Making The Best Bad Food Choices (2024)

/ CBS

You don't always have the option to eat a healthy meal. And sometimes, you just feel like indulging.

Either way, it's good to know that some "bad" foods are better than others!

On The Early Show Thursday, registered dietician Keri Glassman showed how you can select some of the "best of the worst."

While none of these foods she displayed are truly healthy, some are less calorie and fat-laden than others.

BELGIAN WAFFLE VS. BAGEL WITH LOX & CREAM CHEESE

Waffle
Calories: 490
Fat: 20g

Bagel
Calories: 650
Fat: 25g

The key here is PORTION. The waffle has built-in portion size that's actually somewhat reasonable. Traditional bagels, on the other hand, are huge, and loaded with way too much cream cheese.

CHEESEBURGER VS. TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

Burger
Calories: 360
Fat: 16g

Tuna
Calories: 530
Fat: 31g

Everybody assumes that burgers, particularly cheeseburgers, are among the least healthy things you can order from a menu. Turns out that assumption is wrong! Tuna can be healthy, and sandwiches can be healthy, but once you start mixing all that mayo into the tuna, you're in big trouble. The same holds true for any mayonnaise-based foods -- chicken salad, egg salad, etc. -- all of these are big diet busters.

2 PIECES PEPPERONI PIZZA VS. EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Pizza
Calories: 537
Fat: 22g

Eggplant
Calories: 790
Fat: 55g

This one may not be a big surprise; eggplant parmesan is fried. But it is surprising to see how much more fat the eggplant has compared to the pizza -- almost all the fat the average person on a 2,000 calorie diet is supposed to consume in one day ( 65 grams). The message here: Always,,always, always stay away from fried food.

CHINESE BEEF & BROCCOLI VS. KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Beef
Calories: 900
Fat: 54g

Chicken
Calories: 1240
Fat: 80g

Wow! How crazy are these numbers?! According to Keri, many people in this instance would choose the chicken, assuming that the white meat is healthier than beef. Although the chicken dish is often described as "sauteed," the restaurant is probably using the same amount of oil as if it were fried; the chicken simply was not breaded. On Chinese menus, look out for dangerous key terms such as "sauteed" and "quick-fried." These are just as bad for you as Sweet and Sour Chicken, for instance, or General Tao's Chicken.

STEAK & BAKED POTATO WITH SOUR CREAM VS. ROASTED CHICKEN LEG & THIGH WITH CREAMED SPINACH

Steak
Calories: 520
Fat: 19g

Chicken
Calories: 726
Fat: 46g

Once again, chicken isn't necessarily healthier than beef. Here, we have a fillet versus dark-meat chicken with skin. Dark meat with the skin on is nowhere near as healthy as white-meat chicken. The other problem in instances like this is that people often feel they are eating healthy by ordering chicken, so, they think, it's OK to go ahead and indulge in the creamed spinach. Sorry folks, that's just not going to fly. Spinach is good for you, but not when it's been cooked in loads of cream. Even a potato that's loaded with sour cream is going to be a better choice.

CHEESECAKE VS. APPLE PIE WITH ICE CREAM

Cheesecake
Calories: 460
Fat: 34g

Pie
Calories: 690
Fat: 37

OK, obviously no dessert (except plain fruit) can truly qualify as good for you. But once again, some options are better than others. Surprisingly, the fruit dessert isn't the winner here. The crust is loaded with butter, and ice cream is high in fat. If you're looking for a "best of the worst" dessert option, try to stay away from anything that's loaded with butter. Mousse, sorbet and flourless chocolate cake will always be better options.

Making The Best Bad Food Choices (2024)

FAQs

Why do I keep making bad food choices? ›

"We tend to gravitate toward things that are enjoyable, and a lot of things that are bad for us are very enjoyable." Convenience and comfort can also factor into a repeated cycle of making poor food choices. "There's a reason they call a lot of these foods 'comfort foods,'" added Lizarzaburu.

Why can't i make good food choices? ›

Making smart food choices is important at any age. But eating healthy can be difficult even if you know which foods you should buy and prepare. Your budget, physical issues, mood changes, and dietary restrictions can be roadblocks to eating food that's best for you.

Can you reverse damage from a bad diet? ›

For the most part, many complications and health risk experienced from poor food choices, physical inactivity and too much stress can be quickly and effectively improved by changes in lifestyle habits.

Why do people choose unhealthy food options? ›

People eat junk food instead of healthy foods for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include convenience, taste, cost, and a lack of knowledge about nutrition.

What should I eat if I crave junk food? ›

Healthier Snacks to Satisfy Junk Food Cravings
  • Nuts. Thanks to their pleasing combo of saltiness and crunch, nuts calm your cravings for other salty snacks. ...
  • Dried Fruit. Skip the candy and choose chewy, sweet dried fruit when you need a sugar fix. ...
  • Roasted Chickpeas. ...
  • Hummus.
Dec 28, 2021

Why do I always make such poor choices? ›

Why do I always make such poor choices? Nobita's catchphrase. Nobita Nobi is the main protagonist of the Doraemon franchise. He is a 10-year-old fourth grader in Tokyo's Nerima Ward who was born on August 7, and an only child.

What causes poor food choices? ›

Personal and Social Factors

Food deprivation and irregular availability of food during childhood have been found to contribute to the development of poor eating behaviors (e.g., overeating and binging and having an emotional attachment to food), as well as to less healthful food choices in general.

Why don't Americans eat healthy? ›

Part of the problem, according to the CDC, is access to healthy food. Food is all around people, but much of it isn't healthy. Grocery stores have aisles and aisles of foods packed with sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. Only a fraction of store space is devoted to healthy vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

How to start making better food choices? ›

8 tips for healthy eating
  1. Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates. ...
  2. Eat lots of fruit and veg. ...
  3. Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish. ...
  4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. ...
  5. Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults. ...
  6. Get active and be a healthy weight. ...
  7. Do not get thirsty. ...
  8. Do not skip breakfast.

How long does it take for your body to detox from bad food? ›

A true metabolic detoxification is a full cycle of the three stages, and that takes time. We need at least 10 days to effectively support our bodies to be better at removing toxins, and even longer if you're particularly toxic or have never done a metabolic detox before.

What happens if you eat unhealthy for years? ›

Long-term effects of junk foods

heart-related problems (such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol) overweight and obesity. osteoporosis. certain cancers.

Can you make up for years of bad eating? ›

The bottom line: Even if you've been less than virtuous when it comes to your health habits in the past, now is the time to start working toward a better future. "It's never too late to make lifestyle modifications.

How to stop craving for junk food? ›

Six Ways to Eliminate Junk Food in Your Diet
  1. Eat Regular Meals so You Do Not Get Too hungry. ...
  2. Drink Water First and Eliminate Sugar Sweetened Beverages. ...
  3. Consume Snacks that are Nutritious and Low in Calories. ...
  4. Understand Your Stressors. ...
  5. Get Plenty of Sleep. ...
  6. Keep a Smile on Your Face and Realize the Downside of Marketing.

Is it better to eat unhealthy or not at all? ›

Although junk foods are known for their immense potential to harm your health, complete abstinence from these foods may not be a practical approach. Instead of giving up eating all junk foods, it is advisable to limit their intake. Thus, an occasional cheat day is okay.

Why don't we crave healthy food? ›

biology. “Our bodies crave fats and sugars, for example, from the days when it wasn't heavily available,” says Dr Katie Tryon, Vitality's Director of Health Strategy. “That's why unhealthy food tastes good and we want it; we are biologically designed to want it because it was once scarce.

Why do I always want unhealthy food? ›

The perfect combination of sugar, salt, fat, and artificial flavourings and sweeteners in ultra-processed food leads to large dopamine spikes in the brain, making you want to continue eating them. This behaviour is also heavily linked to our emotions.

Why do I have a hard time choosing what to eat? ›

If you've ever found yourself staring at a lengthy restaurant menu and been completely unable to decide what to order for lunch, you have experienced what psychologists call choice overload. The brain, faced with an overwhelming number of similar options, struggles to make a decision.

What are the psychological factors affecting food selection? ›

Socio-cognitive drivers include levels of knowledge, self perceptions, attitudes and beliefs around healthy and unhealthy eating, behavioural intentions, motivations, degree of autonomy and independence in making food choices, and emotion driven eating.

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