Expensive, tasteless and monotonous? Debunking 8 myths about healthy eating

Many people want to switch to a healthy diet, but for one reason or another they hesitate. Some believe that healthy food is expensive, others think that PP dishes are necessarily tasteless and bland. And these are not the only misconceptions. We debunk popular myths together with Úroveň kuchyne a Anton Berdov, leading nutritionist of Performance Group holding (brands Performance Food, Level Kitchen, My Food and Chef at Home), an expert in the field of nutrition and dietetics, Master of Science in Dietetics from the University of Surrey, UK.

Myth 1: PP is unpalatable

This is probably the biggest myth of all. But we should not forget that everything depends entirely on individual characteristics and preferences. The main reason for the problem lies in the lack of knowledge that the right food is not only chicken breast with buckwheat and vegetables. The diet should be balanced and varied – without one there can not be the other. If you eat salad leaves all day long and drink celery juice, your body will not benefit from it.

Each product and ingredient is unique in its own way, both in flavor and dietary qualities. This, in turn, opens up a vast space for experimentation, searching for new flavors and combinations. A varied menu with strict control of calories and quality of products – that’s what will give results.

Myth 2: Healthy eating is expensive

Most people really think that healthy eating is expensive. But in fact, the daily diet of a person who chooses a healthy lifestyle consists of products available in a regular store. Expensive ingredients can be found more budget-friendly substitutes. For example, our usual seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, leafy salads, zucchini, pumpkin and eggplant) will be many times cheaper than Israeli avocados, yams or bell peppers. Yet they are just as healthy – and sometimes even more so.

It’s a similar story with seasonal fruits. Banana, apple, orange in the summer season or persimmons and tangerines in the winter season are great alternatives to mangoes, papayas and other exotic fruits. The same goes for the main sources of protein. Chicken or turkey are the most affordable options, and white fish (hake, pollock) is a great substitute for trout or salmon. Eggs and dairy products will add balance to the diet, while not being a blow to the family budget.

On the other hand, “expensive” can refer not only to money, but also, for example, to time. From this point of view, a healthy diet is indeed “more expensive” than a standard diet. It takes a lot more time to plan, buy groceries and prepare them than a fast food snack. In addition, you will have to make a lot of effort to form new habits.

Myth 3: There is no place for sweets in a healthy diet

This is a common misconception. Of course, a healthy diet and, say, two liters of soda with a glass of sugar dissolved in it – things are incompatible. But this does not mean that there is no place for sweets in the life of a ZOJ fan. Almost all the sweets available in stores can be replaced by a more useful version prepared by yourself. On the vast expanses of the Internet you can find a huge number of PP-recipes of various desserts that will not harm the figure.

At the same time, you need to remember not only about the physical balance, but also psychological. Chitmil will help in this. The term translated from English means “violation of diet/meal regimen”. It gives you the opportunity to replace one of your meals once a week. Since it is a planned disruption, a cheatmil helps you to tolerate dieting more easily, improves your mood, and reduces the risk of uncontrollable breakdowns.

Myth 4: To eat right, you need to give up late dinner

First, you need to figure out what time you fall asleep. Modern dietetics says that the correct time for the last meal is considered 2-3 hours before bedtime. This allows the body to fully digest food, assimilate macro- and microelements and concentrate on rest. At the same time, it is necessary not to forget about the individual characteristics of the body, in particular about biological rhythms.

Myth 5: snacking is harmful, there should be three meals.

One of the basic rules of dietetics is to eat at least five meals daily. The reason is simple: the less food a person eats, the more the body leaves in reserve. Therefore, three meals, even if they are dense and hearty, will lead to weight gain. The ideal is five meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and two small snacks during the day. The right snack can be a sandwich on multigrain bread with turkey, 50 g of nuts and dried fruit, cereal bar or fruit salad – the options are numerous.

Myth 6: if you lose weight, you should always be hungry

Starving is strictly forbidden when losing weight and following any of the diets. Scientific studies have proven that when starving due to calorie deficit, the weight really decreases, but the so-called “yo-yo effect” will be triggered. Then during starvation not fat, but muscle fibers (in other words, there is a loss of muscle mass) goes away.

The final result of absolutely all starvation diets is a food breakdown due to the inability to constantly feel hunger. Therefore, the lost weight is replenished by fat tissue, and the dropped pounds come back with an additional 20%. For this reason, each cycle of fasting leads to the same results: more and more muscle mass is lost, and fat mass comes in return. To eat right and lose weight, you need to know your calorie allowance and reduce it gradually by 10-20%, no more. And be sure to combine it with regular physical activity. Of course, proper nutrition and calorie control sooner or later will also lead to weight loss, but in combination with sports this effect will be brighter and faster.

Myth 7: A healthy diet is always a lot of protein and no carbohydrates

Low-carbohydrate diets have been popular for years. They do lead to weight loss, but, unfortunately, to consolidate the success turns out to be in units. In addition to this, such a diet has many restrictions, it is not suitable for everyone. It is important to realize that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and they are divided into simple and complex.

More useful are considered complex carbohydrates, which due to their structure lead to a slow increase in blood sugar levels. They are found in legumes, root vegetables, cereals and green vegetables.

Myth 8: A healthy diet can only be eaten away from civilization

This is a common misconception. Of course, you should read the ingredients on labels carefully,
but you shouldn’t go to extremes. Most vegetables, fruits, fish, cereals – all that is available in the nearest store, harmless to the body, as long as it is fresh. The problems start either when it’s not stored properly or when it’s not cooked properly. I am now not only about the mixture of food additives and preservatives, but also about sanitary control in production. For ourselves, we have solved the issue simply – the supply of products to the Level Kitchen factories is handled by those companies that have never had any problems with quality. In addition, we bring in ingredients a few hours before they are cooked and exactly the volume that is needed today. We don’t use preservatives or flavor enhancers, so anything delivered to the customer should be kept in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

The main thing to realize is that food becomes “wrong” not from birth, but in the process of
of preparation. Fatty acid-rich salmon fried in a liter of oil and salmon,
and steamed salmon are two very different things. If you use quality,
healthy foods and the right cooking method, any dish can be made healthy.

Many people’s favorite “harmful” – burgers, fries, sweets – can be prepared in such a way,
in a way that’s not harmful to your figure. If you don’t want to spend time on culinary experiments.
experiments, you can always turn to professionals for help. For example, make a delivery of a healthy diet at home and enjoy your favorite dishes without fear of outgrowing your jeans.