Last week I ran into an old friend in line at the coffee shop. She was intrigued by my eat real food message but wasn’t sure it would be financially feasible for her family (spouse, 3 growing boys). Then she proceeded to order a large-sized caffe mocha with non-fat milk for $5.59 and a whopping 54 grams of carbohydrates (44 grams of which are sugar). Essentially the very definition of empty calories.
Now I’ve been guilty of forking out big bucks on empty calories myself (a premium bottle of dry red wine comes swiftly to mind!), so in no way was I judging her choices. But it got me thinking.
What if we went beyond categorizing foods as either “good” or “bad,” but instead let our choices be guided by nutrient density? Wouldn’t this lead us to the very foods that would make us feel pleasantly satisfied while giving our bodies everything they need to be optimally healthy?
In this nutrient density utopia I’m dreaming of, we would embrace spending $5 on a dozen pasture raised eggs but think twice about ordering the decadent restaurant dessert with the same price tag.
We would happily purchase grass fed beef from our local farmer but skip the energy drink every afternoon.
We would redirect the money we spend on soft drinks and put it towards vegetables instead.
If our food and beverage choices were guided by nutrient density instead of instant gratification, I dare say we might have an epidemic of good health on our hands.
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