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Original poster

To think there is a poor understanding of a healthy diet?

604 replies

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 21:17

I think most people think they know what a healthy diet looks like, but in reality they do not. I see so many comments on MN that demonstrate this.

The most common one is that fruit should be limited because of its sugar content. This is very bad advice. Sugar in fruit has little impact on our blood sugar levels. And most people in the UK do not eat enough fruit.

The other is concern over eating any carbs. Wholemeal bread and pasta is fine, carbs in pastry and doughnuts is not great though.

And most people need to eat more nuts. Nuts are very good for you and should be part of your regular diet.

OP posts:
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Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:39

I buy frozen blueberries frol ALDI and add them to cooking porridge. B and M do cheap packs of mixed seeds.

OP posts:
Perhapsanothertime · 12/04/2025 22:38

Bread is a UPF and not healthy at all, so you probably shouldn’t be preaching your “healthy diet” as though you’re somehow above everyone else 😬

Slackbladder22 · 12/04/2025 22:37

MissyB1 · 12/04/2025 22:33

Why? What do you eat?

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It was slightly facetious, some of that does sound nice, the soup and bread for example. But I eat meat or fish most days. And snacks are crisps and chocolate.

Im perfectly healthy, do lots of exercise (21k steps today for example) and at 46 years old ive had maybe 3 sicks days since year 9 at school. Health is not just about what you eat. Food is a great source of joy in my life.

pinkfloralcurtains · 12/04/2025 22:37

intrepidpanda · 12/04/2025 21:57

The whole protein thing too.
All engineered to sell overpriced products and powders. Brainwashing an over consuming society at its best.

Also sugar. Sugar is natural and not bad for you.
Not some evil to be avoided at all costs.
Over processed foods on the other hand, these tend to have a lot of sugar which seems to have caused the link to the sugar being bad.

Protein needs do go up with age, and it helps ward off sarcopenia, so it’s not all a con.

The RDA of 60g is on the low side in your 40s and beyond where 1-1.3g/kg is considered more appropriate.

PickAChew · 12/04/2025 22:37

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:18

Those foods are all low calorie

Fair enough but we also need to consume sufficient calories.

I love lentil soup. I love a chickpea curry. Most fruit gives me the shits and I'm gluten (and, I am now realising, avenin) intolerant so your daily diet would leave me ill and malnourished.

Do you take a B12 supplement?

Superhansrantowindsor · 12/04/2025 22:36

Semiramide · 12/04/2025 22:01

@Sunny91 - I would try to keep it simple. Cut out UPF and limit refined carbs, sugar, alcohol.

Eat mostly vegetables and around 120g lean protein per day, plus some fruit, dairy, nuts and healthy oils, as well as small amounts of complex carbs (such as lentils and root vegetables.

If in doubt, eat more veggies and/or another apple!

This proves I know nothing about being healthy. Ask me to name a protein….Id struggle. What does 120g of protein look like? Should I weigh it or go by sight? What is the difference between a complex carb and a regular carb? Refined carbs? And the op mentioned seeds that I wouldn’t know where to buy or what to do. I am overweight and know I need to do better but it is bewildering. Even this thread people are disagreeing about fruit. For people like me it just seems too complicated so we stick with what we know even though it’s bad. I’m going to keep a watch on this thread for more information.

maddening · 12/04/2025 22:35

I do think you should caveat your advice though - not all bodies work the same.

MissyB1 · 12/04/2025 22:35

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:28

Just do as much as you can. I do not always eat healthy every day, but I do try to. I buy from ALDI

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Me too. I eat lots of oats, fresh fruit and veg, fish, pulses, seeds and nuts. Do my big weekly shop at Aldi.

TicklishAquaShark · 12/04/2025 22:33

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:28

Just do as much as you can. I do not always eat healthy every day, but I do try to. I buy from ALDI

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No I've not explained properly. I do eat healthily, i eat fruit and veg and meat. My dinner is usually some potatos, beef or fish and brocolli or something like that. but you were asking why people dont eat the way you describe and its because healthy food such as nuts seeds and berries are very expensive. It's a fiver for some blueberries here. other berries are not much different in price. Can you imagine the cost if families had to eat that way everyday, they wouldnt be able to pay their rent.

MissyB1 · 12/04/2025 22:33

Slackbladder22 · 12/04/2025 22:02

Good lord I’d rather die young than eat that every day

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Why? What do you eat?

MementoMountain · 12/04/2025 22:31

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:26

This is about your ideal healthy diet. Not just surviving. And flaxseed is from a tough grass that grows wild in many places.

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Eh? Flaxseed is from flax, surely.

Blue thing. Has flowers.

Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:28

TicklishAquaShark · 12/04/2025 22:26

its not affordable

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Just do as much as you can. I do not always eat healthy every day, but I do try to. I buy from ALDI

OP posts:
Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:26

LillyPJ · 12/04/2025 22:25

So how did we managed when we'd never even heard of chia seeds or flaxseeds etc? They are not even available everywhere in the world and yet people somehow survive very well without them!

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This is about your ideal healthy diet. Not just surviving. And flaxseed is from a tough grass that grows wild in many places.

OP posts:
TicklishAquaShark · 12/04/2025 22:26

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 21:24

That is people with a new diet to sell. The research is clear. Every day a portion of berries, nuts, flaxseed or chia seeds, three portions of fruit minimum, three minimum of veg, three of pulses.

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its not affordable

LillyPJ · 12/04/2025 22:25

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 21:24

That is people with a new diet to sell. The research is clear. Every day a portion of berries, nuts, flaxseed or chia seeds, three portions of fruit minimum, three minimum of veg, three of pulses.

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So how did we managed when we'd never even heard of chia seeds or flaxseeds etc? They are not even available everywhere in the world and yet people somehow survive very well without them!

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 12/04/2025 22:24

Eachpeachpearprune · 12/04/2025 21:51

Agree with the bread. Most supermarket bread is full of crap (including the wholemeal).

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How so? What is that's in it that's a problem?

Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:24

LillyPJ · 12/04/2025 22:23

You seem to have very rigid ideas about what people should and shouldn't eat. I think it would be perfectly possible to have a very healthy diet without adhering to your rules.

What would you recommend as a healthy daily diet?

OP posts:
Newgirls · 12/04/2025 22:24

I agree we should eat more pulses

more veg than fruit is ideal

Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:23

A very short spike in blood sugar is fine.

OP posts:
LillyPJ · 12/04/2025 22:23

You seem to have very rigid ideas about what people should and shouldn't eat. I think it would be perfectly possible to have a very healthy diet without adhering to your rules.

doreeen · 12/04/2025 22:21

I admit I find it very, very confusing. I hear contradicting and conflicting things all the time, everyone seems to have very different ideas about what the ideal or healthy diet is including experts. So you can’t really blame people for not really knowing.

IReallyLoveItHere · 12/04/2025 22:20

Also note the huge crash afterwards I to the red 'too low' range. I was out and felt faint and sick. Never again.

IReallyLoveItHere · 12/04/2025 22:19

This is my blood sugar after a small bowl of unsweetened whole oat porridge with about 5 blueberries and some seeds.

Highly recommended a cgm to everyone, immediate feedback really changes your choices.

To think there is a poor understanding of a healthy diet?
Original poster
LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 22:18

Those foods are all low calorie

OP posts:
jewelcase · 12/04/2025 22:17

LivelyLemonQuoter · 12/04/2025 21:24

That is people with a new diet to sell. The research is clear. Every day a portion of berries, nuts, flaxseed or chia seeds, three portions of fruit minimum, three minimum of veg, three of pulses.

Show quote history

Apart from anything else this just strikes me as a lot of food. Minimum of three fruit portions, three veg portions and three pulse portions? I only have three meals a day!