During visits to food shows and conversations with food company representatives, I constantly hear praise for foods that are “free of” many ingredients including gluten, carbs, dairy and sugar. Since food companies create these foods in response to consumer feedback, it’s no surprise that health-conscious folks also like to tout the benefits of the foods they’re eating because they’re “free of” many of the same components. But each time I’m given the laundry list of what a food is “free of,” I always wonder to myself (and often to others when I give talks), “So what the heck is in the food if it’s free of everything?”
[See: ‘Healthy’ Foods You Shouldn’t Be Eating.]
When we focus on products’ missing components, we can be misled to believe they’re healthier. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report really hit the nail on the head when it recommended folks stop demonizing food.
Take gluten, for example — it’s by no means the bad guy! There’s no need to eliminate it from your diet, unless of course you’re allergic to it — something that should be determined through proper testing by a physician. Gluten-containing whole grains are filled with nutrients including fiber, which is a “nutrient of concern” according to the Dietary Guidelines because most Americans don’t consume enough of it. Is there a need for portion control when it comes to carbs and gluten-filled foods? Absolutely, but there is no need to eliminate them.
What about sugar? The World Health Organization and the latest dietary guidelines both recommend getting no more than 10 percent of your day’s calories from sugar. But 70 percent of the population meets or exceeds this amount. The top sources of added sugar in the U.S. diet are sugar-containing beverages, snacks and sweets.
But it’s important not to ban sugar completely from the diet. Instead, put added sugar into perspective. Take plain Greek yogurt, for example, which contains an array of nutrients including calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, but may be avoided by some folks due to its tartness. Adding a touch of sugar, like 100-percent maple syrup, agave, honey or unsulferated molasses can help make the yogurt more enjoyable without negating its health benefits.
[See: Unusual Uses for Greek Yogurt.]
The same goes for healthy foods like rhubarb and cranberries. Ever try drinking 100-percent unsweetened cranberry juice? It’s awful! Unsweetened cranberry juice absolutely provides healthful vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant chemicals that help fight and prevent disease), but it needs to be sweetened with a touch of sugar to be palatable. In these and other cases, it’s worth the tradeoff.
As the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans stress, a healthy diet isn’t about one food or nutrient, but rather your overall eating pattern. Evidence suggests that eating patterns with lower amounts of added sugar are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and some form of cancer. The guidelines outline what healthy U.S.-style, Mediterranean and vegetarian eating patterns look like.
[See: The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating.]
No matter which pattern you choose, it’s important to consider your sources of added sugar. Ask yourself: Which foods in your diet contain added sugar? Are you drinking regular soda, sweetened iced teas or lemonade? Pinpoint foods where it can be reduced. The new food labels, which will be in effect in two years, will display an amount of added sugar to help you better monitor how much you’re consuming.
Also think about where adding sugar to healthy foods may actually help you eat more of them and, in turn, allow you to consume important nutrients. The same concept should be applied to gluten, fat, dairy, nuts and other foods touted on labels for being “free of.” At the end of the day, it’s important to focus not on what’s missing from your food, but on feeding your body with good nutrition. Enjoy your eating experience and savor every bite of healthful, flavorful food.
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The Problem With Foods That Are ‘Free of’ originally appeared on usnews.com
