Thoughts on Running =-.
My no’s are:
Pretty much anything made with white flour
I’m really trying to stay away from sugar
deep fried anything because once i start i can’t stop!
Potato chips
organ meats because they are full of cholesterol which after my hubs heart attack we were told to stay away from
There’s probably more but i just woke up
.-= suzanne´s last blog ..I kicked my own butt!! =-.
Sadly, my list of no-no foods are all healthy because I am allergic to them…..all poultry, most fruit, nuts, shellfish. *sigh*
But as far as “bad” food, I haven’t started that list yet.
.-= Carly´s last blog ..Weekend Wrap-Summer Vacation! =-.
I call them “trigger” foods because if they are in the house or if I start, I cannot stop. Mine are chips of any kind, crackers of any kind, and microwave kettle popcorn. Other things i.e. nuts, homemade breads or sweets of any kind, Hershey’s kisses, and frozen biscuits (the good kind) can become trigger foods if I am not VERY careful about allowing them in the house. I cannot eat at Macaroni Grill because I can’t pass up the bread and the whole experience is not worth it if I can’t have the bread. The same goes for Mexican restaurants because of the chips most serve when you first sit down. We only eat at restaurants when invited by others and have no choice. Fortunately, my husband is supportive of this.
This is a great post, Diane. One of my major victories was in figuring out and NAMING my trigger foods. I’m not always perfect as my blog confesses, but I’m better than I used to be!
Thanks for your blog. Reading it and the comments by others is a great source of encouragement for me.
.-= Sharon´s last blog ..Taking the Slow Road =-.
Fast food is a no for me. That said, I’ll eat salad all day for three days just so I can indulge in movie theater popcorn. I definitely classify it as bad, but it’s one of the only non-sugar splurges I get. So I enjoy it.
.-= Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman´s last blog ..Fennel Love =-.
My no foods are fast food of any kind, fried foods period,candy, cakes, pies, full fat condiments, pork, thers probably more but I haven’t finished my cup of coffee yet:)
Great post per usual I always enjoy reading it! Come by my blog when you get a chance and tell me if you like the new look:)
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Workouts and Shopping Trips =-.
I’m SO so glad to see I eat none of the bad foods you mentioned…
There are foods I refuse to eat as well…and most food with salt on I am trying to stay away from..
Last night watching Germany play Australia the neighbor had nuts on the table..but salted nuts!!!!!
I don’t think of it as bad and good.
I think of it as food and NON-food.
Any processed soups are high in sodium – not just canned. Boxed, packet, frozen – even if they say LOW sodium or organic – still REALLY high in sodium and none of us (here) eat them either.
ditto on the artificial sweeteners (of ANY kind) – none of us consume them either and it KILLS me that some people let their kids (let alone themselves) consume them.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..15 lb weights for chest presses and sleeveless workout shirts =-.
haha, I think we are on the same wavelength with our posts today!
Okay, you’re making me say it… my “bad” is now sugar. Anything with added sugar. And the list is looooooong
.-= Marisa (Loser for Life)´s last blog ..Al Fresco Day =-.
Lasagna. I know how strange that sounds, but real lasagna may never be a part of my life again, and I am okay with that. The same thing for real (meaning with sugar) desserts.
I have quite a few things I just don’t eat as I don’t think they are worth the calories & fat. Others I just don’t eat because I don’t want to, like red meat & pork. I am just not a fan. I have even other things that are not too bad but stretch my portion control willpower!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Five Ws of Weight Loss; Happy Bday Jennifer! =-.
I won’t eat high-calorie fake foods like movie popcorn and “blooming onions.” I don’t eat much high-calorie stuff, but I would never permanently cross off my list foods like homemade artisan bread with garlic and rosemary butter (one of my favorite special treats).
Maybe once a year I’ll eat homemade doughnuts, but I won’t eat Twinkies. The former aren’t exactly health food, but I know what all the ingredients are, and making them and sharing them with friends is a ritual I enjoy.
For me it all comes down to moderation. And I do have a bias toward real food, made by hand with high-quality ingredients.
.-= Mary Weaver´s last blog ..Fat-burning supplements: lose money the quick, easy way =-.
I don’t have anything on a “bad” list, but that’s largely me making a statement to myself that I can have anything I want…in moderation, of course. Whatever head game I’m playing, it works for me, because there are all sorts of foods I no longer even think of eating. But I could if I wanted to.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Happy Trainaversary To Me! =-.
I don’t eat French Fries, chips, milk chocolate (I prefer the dark variety), margarine, soda – that’s just off-hand. Overall I try to cook whole foods – mostly plant-based.
.-= Hanlie´s last blog ..More about Maggie =-.
The things on my “no” list are chocolate bars. I can’t eat them because I will get re-addicted to them. I wish I could eat them in moderation but it seems like I am unable to. Soft drinks are also on my “no” list. I don’t eat chips either.
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Taking my own advice =-.
I wish it were different, but I’m afraid I agree with you about bad foods, Diane! Maybe I’d say distorted foods, or poorly processed foods, regardless, they don’t do a body good
.-= Dr. J´s last blog ..Lab Notes: 20 Fittest Cities in America; Telling the Difference Between Fat and Pregnant =-.
I am trying to avoid artificial sweeteners now, also caffeine, any ready made processed foods in general because of the salt content. Other than that, I am just trying to moderate the things that need to be consumed in smaller quantities.
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Planning for The Future =-.
This post has really made me think. I have a long list of off-limit foods – some by choice, some by necessity. I choose not to eat meat. My stomach doesn’t handle dairy, so that’s out. I also avoid artificial sweeteners.
My big no-go is cola. I used to drink 5 cans of it a day. I constantly felt rundown and always had headaches. I decided to cut out the cola and the headaches disappeared. I’d never go back to that habit.
Yes there are bad foods. For me, right now, I can’t have bread or crackers–at home or out. The usual suspects are on my BAD GUY list too: candy bars, chips, cookies, bloomin’ onions, french fries, deep fried anything, anything made in a bakery, donuts, full fat ice creams, added croutons or cheese, high test colas, oh and pancakes and waffles. I NEVER bring these things into my house and avoid them when I’m out. I like your 1-10 rating system and something has to be pretty much home made and dee-lish (a 10) before I’ll give it a taste even if it looks calorie laden.
.-= Tish´s last blog ..AHA Moment =-.
fizzy drinks, I will have about 1 can in 3 months or so. Otherwise I avoid like plague, Pork I dont eat. Since I came back to meat after my vegetarian year, I eat beef.
.-= Mbini´s last blog ..Oats Pancake Recipe =-.
Fruit juice, packaged or prepared foods other than single ingredient foods (like canned beans, frozen peas, etc.), soda (although I drink seltzer), white carbs (particularly white flour and sugar). I haven’t completely eliminated the white carbs but eat them very sparingly and only on occasion (mostly basmati rice and the occasional ice cream). The goal is to eat mostly eggs, small amounts of whole grain bread, large amounts of produce and small servings of lean protein, olive oil, nuts and beans. And I drink my coffee with half and half.
No list: beef, fried food, full fat, high fructose corn syrup, macaroni and cheese, restaurant pizza, soda, white rice etc. etc.
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..The Point of Well Being and the Assistant Assassin =-.
oh gawsh. You just crushed my movie popcorn dreams. sorry, Karate Kid.
.-= Yum Yucky´s last blog ..Greedy Giveaway: Authentic Sugar Cane Stalk =-.
I don’t now if I have a no-eat list, but I definitely have a list of things I won’t bring into the house. All of the junky frozen stuff I used to love like onion rings, poppers, pizza rolls, etc … and most pre-packaged baked goods. I’m actually planning to do a post on that later this week!
.-= Ashley´s last blog ..Wedding planning Friday: Engagements =-.
Sausage is one I would add to that list. I avoid most of those things too.
For me it is anything with more than 13 grams sugar per serving( except fresh fruit), anything with high fructose corn syrup and anything with fish or shellfish ( allergy)
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Lazy Sunday =-.
Foods that I won’t ever eat again? Nope.
.-= Tony the Pink Panda´s last blog ..Q and A With Gossip Boi =-.
South Beach Steve – I know it’s not real lasagna, but you can make a lasagna-like dish using swiss chard instead of the pasta. I layer it with fresh tomato slices, tomato sauce or not, chopped scallions, a small amount of cheese and season with garlic and oregano. Sometimes I chop and roast the chard and onions first (using a little olive oil) which gives it a smoky taste. And sometimes I add a layer of eggplant. While not really lasagna, it is a beautiful summer dish, and healthy if you use only a small amount of cheese. I make it on the gas grill with the cover down.
Thanks Babbalou – I’ll give this a try!
Oooh, my list of no’s (also enforced now that I’m eating well, but were more present prior to this effort)
No: artificial sweeteners, trans-fats, soda, nitrite meats (hot dogs, bacon, many deli meats), fast-food burgers, dyed things. I hardly ever eat candies, or sugary desserts. If I have a treat, it’s a chocolate Vitatop, or something like one mini-York peppermint patty.
I truly do believe there are ‘bad’ foods. Sugar is not only an empty calorie, but an anti-nutrient, given the bad things it does to our bodies. I hear that corn syrup is even worse. Eating artifical chemicals in pre-packaged food has become a no-no too.
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Protein Bar Advice Needed =-.
No movie theater popcorn for me either, no soda,no artificial sweeteners.
I have a big list of rarely eaten foods that didn’t make the never list!
I should have some on my list but to be honest I still eat them from time to time. I know: I’m a weak person
I’ve had popcorn last time I went to the movies and I felt almost sick after eating it. So sweet it was gross, not going to buy that again. Aha … I do have a no food then.
Beef is a big one for me since I couldn’t chew it with my TMJ and then learned what marbling really was.
I also think soft drinks fall in here along with the movie theatre popcorn you mentioned.
And for me any food that masquerades as healthy when it is really junk is a bad food. Don’t try and trick me and tell me cookie crunch cereal is healthy just because it has vitamins in it.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Vacation + Goals =-.
I want to say no, but I think there are bad foods, especially for certain people. For me sugar is bad. I just can’t eat a lot of it (or really any). I also don’t like coke… I gave that up years ago.
.-= Mary (A Merry Life)´s last blog ..Sugar Lessons =-.
I always use the “everything in moderation” theory, but yes, there truly are some bad foods. I love cheesy bacon fries with ranch – but there is nothing healthy about them. So when I chose to make “bad” choices I am sure to use moderation and try to balance it out with exercise. But I believe it’s okay to be “bad” everyone once and awhile. The key is once and awhile and not several times a week.
.-= Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble´s last blog ..Found It! =-.
I think most processed food aren’t good for us, so I try to avoid them as much as possible. I’m also very careful when it comes to salt and sugar. And I avoid artificial sweetener; I still can’t believe how much diet soda I used to drink…
.-= Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..All Grown Up =-.
I could not have a bag of Oreos in my house, I’d know they were there and I’d be dunking them in a cold glass off milk until they were gone.
.-= cindy´s last blog ..RECIPE FOR A GREAT WORKOUT =-.
Great question! For me, there should be– but aren’t.
I don’t really eat canned soup because I don’t like it, or movie theater popcorn because it’s not worth the calories. There are lots of things I eat infrequently but I can’t think of anything I like that I never eat because it isn’t good for me.
Right now I’m flirting with foods that used to be no-nos like whole milk and whole yogurt.
.-= Larkspur´s last blog ..On Balance =-.
Interesting to hear the different answers people have on this topic!
For me, bad foods are foods like pancakes and syrup, which just make me feel icky after eating them and start the whole day wrong. Even a corn dog doesn’t do nasty things to my body like corn syrup and bleached flour, first thing in the morning. Really heavy, greasy foods are a sparing thing as well, and I keep my full fat dairy to certain items where the fat actually improves the taste – so I may eat real cheese and ice-cream, on occasion, but I don’t like whole milk enough that a reduced fat milk is any sort of tradeoff.
I am sparing with my sugar, especially the straight stuff like jelly beans. Chocolate, fruit sugars, whole grain breads, none of those are big problems for me. But I am genuinely starting to dislike sugar candy, which used to be my favorite! It’s too sweet and makes me feel icky.
Hmm… That’s all I have now!
.-= Taryl´s last blog ..*blush* =-.
Hmmm. I have foods that I mostly don’t eat most of the time, but sometimes I do give in. I don’t eat restaurant cheese or hamburgers. I also don’t eat pot pies, or doughnut.
.-= Shawnee´s last blog ..Getting to Know You Party! =-.
I don’t have any foods that I’ll never eat again. I believe all things in moderation are fine.
However, I do rate food and decide what is worth using up my hunger on. I’m learning to eat better and things that make me feel better. I also have trigger foods such as MIL’s homemade tortillas, oreos and brownies for starters that are very hard for me to control myself around. So I try and limit how many times these types of foods are in the house. If they are around I try and keep them out of sight so I won’t be tempted.
Interesting post and comments.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Two Small Victories! =-.
Maybe there are no “bad” foods, but Michael Pollan would say most of the stuff above isn’t *food*, it’s an edible, food-like substance.
.-= Alan´s last blog ..Week 21 Recap: Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal! =-.
Diane, I still marvel at how much you have changed your lifestyle over the years. You are truly an inspiration to me.
I try to stay away from trans fats. They are bad for us.
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Quick updates – Vtrim and Loretta’s Spring Challenge =-.
Diane, I still marvel at how much you have changed your lifestyle over the years. You are truly an inspiration to me.
I try to stay away from trans fats. They are bad for us.
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Quick updates – Vtrim and Loretta’s Spring Challenge =-.
BTW I love your blog!
uh oh.
I eat some of yer nos
*slinks away*
.-= Miz´s last blog ..N(o) S(cale) V(ictory). =-.
It’s so interesting to see all the variations in these lists. Margarine is at the top of my bad list, with corn syrup coming in second place.
I currently avoid sugar, any form of wheat, potatoes, and rice.
Diet drinks are an occasional treat. I don’t care for the taste of pork, but I love beef!
Very few things are on the no, never list, but a few are:
-Chain fast food. I stopped these 4.5 years ago and they make me ill. If I want to splurge, I’ll get a REAL version of what I’m craving.
-Sugared sodas. I’ll have some diet sodas (as treats) but I just can’t waste calories on sugared drinks. I also can’t do milk or full sugar juice or smoothies – I like to chew my calories, not swallow them.
-Caffeine. Makes me jittery. No coffee at all (makes me bloated).
-Movie Theatre popcorn too – just makes me sick. Maybe a few handfuls from someone else’s box but I’d NEVER buy my own.
-Doughnuts. Again – just makes me sick. I’d much rather start out my day with a protein bar that makes me feel good rather than BLECH.
…and that’s about it. I’ll enjoy other stuff in moderation but those are the things that aren’t worth consuming IMO.
.-= Quix´s last blog ..Deep Thought on Shallow Subjects =-.
My complete no’s are: beverages with lots of calories – totally unsatisfying and Chinese food – ridiculously high in calories and I don’t really even love it. I do have some trigger foods that I want to eat only in moderation, so my main is just not to keep them in the house. Those would mainly be: homemade breads and most any kind of homemade dessert or baked good.
.-= Laura Jane´s last blog ..Quick Update =-.
I gave up soda a while ago. Only drink ginger ale when my stomach is upset but other than that just water for me.