Many people have an all-or-nothing philosophy when it comes to nutrition.
With this mindset, foods can either (1) taste bad but be nutritious (i.e., raw kale) or (2) taste great but be unhealthy (i.e., pizza).
In reality, there are four kinds of foods:
(1) “Useless” foods taste bad and are unhealthy. Doritos fall into the “useless” category for me, since they are unhealthy, and they taste terrible to me. If you like Doritos, however, they would be a “dangerous” food for you.
(2) “Dangerous” foods taste great but are unhealthy. Pizza falls into the “dangerous” category for me.
(3) “Unsustainable” foods provide a lot of nutritional value, but taste bad. Sardines fall into this category for me. While loaded with nutrients, they gross me out.
(4) “Powerful” foods are nutritious and delicious. Healthy smoothies and oven-roasted vegetables fall into this category for me.
One of the keys to eating well over the long-term is to eat foods that are nutritious and delicious. It’s not an either-or situation.
Don’t torture yourself with “unsustainable” foods. Avoid them completely (my strategy with sardines), or turn them into “powerful” foods by adding healthy, natural flavor to improve the taste.
The more you like the foods that you eat (and the workouts that you do), the more likely you will stick with them over the long-term.
About the Author
Pete Leibman is a well-being and peak performance expert and the Founder of Arlington Sports Conditioning (ASC). Over the last 15+ years, Pete has helped thousands of people get faster, stronger, and fitter. Pete is the author of two books and more than 300 articles. His work has been featured through Fox, CBS, Fortune, Business Insider, and many others.
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