General Fitness & Nutrition: Attention Nutritionists and Trainers!!! (and anyone else of knowledge)

I am graduate student in a nutrition and dietetics program and will be a dietitian next year. First off, I do not think of foods as good and bad. No one food will kill you and no one food is going to make you disease free. People in westernized societies are big on this dichotomous thinking (eat what is good, avoid what is bad). I think all foods can fit in moderation and a balanced diet.

For your question about the burrito; you are just looking at the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs), and not to the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). I am sure those are probably lower in a burrito from taco bell than a homemade burrito. Yes, you can get a lot of your nutrients from a “bad” diet, but you can not get all of them. Fiber is lacking in most all processed foods. This is important for keeping you regular, preventing a many diseases, especially colon cancer, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The lack of fiber in processed foods often leaves people still feeling hungry, ultimately leading to them consuming more calories than they need. Antioxidants and photochemicals are pretty much only found in plant foods, so if you are not eating whole fruits and vegetables, you are missing these. These too help with preventing disease. They are also important for runners since running produces oxidants. I emphasize whole, because every time you cut, puree, and process a fruit or vegetable, it loses some of its nutrients. Processed foods are high in sodium. Consuming them in moderation is perfectly okay, but consuming them consistently throughout the day will be giving you way too much salt. This will increase your risk of high blood pressure and increase how much you urinate, possibly leading to dehydration.  Many people think that taking a supplement makes up for any missing nutrients when they eat a highly processed diet; while it can cover the ground for some, not all  nutrients in supplements are the same as in whole foods. In addition, whole foods contain the phytochemicals and fiber that the supplement can not give you.

Quickly about the pizza/grilled cheese comment. It is a societal thing. Pizza is no different than a grilled cheese, unless, of course, you overload the pizza with cheese. I think pizza is a great food. You can add vegetables to it to make it more nutritious as well. Who doesn’t prefer vegetables with cheese over raw or steamed vegetables? The key with pizza is getting thin crust and/or making your own so you can control what is on it.

I could probably go one forever, so I will just stop now. I think the bottom line is to eat a balanced diet. Feel free to eat a burrito at Taco Bell for lunch, but maybe have some whole wheat pasta with sautéed vegetable and milk for your dinner. Try to add whole fruits as your snacks. And when you really want that burger, just eat it, because if you don’t you will most likely crave it later and end up over eating it when you get the chance. I don’t believe in restriction, just moderation. Please let me know if you have other questions.