Top 7 Most Common Nutrition Mistakes

Nutrition Mistakes

Healthy nutrition isn’t always as simple as it looks. While many of the old rules still apply, we’ve learned a lot in the last decade or so. At the end of the day, you need to pay attention to what you put in your body.

To help shed some light on healthy nutrition and help you get it straight, let’s together review 7 of the most common nutrition mistakes.

If you can avoid doing these things, you’ll find yourself ahead of the game, and much closer to your weight loss and fitness goals.

The 7 Most Common Nutrition Mistakes

1. Not Reading Food Labels – This one tops my list because everything starts here when it comes to the nutritional value of your food. Whenever you buy anything that’s packaged or prepared, you need to know what’s in it, because you haven’t been involved in the process in any way. Ignore the flashy labels on the front of the packaging, as they’re often misleading.

Make sure there are no trans fats, low saturated fats, and primarily whole food ingredients. Also avoid foods that list sugar and white or bleached flour as their first or second ingredients. If you want to dive a little further in how to read nutrition labels review my article Nutrition Facts Label – How to Read.

2. Replacing Pop with Fruit Juice – Sorry folks, but fruit juice is often just as bad as pop when it comes to sugar content. In fact, recent studies show that a diet high in fruit juice can also predispose you to Type 2 diabetes. And when sugar isn’t burned off, it’s converted into fat.  That doesn’t mean you can’t have fresh fruit juices which are also high in vitamins, just have them less frequently and for your go to drink have water with lemon, or even cucumber and mint.

3. Eating More Whole Wheat – While it’s true that whole wheat is better than white or bleached, this stuff is still highly processed. In fact, the grain really isn’t whole at all. Look for “whole grain” whole wheat whenever you can, and if possible, go with organic sprouted grains.

But you may want to avoid cut down on wheat products altogether. Check out my article, Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight.

4. Avoiding All Fat – This is another big one, and it’s really problematic. While many types of fat should be avoided, like trans and saturated fats (like those found in butter, fried foods, and dairy), many fats actually play an important role in your health. Fats like omega-3 fats and other healthy oils can even help you lose weight by supporting a healthy metabolism.

5. Filling Up on Carbs – It’s not necessary to eliminate carbohydrates altogether, but too often than not, we go for carbs to fill us up. Next time you’re feeling hungry, try to go for veggies, nuts, or even fruit.

There are a ton of options for healthy snacks that can help you get through your day. Take a look at my article on Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss.

6. Focusing on Calories – While calories do matter, they’re not nearly as important as their source. If your calories are all coming from carbs, sugar, and fat, then you have a problem. But if your calories are coming from fiber, protein, and healthy fats, you’re actually doing your body some good. Think beyond calories, and look at where they’re coming from.

7. Eating Too Many “Diet Foods” – In most cases, you’re better off sticking to whole foods and whole ingredients. The problem with many diet foods or foods marked as low fat is that they typically replace fat with sugar and other processed ingredients. Artificial sweeteners have also been shown to wreak havoc on your metabolism, leading to more cravings.

Focus on foods that are lightly processed and contain very few ingredients. Better yet, try to avoid packaged and prepared foods altogether.

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