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The Best & Worst Foods

If you ask someone for their list of best and worst foods, you are likely to get as many answers as you have people. In April 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised the nutritional guidelines Food Pyramid. The old pyramid was high in carbohydrates and did not match current nutritional knowledge. The new pyramid is more balanced and seeks to provide suggestions that more accurately mirror what nutritional science reports is healthy.

  1. Foods to Avoid

    • U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona publicly painted doughnuts as unhealthy in a 2003 memo to police officers and firefighters. According to Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, doughnuts have absolutely no nutritional value. The USDA issued a list of foods with minimal nutritional value. The list includes soft drinks, hard candy, gum and candy-coated popcorn. Additional foods on the worst list include chips, french fries, jelly beans, most children's breakfast cereals, alcohol and many TV dinners. Most of these foods are high in simple sugars, high in fat (or high in both sugar and fat), and low in vitamins and minerals.

    Vegetables

    • Vegetables, especially raw vegetables, are high on the best foods list. They contain vitamins and minerals in balance and most are relatively low in calories. Current guidelines encourage Americans to eat more dark green and orange vegetables, eat more beans and peas and to vary your vegetables. The brighter and more colorful the vegetable, the more nutritional value you will receive. The food pyramid recommends three to four servings of vegetables per day. Some of the best vegetables, according to the USDA, include spinach, romaine, green beans, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, collard greens, pumpkin, kidney beans and pinto beans.

    Fruits

    • Fruit is naturally low in fat and sodium and high in potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folic acid, according to the USDA, which recommends adults consume one to two cups of fruit per day. Colorful berries, including blueberries and blackberries, are touted for being high in antioxidants. Other fruits that contain a variety of benefits include strawberries, cranberries, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, cherries, kiwis and 100-percent fruit juices. The fruits may be consumed raw, canned, cooked, frozen or juiced.

    Meats and Protein

    • The healthiest proteins are lean or low in fat, according to the USDA. Some healthy protein foods include venison, buffalo, lamb, lean pork, salmon, cod, tuna, mackerel, chicken, eggs, lean beef, nuts and seeds. Organic meats contain no antibiotics or growth hormones. Choose organic meats over standard products.

    Raw Dairy

    • The USDA recommends that most dairy products should be reduced or fat-free. Some nutritionists and health professionals recommend that raw, organic milk is better for you than dairy items you are likely to find in your local supermarket. Dr. Joseph Mercola argues that raw milk safety standards exceed those for pasteurized milk and that raw milk is much healthier than pasteurized milk and dairy products. Individuals who have sensitivities to dairy proteins should find alternate sources of dietary calcium.

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