The dictionary defines health food as “any natural or prepared food popularly believed to promote good health” or “specific foods claimed to be especially beneficial to health.”
You’ll note that these are foods “believed” or “claimed” to be good food for your health. And that’s where it gets confusing. Not everyone believes the same things. Some people may believe a varied diet of meat and vegetables and grains is the most healthy diet. Others declare that a small amount of meat with larger amounts of grains and vegetables is the way to go. Vegetarians get rid of the meat, and vegans go even further and don’t eat ANY animal or dairy products.
Love Veggies!
So who’s right? Which of these are health foods?
Then we get down to specific foods or groups of foods. For instance, at one point the experts said, “Don’t eat eggs!” Other times, we’ve been told to eat various supposedly healthy diets: Eat a low fat diet! Eat a high protein diet! Eat the right carbs! The list goes on and on.
So who’s right? Which of these are health foods?
What’s even more confusing is the so-called experts are usually citing some study or another that “proves” their point. If that’s the case, then how is it that some time later another study comes along that “proves” the exact opposite?
It makes it difficult to really know what is true health food and therefore beneficial for your body.
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Searching For True Health Food
There is one truth you can be sure of – just because the popular media trumpets a food as being a great health food – ‘don’t make it so’. There are fads in foods and diets just like there are fads in clothing, music and many other things.
In addition, just because someone did a study, doesn’t mean the results are accurate. The results can be inaccurate due to a poorly designed study. Or the results can be inaccurate because the people conducting the study skew the results to fit their needs, like a big company wanting to show their product has good benefits.
Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. ~ Aaron Levenstein
Just substitute “study results” for “statistics” and you’ve got it. After all, people producing food products are in the business to make money and putting a spin on advertising is one way they entice you to part with your hard-earned money and buy their stuff! So when a big company is telling you what a great health food they’ve got, dig a little deeper to make sure the food lives up to the claim. In most cases, a manufactured food isn’t going to be as healthy for you as one that has had minimal to no processing.
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So What Is Health Food?
Simply put, health food is nutrient dense, with vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients that are good for you.
Most of the time these are foods that are as close to their original state as possible. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good example. The less processing a food has, the more of a health food it usually is. For example, whole grain flours, like whole wheat, are much more nutritious than refined white flour that has been stripped of nutrients, then a few vitamins are artificially added back in to make it sound healthy.
Milk and meat and eggs from animals that have been fed natural foods, and kept in healthy environments are also generally more healthy for you. Think about it… whatever goes into that animal first hand is going to go into you second hand when you eat the meat, milk or eggs that came from it.
That means it’s also important that any food, no matter how full of nutrients, is also free of dangerous chemicals like pesticides, hormones or antibiotics. Otherwise, it isn’t really a healthy food.
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Super Health Foods
Many foods qualify as health food in the sense they have beneficial nutrients, but some foods are so nutrient dense – so full of good vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients – that they’re an exceptionally good health food. These are the super health foods!
Among these super hero health foods are oats, walnuts, tomatoes, blueberries and more. Obviously, the more of them you include in your diet the better.
So when considering what is a health food, don’t look for fads, don’t look for a food altered to supposedly make it healthier, don’t look for some chemical concoction. . . just use your common sense to guide you as to what is health food and what isn’t.
Bottom line: If the food is nutrient dense and free of undesirable chemicals, it’s health food.
Glad you stopped by! The goal of our health food blog is to supply health food information that is easily understandable. We find out what are the best foods to eat, and what makes them so good. For even more info, sign up to get a free report below.
I always search for health food and there are so much contradicting information passing through every day which leads me to confusion.
Thanks for explaining it all.
I totally agree with you, foods that are natural, not touched by anyone else have to be best for us.
You have brillaintly simplifies healthy eating. Thank you.
Hey Raymond! I agree, there is so much contradictory information it gets confusing.
Thanks Lance… it just makes sense the natural foods would be healthiest!
I’ve always thought that un-processed food is health food, and not any individual food makes food or diet healthy, but a combination of all things you eat. I liked the bottom line, sums it up nicely.
It’s great to see a clear simple explanation. If we were to believe everything we read or hear about what NOT to eat it would be hard to find ANYTHING to eat.
I’m determined to get fitter this year so all I eat at lunchtime now is fresh fruit. Our kitchen is like the local greengrocers!
Andrew
Hi,
Thanks for this healthy post! I’ve always been looking into health tips, good diet and exercise to maintain my figure and with what you vitally said, even if I go to light workout while eating those foods, I can achieve the health that I’ve ever wanted. Let’s all grab fresh fiber-rich ones!
Hey Guys! (Anti, Andrew & Tyrone!)
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, unprocessed usually equates to healthier!
And you’re right Andrew, if we listened to the news, we wouldn’t be able to eat anything (or go anywhere, or do anything or …
)
I’ve been trying to be better about food, so thanks for the great post! I love the bikini quote, too!
Hey Brian… I was looking for a quote I sort of half-remembered on statistics, but when I saw that one… it rather tickled my funny bone so I used it.
This is very good advice simply written and and very clear. I agree completely with your assessment of diets. They are hard to study and even harder to prove. Epidemiologic studies are best but then you look a Ancel Keys and what do you get? Academia is not free of bias either.
Your summary of nutrient dense, fresh and as free of chemicals as possible is a good summary. I disagree with common sense though – Albert Einstein defined common sense as “the predjudice you acquire by age 18″. Maybe that is why they call it “common” (in the southern USA that is like saying Low Class).
No academia is definitelly not free of bias.
Guess I’ll have to think of another term for “common sense.”
It’s *supposed* to be: “Sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge.” It shouldn’t take special knowledge to figure out that fresh, nutrient dense food is good. But I guess sometimes common sense is closer to Einstein’s definition! Use “good sense”? Don’t know if that’s any better. Well, you’ve given me something else to think about!
Brilliant article!
It’s so hard to find someone who isn’t pushing a fad diet!
Focusing on avoiding unnatural processes/additives vastly simplifies the process of finding healthy food.
And I’m glad I’m not the only one who can recognize the fallibility of “research”, “studies”, and “statistics”. They can all be unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally) misleading.
keep smiling,
Ben
Thanks for the kind words Ben!
Fad diets are like most fads… not good in the long term.
It always seems to me that people need to think more for themselves and not believe every thing so-called experts tell them. But hey, that’s just me.
Great post. We all need to be reminded to lay off the processed food, and get back to our roots — literally. Thanks for sharing the list of “super hero health foods” too. I am definitely going to incorporate more of them into my diet.
Yes, Lisa, those roots can be good food, huh?
thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I like health food that good to eat and good for me. Blueberries are my favorite. I have even chased old mister bear out of the blueberrie patch so I could pick & eat in peace.
Wow, I don’t know if I love blueberries enough to chase a bear out of the blueberry patch! =:-O
But they are yummy!
Hi,
I get confused by all the admonishments to do this and don’t do that. Last year, I stopped eating “farm-raised” fish and opted for wild ocean fish only. I heard stories about “unhealthy” fish farms and the problem with too much mercury. However, I just noticed 6 tins of tuna in my cupboard. OMG! It’s not “fish” to my brain because it’s in a tin all mashed up. haha! From now on, I will ensure that my canned tuna is wild ocean fish. So much to think about!
The one new habit that has worked really well for me – and that I’m seeing positive benefits from – is adding one tablespoon of flax seed to my daily bowl of steel cut oats. After a few months, I noticed my sugar cravings diminished. Coincidence? Don’t know. But it works for me.
Cherly, that’s funny. All those tins of tuna weren’t “fish” huh? I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who sometimes gets a little “over” focused on one thing.
Flax seed is some really good stuff. That’s a good idea to add it to oatmeal. I’ll have to try that. Thanks for sharing.
Easy – but not as simple as you might think to stay out of processed foods! The easiest way is to shop in the perimeter of most USA grocery stores and stay out of the middle!
Oh yeah, it’s easy to know what we should eat, but not always so easy to find it! You’re sure right that the walls of the USA grocery stores, where the produce and stuff are, is the most likely place to find non-processed foods.
Oh you health food people make me
sickhealthy!Seriously, this is such an important part of living well. Your blog is very nicely done and the information is great.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
Rich
Ha, ha, Rich. We wouldn’t want to make you
sick, just healthy! But I don’t think people need to be health food nuts…. just try to move more towards eating healthy foods more often. No twigs and sticks, just good food.Hi,
nice article explaining it all. Very helpful as well! I replaced some of the chocolate and crisp stuff I was used to eat (or should I say consume?) with fruits like Kiwis, Apples etc. Since I also added some veggies as snacks to my daily food, I feel much better and healthier.
Btw, I absolutely agree with taking a look behind the curtain. What I have learned so far, that everyone wants to sell something so I use the old latin saying “Qui bono?” (Who benefits from it?) as a starting point for analysis
Best wishes from Europe
Phil
Phil, you said it well. “Qui bono?” or “follow the money!” People sell stuff because they want to make money. Some are more honest than others about what they are selling. So maybe we should add, “Caveat emptor” (Buyer Beware!).
Thanks for all the great information. One question when it comes to meat and eggs how do you tell which ones have been feed good food?
I always had a problem when they said sugar was bad for you, but something articial was better. My way of thinking, sugar is good for you and your body needs it, but it is like anything to much is not good. Glass of wine is good for you, but not the whole bottle.
Thanks again for keeping us on track with food, Tish
Debbie
Yes, it can be difficult to know where the meat and eggs came from, and if it’s good. Lableing helps, like buying organic, or at least “hormone free”. If you can find a local farmer you trust, even better.
Thanks for stopping by Debbie!
Thank for the information. I think I’ll try and find a farm. Having been raised on a farm myself I do know how important it is to feed your animals the right things. And when growing crops what to do. After all at a very young age I learned how to water the fields and weed them. And I better not forget about thinning the beets.
thanks again Teagan
These days I totally ignore any kind of findings and research and statistics. It’s hard to be your own guide in something you don’t even know much about, but I also feel that I’ve been misguided when I listen to the media. What’s interesting though, is that in certain stores you get food that tastes different, and better. When my wife makes beef for example, I can tell where she got it from. I really miss the food I grew up with, all straight from our garden, it not only tasted, but smelled better.
Oh yeah, Tom. Nothing beats a fresh out of the garden vegetable, like a tomato still warm from the sun. Or fresh corn on the cob, juicy sweet. Nice crisp green bell peppers. . . Oh wow, let’s get winter over with and get out in the garden, yeah!
It definitely makes a difference where food comes from in how it tastes, and how much nutrients are in it.
I liked this statement -
“The less processing a food has, the more of a health food it usually is. For example, whole grain flours, like whole wheat, are much more nutritious than refined white flour that has been stripped of nutrients, then a few vitamins are artificially added back in to make it sound healthy.”
Dr. Andrew Weil says to look at labels of the ingredients. If they are long, forget it!
The shorter the most nourishing
You hit the nail on the head Corinne. The closer to the original, the better. Of course, you CAN get recipes with bunches and bunches of “for real” ingredients and it’s still healthy. But mostly I’m a lazy cook, and not only look for short list of ingredients in foods at the grocery stores, but in my recipes too.
Your article gets to the bottom of what we all need to concentrate on – I’m really happy to see that the wave seems to be turning back to real food as it is becoming more and more obvious that processed foods and factory farming are not in our best interest.
I’ve changed a lot of my eating habits for the better, my best step is to get back into the garden! There is nothing like picking your own fresh, organic veggies in taste or nutrition. And so much less garbage to throw away in packaging.
I am going to look into some square foot gardening as well as container gardening as well as regular old gardening :0)
Hey Jan! We live on a little farm, so even our leftovers are useful. the chickens or peafowl think they’re yummy. But packaging from grocery store bought food, well, all you can do is recycle what you can, and throw away the rest.
I’m a big fan of raised bed, or square foot gardening. Container gardening is a little tougher for me, as things dry out so quickly here in the south in the summer, and I am bad about remembering to water EVERY day. (I really need a memory upgrade!) have fun with your gardening! You can really enjoy the fruits of your labor!
But a donut from Dunkin’ Donuts is good for me because it has zero trans fat!
I agree with this post 100% actually. I am an avid cyclist (ok…obsessed is the better word) and we are constantly on the lookout for dense nutrient foods to keep our bodies running at their prime. It has been my experience, that the more marketing that is thrown at a food…the less real value it has for your body.
Nothing beats nuts, bananas and other natural sources of vitamins, minerals and protein.
Oh yeah, Rob, as long as there is NO trans fat, it’s gotta be good! So munch up on those donuts!
Okay, Mr. Avid Cyclist… I think you’d better stick with your nuts and bananas and stuff instead. Probably wouldn’t cycle very far on donuts, huh?
I try to avoid focussing too much on one part of the health equation – I have a close relative who is a vegan, very fussy about what he ate, but smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol to the point of addiction! Likewise being aware of the quantity of food we eat and the amount of exercise we take. But being aware of what constitutes “healthy food” is important so we can make informed choices.
Well gee, I guess the vegan part canceled out the cigarette smoke and alcohol??? Kind of like breaking a cookie lets all the calories leak out?
I’m with you David, a more rounded approach makes more sense to me. I don’t think people should become health food “nuts”, but just be aware of the choices they make, and try to make more good choices in food, than unhealthy ones.
Excellent post, thanks for making it seem so clear and simple.I’m trying to eat much healthier food than I used to and it’s really not that difficult until the “greed factor” kicks in. Probably because my brain has been chemically training to want that horrible processed food, but I’m gradually training myself off it. I hope!
The food companies are adept at making products that look, and yes, even taste good. They have that salt, fat, sugar combination your taste buds like so well down to a science, for true! All we can do is stop and think about what we’re eating and whether we really want to eat it… then try to make more good choices than not-so-good!
When did it become this complicated to know what to eat?
I keep asking myself that question and I still am not able to find that answer.
If people keep it to REAL food that’s rich in nutrients and nutritional value there would be a LOT of health issues solved in the U.S.
During the month of January there were so many advertisements of diets and weight loss products it really made me understand for the time how difficult it it for the average person.
Given that I have some plans later this year to introduce some educational material to my readers I took note this January and it’s far too complicated and there are too many conflicting messages about food.
It should be really simple in the end = keep it to REAL food and get rid of all the junk and chemicals!
This is a great discussion!!!
Krizia
Krizia,
Yes, it has become complicated because of all the conflicting messages out there from not only food companies, but other entities as well.
And yeah, don’t all those selling diet products know January is a great time to push sales? So many people making a new year’s resolution to get in better shape, to lose weight, etc.
Changing what we eat would indeed be healthier, but often we want a quick fix instead. Like people wanting to smoke, so why not a safe cigarette instead of quitting smoking? Some of those chemical laden foods are pretty tasty, so it’s hard to give them up.
And then there’s the whole “it’s easer to eat what we’re used to” thing… it’s just habit.
BTW, you’ve got a great blog!
Good article. It’s always deceptive when it comes to the mainstream food companies and their so called “Health Foods”. It’s all too often we see parents giving children ketchup thinking that’s a vegetable, especially when it’s tauted as being healthy because of some additive or something that’s naturally occurring yet it’s really not that healthy at all.
Especially in today’s world of GMO products from Monsanto and stuff people really need to be educated about that evil company.
Yeah, ketchup with all that high fructose corn syrup is a great vegetable… NOT! But big food companies can do some high powered advertising to make people believe that their food products are really good stuff.
And I totally agree, Monsanto is a scary company with way too much power, and getting more of a stranglehold on the food supply every day.
Nice looking site, and great article! But are you telling me I’m not eating healthy when I choose the “less fat” 3 Musketeers bar from the work vending machine? I don’t want to know, and am now covering my ears, going, “Lalalala…”
Jeff, you are too funny. I won’t say a word about your “less fat” 3 Musketeers bar from the vending machine. I woudn’t dream of disturbing your “lalalalalala”.
But I will say… small world. I grew up in WV too, about 30 miles from Parkersburg. And I also did a stint in Scranton, PA. Now I’m about 4 hours away from Atlanta.
I 100% agree with you – though I may not follow a completely healthy diet myself
– unprocessed, natural foods seem to be the healthiest. I trust a banana much more than a lean cuisine.
I also strongly believe moderation is key – no need to deprive oneself.
Some people do the “conversion” experience, and want nothing but health food, and clear out their cupboards of everything but what fits the most stringent requirements for health food. Those are the true “health food nuts.”
But most people can’t live with that, and would rather change their diet a little at a time, or just try to make healtheir food choices without totally giving up some of the things they love that aren’t quite so healthy.
The moderation thing you spoke of!
But you’ve got to know what’s healthy and what isn’t before you can make choices.