Most of us boomers were taught some big whoppers about what we should eat and how and when and other healthy eating habits. Thankfully the younger generation is a bit more informed, but there are still many people who have not gotten the “update”, including many doctors and even some nutritionists.

Here are a few outdated beliefs that need to be changed.

1. Vegetable oil is healthy . Firstly, most so called vegetable oil is actually made from soybeans . Secondly, hydrogenated oil is not good for you at all ! You’re better off using olive oil , coconut oil, butter, or even bacon grease or lard. Soybean oil is a common allergen and definitely not a health food .
2. Eggs should be limited and you should only eat the whites, not the yolks . This one makes me want to scream! I don’t know who came up with this one but I bet it was a pharmaceutical company. Egg yolks contain the nutrients . Whites are pretty useless .
3. You must eat breakfast; three meals a day and two snacks; meals with a protein, starch and vegetable. Okay , these rules end up causing eating disorders and making people overeat . Boomers have been eating way too much for years thanks to these suggestions from the people who sell food. Instead of eating by rules , let your body tell you when it’s hungry . Don’t force-feed your children either .
4. Avoid salting your food and salty food in general . The only time this one is true is when you’re telling it to a junk food addict . If you’re not eating fast food or lots of processed food, you should salt your food. We need at least 2000 mg of sodium in our daily diet. If you eat super healthy or avoid salt for fear of gaining water weight, you could easily get dehydrated!
5. Eat lots of healthy, whole grains . Eye roll ! Many people are allergic to grains such as wheat and corn. They are also very likely to cause weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and rebound eating from the high carb content. You’re better off eating potatoes or cauliflowers
6. Low-fat diets are the best way to lose weight. No! Low carb , as in stop eating sugar and bread and rice and cookies and soda and pasta, is the best way to lose weight. Eat a good balance of meat and vegetables and a smaller portion of healthy carbs instead .

I could add more details and proof for these claims ,but you’ll have to trust me or do your own fact-checking. The truth is that most of these were simply marketing ploys to sell certain habits and products and they were very effective.

Now we are living in the age of new marketing ploys. They include the myth that 7. cows cause climate change and eating less meat will save the planet.

I’m here to tell you that is malarkey!

Meat contains essential nutrients and protein. Eat it along with the fat . But for the best nutrition, try to buy quality, locally grown meat , not super processed or frozen meat from factory farms. But if that’s all you can afford, it’s still better than fake meat made from soybeans. And methane from cows only contributes a small amount of greenhouse gases , if you believe in that sort of thing.

Happy eating !