Are There Good and Bad Foods?

Listen, you’re entitled to think what-ev-er you want about food. But let’s take a moment to talk about how classifying foods as “good” and “bad” may be serving you or not.

Let’s use this image for context. There was a time when I thought of apples as “good” and chocolate as “bad.” Here’s the thing: I loOoOove chocolate. But it was a “bad” food. So I’d never allow myself to buy it or keep it at home. I’d feel like I was being tortured if a bowl of Hershey’s Kisses was within my line of sight. I felt like I couldn’t be trusted around chocolate.

And in many ways, I couldn’t. Because eventually, I’d cave. Without fail.

I’d eat the chocolate— the “bad” food.

Which made me bad.

But I didn’t want to be bad, so I’d swear to be good… Starting Monday.

With Monday and a future of “good” food only looming, I’d keep eating anything and everything “bad.” It didn’t matter if I was hungry, it didn’t matter if I wanted it. I told myself that this was the last time I’d eat these “bad” foods, so I should fill up.

It took me a long time to realize that labeling food (or myself) as “good” or “bad” doesn’t serve me or my health. But thank goodness I did. As soon as I removed these labels a huge weight was lifted. I no longer felt guilt or shame for eating ice cream because it was just ice cream. It allowed me to move forward with my day free over the obsession of what I ate. And it helped me to stop binge eating on the foods that I had always labeled as “bad”.

As I write this, I’m smiling knowing that I’ve got a refrigerator drawer full of apples and a few chocolate bars stashed in my pantry, and both are available to me whenever I want, moral judgment need not apply. I encourage you to life the labels and find the freedom I’m speaking about.

This Sunday launches my free guide to emotional eating where I talk more about good vs bad food labeling and how it plays a role in emotional eating.

With belief and love!