Recommendation: When deciding what to eat, choose foods with greater nutrient density, and worry less about reducing calories. Before spending time developing low-calorie meals, (which can be a good idea) first invest that time in learning which nutrients you may not be getting enough of and seek foods high in those nutrients.
How to recognize the better option
Knowing which choices to make can seem intimidating, but is as easy as asking one person for one suggestion, searching the internet for “Nutrient-rich foods“, or simply throwing something in your cart that doesn’t have a barcode on it. A good rule of thumb–meaning most of the time–is that the meal (and diet) with more vegetables is more nutritionally dense. Furthermore, don’t be scared of the butter they’re cooked in. Even if they’re fried green beans, they still beat chips and dip. Keep in mind, fried green beans go into the ‘occasional’ category, but since you’re eliminating sources of empty calories throughout the day, you can absolutely afford to make fried veggies your indulgence. And if they’re not fried, go ahead and dip em in ranch. If you’re a snacker, spend a little more money to get some raw cashews/macadamia/almonds/walnuts and keep them near. Also, dark chocolate (80% or higher) is a portable, low-sugar, high-antioxidant option for snacking. Both beat any bag of salty carbs. ((Plasma antioxidants from chocolate))
Fat-free dressing
The best research-supported example of this idea I’ve found is the effect of fat-free vs. full-fat salad dressings, which has been a popular topic since the low-fat options were developed. A 2004 study says it best, “A substantially greater absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads were consumed with full-fat than with reduced-fat salad dressing.” ((Carotenoid bioavailability…)) The effectiveness of fat-free dressing was “negligible”. Of course, absorption is dependent upon many factors, but the concept applies to most of the people most of the time. Therefore, it’s reasonable to make decisions based on the study’s conclusion. Other studies have found similar benefits of decorating our plates with avocado (another high-fat food). ((Carotenoid Absorption…)) The reason is because some of the important vitamins found in common salad ingredients are “fat-soluble”. One way to describe this is to say those vitamins can be dissolved in fat, so they’re carried along with the fat (in salad dressing, for example) until our body separates the two. An alternative to “fat-soluble” is “water-soluble”–other nutrients have this quality. Fat-free dressing is made by replacing fat with water, but because certain nutrients we find in lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots are “fat-soluble”, fat free dressing does nothing to help our bodies absorb them. These vitamins (A, D, E, and K and their variations) are vital for about every system in the body. While harmful deficiency is relatively uncommon, the gap between the amount we ‘should’ consume and the amount we actually absorb is real and fairly measurable. The good news is that low nutrient levels are fairly easy to reverse with proper diet, especially when paired with healthy sources of fat to carry them around. For this reason, almost everyone can benefit in some way by building their diet from this perspective.
Weight Management Is Absolutely Important
Obesity is directly linked to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, dyslipidaemia, cerebrovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, pulmonary abnormalities, gastrointestinal abnormalities, reproductive disease, and osteoarthritis. ((Complications of obesity in adults…)) It’s a legitimately healthy decision to seek the appropriate weight with the help of medical professionals. However, it’s not the proper end goal. It’s simply one of several measures of progress toward the goal of better health. Exercise is the best defense against obesity and the most effective complement to the ‘nutrition before weight-loss’ strategy proposed here. To assist (and confuse) us, food production has been developed to make it cheaper to produce low-calorie items for health-conscious consumers. Unfortunately, during this period we’ve also seen rising obesity and related health issues. It’s not necessarily because of these foods, but at best we can reasonably say our focus as producers and consumers has been misplaced. Following the low-calorie plan, I might settle for the grilled chicken and salad with fat-free ranch instead of the steak and salad with actual ranch. Unfortunately, this means I missed out on the better source of B-vitamins and minerals, along with omega 3s and the fat-soluble vitamins in the salad. Oh, and there’s the flavor part of it too. The worst part is when I follow up with a light dessert, which makes the meal both nutritionally lacking and unsatisfying. Also, portion control is easier with complete meals made of whole foods. Conversely, research shows that I may eat more food when I rely on “low-calorie” snacks. One study found that, “Over 24 h all participants had lower fat intakes (P < 0.05) when eating the fat- free potato chips compared with the regular chips, but 24-h energy intake was not significantly different between groups." ((Effect of fat-free…)) This would mean that the participants who snacked on low-fat chips must have consumed more calories during the rest of the day to catch up with the other group. One cause of this phenomenon is the spike in blood sugar which is followed by a spike in insulin. The insulin brings the blood glucose crashing down, leading to a return of hunger sooner than if the food elicited a smaller glycemic response. It’s much easier to make a low-calorie food that’s high in carbs and low in fat because fat (per gram) has more calories.
Baby steps and variety are effective ways to start
Small changes can easily become habits. Similar to exercise, healthy eating has direct benefits on mood, creating an encouraging and self-propelling cycle. This is especially true when shared with others–health is just as contagious as the flu. Eventually, focusing on nutritious foods will likely lead to the proper weight and many other health indicators, keeping in consideration genetic factors. Recognize that weight loss is not the ultimate target, but simply a measurement of progress toward total, effective health. Finally, it’s important to consider everything we’ve eaten throughout the day before determining if the next thing is a ‘healthy’ choice. If breakfast was a spinach omelette, you don’t have to stress about protein or leafy greens at lunch and dinner. Variety is important at each meal and throughout the entire day. And as always, don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good by going carb-free or taking a no-dessert oath. Take baby steps, create small ‘wins’, and build momentum.