Diet Doctor > Diet Myths > Dairy and Red Meat are Unhealthy

Dairy and Red Meat are Unhealthy

Moderation is the Key to Health

How to get the proper, healthy nutrition can be confusing, especially when you hear things like, “ dairy and red meat are unhealthy!” “Never eat carbs!” “Low fat is where it’s at!” How are you supposed to sort the truth from the myths about unhealthy diet foods when there are so many conflicting and sometimes downright strange statements being made about food? Are dairy and red meat really bad for you? Then what about the people who say that these types of foods should make up the majority of your diet?

It might help to point out that most diets fall into a few categories. Low carb and no carb diets are popular, particularly for people who want to lose weight. Red meats and full fat dairy items are usually the focus of these types of diets, while carbohydrates are severely restricted and sometimes even forbidden.

Diets without sugar or bread that are full of meat, cream, eggs and other things once thought of as bad diet foods are usually low carb. Some low carb diets actually allow quite a few carbs but only whole grain carbs like oatmeal, bran and carbs like those in vegetables, while watching calories and fat carefully, too. High protein diets usually contain a lot of meat and dairy, and lower carbs. They fall into the same restricted carb category. Generally, eating balanced meals according to these diets will keep you in a good calorie range for losing weight or maintaining your weight.

Then there are low fat diets. Some stress good fats while keeping you from going overboard; others insist that you keep all fat intake low, sometimes 10% and under, which is very restrictive low fat dieting. Following the meal plans for low fat diets also tends to keep the calories in a good range for weight loss.

Calorie counting is one of the old standbys. People who count calories generally don’t restrict any certain type of food. They simply try to keep their daily calories in a specific range for either weight loss or weight maintenance. The problem with calorie counting is that you can stay at the right number of calories for your height, weight and activity level, and still get poor nutrition if you eat that many calories worth of cake, candy, meat or cheese, for example. But if you eat 1800 calories a day (or however many you need) of balanced meals, you’re practicing moderation and doing well. You can even buy frozen entrees and other items that are balanced and calorie-controlled to help you.

The best shopping tips for a healthy diet follow the pattern of a healthy plate. Aim for half of your meal (and your shopping basket) to be vegetables, include a whole grain and some dairy, and a serving of lean meat or fish. And don’t forget, if you’re doing exercises on a regular basis, you can actually eat more calories (and therefore more carbs or fat) and achieve the same results as if you ate less.