Why We Should Stop Labeling Food Good or Bad

This topic is near and dear to my heart. It’s something that I, myself, have struggled with in the past. Good and bad are the descriptive words for food that I hear people using all around me. All too often, we tell ourselves that we shouldn’t eat something because it’s “bad”. With this, my question is, but why? Why is it bad for you? Do you mean it is not fulfilling to you? Or is it because society has told us that [said food] is bad, for whatever reason. Things like too much sugar, too many carbs, processed, not organic — the list goes on and on. And the truth of the matter is, this mindset is not easy to change. It’s what we grew up hearing and now believe as simple facts of life. Everything in life is either good, or bad, right?

I’ve learned that by taking out the words “good” and “bad” from my vocabulary when describing food (other than the taste of course 🙂 ), I’m able to better understand the correlation between food and how it actually makes me feel. There was a time where I would have felt overwhelming guilt after eating certain foods. Not because they made me feel bad, but because I labeled them as “bad” food.

“All food is good food.”

All of this boils down to our relationship with food. Which is something I am far from an expert in, but I want share what I’ve learned and that is, all food is good food. Telling ourselves that something we eat is bad is only fueling the guilt that we associate with that food, which has a negative impact on our mental health.

There is so much emphasis on what we eat or don’t eat, that it can become overwhelming. But if I remind myself of the foods that sustain me and the foods that I prefer to have in moderation, it’s simplified. It’s not about telling myself what I can and cannot eat.

When we focus on our relationship with food and how certain foods make us feel, everything else will fall into place. We will no longer find ourselves going into downward spirals in our diet (way of eating). And we will be able to bounce back from holidays when we indulge and enjoy social gatherings with all of the delicious foods.

Food is meant to be enjoyed! It’s meant to be fun! Experiment with all the food. Don’t beat yourself up if you occasionally veer off from your “normal” eating routine. Figure out what makes you feel happy AND healthy.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash