Is "eating right" defined solely by the calories you eat in a day, or is it equally important to eat fresh/organic/quality foods?

[Anonymous]

I am trying to improve my eating habits. To be honest, I eat fast food several times a week, whether it's just a quick bite or snack, or an actual meal. However, I do my best to keep things down to somewhat sensible portions and also try to get some veggies mixed in as well, and I'll even cut back on the starches when possible and avoid getting a soda (although sometimes I will).

According to my approximate metabolic rate, I'm mostly sure that I should be eating around 2,500-2,800 calories a day. But I always consider the 2,000 rule that nutrition labels suggest too. So I'm always keeping tabs on my calorie consumption.

But while I eat out a lot, I do get in fair amount of fresh, quality meals too through out the week. Some days I'll take a One-A-Day multivitamin, and I try and workout several times a week. The way I see it, I try and take good strides at staying healthy, despite caving for a convenient meal/fast food stop every now and then.

Do my eating habits sound alright? While they could probably be better, is this any real cause for concern?

[DodgersGM]

I'm almost done with my Nutrition degree, so I can help a little.

-Stay away from processed foods as much as humanly possible. Fast food (especially the McDonald's/Burger King/Taco Bell varieties) is basically your worst enemy.

-Cook as much of your own food as possible.

-East mostly plants. Meat portions in Western diets are insanely high, thus the repetitious call for "more fruits and vegetables."

-The 2,000 calorie diet is really more of a basic guideline. It's not something we should all follow as a hard-and-fast rule. Your own specific calorie requirements will vary depending on gender, age, weight and activity level. A better way to go about determining your caloric needs would be to calculate your BMR, and then use the Harris Benedict Equation to determine your approximate activity level and how it impacts those needs. Here's a https://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

[Asker]

Could you explain a little more in-depth what the effects are of fast food on the body and why they are your worst enemy?

[DodgersGM]

It basically boils down to all of the added sugars, salt, and fats (especially the unhealthy fats such as trans fats and saturated animal fats). Then there's also the prevalent use of preservatives and artificial flavorings and colorings, not to mention the abundant use of GMO's (which is kind of a separate topic in itself).

Basically, fast foods are fake foods that really have no place in a healthy diet.

[Asker]

I know that trans fats are the really bad fats for you, and for the most part, I don't see any trans fats at Taco Bell at least, which is where I eat the majority of my fast food. It's just so close to my house. lol

What do those preservatives do to your body though? And what are GMO's?

[NerdInDenial]

Try to avoid the fast food. Make sure you get in protein and fruits. Keep things in balance. Eating right is just not about calories; it's what makes up those calories as well.

[gingerrr]

No, its just not calories. You also need to make sure to have a well-balanced diet filled with fruits, veggies and healthy carbs. You also need to try to meet the daily recommended values for vitamins, minerals, etc.

[MaskofInsanity]

It's about maintaining a balanced diet.

Your eating habits sound good, definitely better than most people.

[Levin]

Well, if you do awareness practices: Tai Chi, Kung Fu, meditation, Qigong and the like, you gradually become in greater touch with the messages your body is sending you. Obviously, no one is going to agree on these components, but generally, in my subjective experience:

Grains and veg's the mainstay of your diet, perhaps 40% each.
They say we don't need to eat meat so many times in a week. This is a relatively modern thing, having it like twice a day, we certainly didn't have guarantees of that quantity when we were hunter gatherers. Apparently just a few times a week is better, but I appreciate this contradicts the "work out and get ripped" philosophy, which incidentally, I don't think is particularly healthy. Anyway, I'd be hypocritical to recommend this, since I eat a ton of meat, haha. I hope to cut down though.
Listen to your body's signals. Eat when you're hungry. Your stomach is sending you various messages. If you're constantly belching you're probably eating overly strong foods, or eating too much, or too late at night. As far as I understand Chinese medicine, the stomach goes into a state of passivity at night, so you should taper off food quantity throughout the day, and eat little at night. Breakfast and lunch should be your largest meals. Never eat too much in one meal, and CHEW, thoroughly, it is the basis of good health.
Fast foods and overly greasy ones will make you drowsy. As will overly sugary/high hypoglycaemic foods. Sugar highs and sugar crashes. And then, it's not much of a stretch, to say that this is unhealthy into the long term. Look at the sugar content of foods that you are eating, even ones with supposedly healthy credentials (damn marketing) can have a ton of sugar, 12g in a little 100 calorie snack bar.
Following on from the previous point, the emphasis is on veg's, not on fruits. Fruits are fine, but they are still sugary, so don't over eat them. Fruit juices are full of sugar.

Lastly, move, walk, kung fu...

[HandsomeRaj]

1. Eating the right food = NO fast & processed foods
2. Calories aren't the only thing that matter in a correct diet, what you eat & at what time intervals matters too
3. Consumption of water is a very important thing. The body needs to be kept hydrated at all times
4. Working out and meals compliment each other. Working out w/o a proper diet in place won't ever achieve desired results and vice versa
5. As much as calories are needed but in the right proportion at the right time, one needs proteins, vitamins, fat & carbs too in the right proportions ingested at the right time

Though you are trying to be good with these, it's better to start with some professional and qualified help & once you get a hang of it you can get stuff off the internet too ;)

[sovetskii13]

It's not just about calories. It includes eating a variety of foods and enough of it so you get all the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy. Keeping things balanced.

[Shyguy_1988]

It's important to eat foods low in fat content as well. Also foods that aren't filled with processed junk like high fructose corn syrup or fillers. Eating foods with nutritional value that are natural is best.

[CasaNorba]

yes. but not just the calories you consume, the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat are also crucial. lets not forget that there are two types of calories also; actual calories and empty calories.

[maiez]

Eating right would be 50% carbs, 20% fat, 30% protein. I eat healthy, fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, drink water/milk/juice.