Foods That Aren't As Unhealthy As Most People Think
Reddit user Meerkate asked: 'What are some foods that aren't as unhealthy as people make them out to be?'
Sources provided by health experts informed us to eat fruits and vegetables in order to nourish our bodies with energy, and to drink milk to ensure we grew up with strong bones and muscles.
However, nowadays, consumers are confused.
There seems to be conflicting information every day regarding the benefits, or harm, of eating the foods we were always told were detrimental to our health.
Curious to hear from strangers online about our misconceptions regarding the foods we eat, Redditor Meerkate asked:
"What are some foods that aren't as unhealthy as people make them out to be?"
People discuss everyone's favorite movie snack.
Pass The Popcorn
"Popcorn. For how good it tastes, it has almost nothing bad in it."
"You add the salt and butter of course, and those arent great, but you're not getting a super high amount of those."
– mithridateseupator
"Adding in decent quality butter (not margarine) and a few shakes of regular salt is not unhealthy at all. The problem is with the sh*t that movie theatres put in popcorn."
– puffy_capacitor
Careful With The Seasoning
"My body started rejecting movie theater popcorn butter when I was about 25. That stuff will make you sh*t your pants and miss the end of the movie. Just salt for me thanks. Real melted butter at home or at Alamo Drafthouse."
– jesusbatman
Healthy Suggestion
"I love popcorn."
"You probably buy the kernels too but for those who don't, it's significantly cheaper and healthier to buy just a big container of popcorn kernels."
"Pop them on the stove top with a small amount of oil and sprinkle some finely ground salt (that's what movie theaters use for that magic flavor) and you're golden."
"It's super easy. I don't even add butter."
"You can also pop kernels in the microwave in a paper bag or in a bowl without buying the pre-bagged stuff. You'll never go back to those once you've popped your own kernels."
"An air popper works too of course, though that will definitely require butter."
– VralShi
Redditors talk about the health benefits of eating certain kinds of fat.
Not So Fat
"Fat in general (not the trans ones tho)"
– LenkaSky
"The low fat craze of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s has A LOT to answer for. My mom is still ridiculous about it. Yeah, moderation is good, but you can add some butter to your food so it’s edible and still live a long life."
– burgher89
Fat Is Your Friend
"Fat is a great source of sustained energy that doesn’t boost your blood glucose like other options."
– honorificabilidude
"You really, really need fat in your diet for proper hormone regulation and other important body processes!"
– aledaml
Go easy on the carbs.
Hey Spud
"Potatoes got several countries through famine! Probably alot of people associate them with fatty fries or crisps."
– Meerkate
Get Starchy
"Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew"
– DokiDoodleLoki
"Exactly this. High satiation and low cost. You can wash out a lot of the starch if you're worried about it."
– The_Quicktrigger
Let's discuss fruity.
Nature's Candy
"I’m so tired of hearing people talk about 'all the natural sugar in fruit.'”
"I guarantee you this banana is healthier than potato chips and cookies."
– Sharyn913
"My mom has done basically ever fad diet ever, but one thing I do like about the 'new' Weight Watchers is that fruits, vegetables, and lean meats like chicken breast are zero points. I think the logic behind it is that there is no f'king way you're going to eat enough carrot sticks and apples to make yourself gain weight, so they're trying to encourage people to default to that stuff when they're hungry even if they're out of points rather than just starving until they give up and eat a bunch of unhealthy foods. Weight Watchers doesn't really work long term, but that detail is nice."
– standbyyourmantis
Saving Grace
"I think its the fiber in fruit that makes it not as bad. Also, it has nutrition to make up for it unlike the cookie that's just all refined flour and sugar."
– Tangerine_memez
Calorie Count
"There are scientific studies suggesting that not all the calories in nuts are bioavailable, so you might only get 75% of the calories! There are also studies showing they contribute to weight loss even despite being high in calories."
– kazzah31
When I was told butter is actually a better alternative to margarine–which is known to contain trans fat–I started cooking more with butter.
I believe we can eat anything in moderation, so as much as I love smearing pads of butter on my English muffin, I take it easy.
When it comes to baking with it and putting it on toast, nothing beats the flavor of my favorite dairy fat.
No two people react the same way to a pungent odor, gratuitous violence in film and television, or unruly, off-putting behavior.
As some people have a fairly high tolerance for gore, aren't bothered by taste and smell, and are so patient that they simply aren't bothered by anyone.
Although, everyone has their limits.
And despite what they might say, there are very few people who don't have one thing which even the very thought of will make them gag, just a little bit.
"What genuinely disgusts you?"
Do They Think It Will Just Vanish?
"People not flushing their poop or pee in public toilets."- Acceptable_Fee_1280
"It was that hard to pull the little lever down?"- Scotsgit73
Always Carry Mints...
"Another person's hot breath in my face."
"For any reason."- MaryEstradaGT
Nickelodeon Bad Breath GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphyUnforgivable
"People who abuse their pets."- roseteaXx
Being Tricked Into Purchases...
"Ads with a fake close button that just redirect you to the link, particularly pop-up ads."
"I forgot about the mobile game ads with fake mini games that redirect you to the App Store."
"Those might be even worse."- Tyler_Martin1
Cleaning Comes At A Price...
"The goo in the sink drain once you’ve done the dishes."
"Touching this to clean the sink is always a gut-wrenching, vomit-inducing moment."- meiliraijow
Men Marking Their Territory...
"Sitting on a toilet seat with pee on it."- KAWAiiANGXL
We All Do It... Doesn't Make It Any Less Gross...
"Vomit."- criminallscum
I Mean, COME ON!
"Littering."
"Just hang onto your sh*t for two minutes and put it in a bin instead of just throwing it on the ground."- ElmerWolfeLO
driving eric cartman GIF by South Park GiphyNo Matter The Package, Always Bad For You!
"Dipping tobacco."
"Carrying around a bottle of your own brown cloudy spit that smells like absolute death just skeeves me out on a level I can barely even describe."
"Bonus points if you're the douche who leaves the spit bottles or cups for other people to clean up."- Porn_is_my_bae
We all have our limits.
But even if you aren't wholeheartedly repulsed by any or all of these things, that still doesn't mean you should tolerate it!
How else will people learn to stop?
As we enter into the summer months, people now have to decide whether or not they want their morning coffee to be hot or iced.
Lucky for them, it's delicious either way.
One could make an argument that foods that are equally delicious hot or cold are perhaps the best, or at least the most reliable.
And this can include foods which are not customarily sold both hot and cold (cold pizza anyone?).
Redditor NectarineOther4989 was curious to hear which foods people enjoy either hot or cold, leading them to ask:
"What is something that tastes good both hot and cold?"
Fresh out of the oven, or the next day!
"Cookies."- SuvenPan
Chocolate withstands all temperatrues
"Brownies."- Reasonable-Software2
"Chocolate."
Chocolate Satisfying GIF by HuffPostGiphyCan't go wrong with fruit and pastry
"Pie."
"Apple pie."- Hak_Saw5000
This doesn't only apply to food
"Revenge."- pushthestartbutton
karine vanasse revenge GIF by HULUGiphyLet the flavor develop
"Banana bread."
"2 totally different flavors depending on warm vs cold from fridge."- nonkowledge
So many to choose from!
"Sandwiches."- Designer-Usual1691
A matter of textural preference
"Cheese, ya fools."- eat_dontpray_love
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs Eating GIFGiphyUnder a hot greek sun, or during a cold winter's eve.
"Spanakopita."- mrsxpando
While there's no better smell than a batch of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, those eating them the next day likely aren't missing out either.
Chances are, most of our favorite foods are not exactly healthy for us.
We always crave them for obvious reasons, but it would do us some good to eat them in moderation, whether it's chocolate or mashed potatoes.
But aside from being a craving or a snack, there are general foods we consume on a regular basis and we don't think about it because it's part of our regular diet.
That is until Redditor TheJoePilato put things in perspective by asking:
"By volume, what food have you eaten the most of in your life?"
These Redditors find it's difficult to avoid carbohydrates
On A Roll
"Bread in any form probably"
– PvtPill
"I'm eating fresh bread right now! I tend to eat it about 1/3 a loaf at a time, so it seems like a lot, but I'll go weeks or months between making it."
– Original Poster (OP)
Popular Staple Food
"Rice."
–duckling_tota
"Rice is great when you're hungry and want 10,000 of something."
– MaynardJ222
It Has Ap-peal
"Bananas, I think."
– Daintylittlesole
Italian food seemed to be a number one choice for hungry Redditors.
"It’s a battle between pizza and pasta. Pizza might be winning. Blame being from north NJ."
– User Deleted
NYC Staple
"I think when I first moved to NYC, it was pizza for sure. In college, it might have been pasta. Dollar slice/dollar for a pound of dry pasta? Can't say no to that."
– OP
That's One Way To Eat It
"Pasta. I inhale the stuff."
– User Deleted
A Deep Obsession
"pizza. I have an obsession that worries my friends and family. I am not unhealthy and am not over weight. Have pretty decent health, I guess that makes people mad or something but my family and close friends get actually angry with me that pizza is my main food always."
– PizzaPretender
But it's hard to resist Mexican cuisine as well.
That's A Wrap
"As a Mexican, tortillas."
– lululechavez3006
Can't Have Burritos Without 'Em
"Also as a Mexican."
"Rice and beans but tortillas are probably high on my list."
– Effective_Trouble967
It's A Daily Option
"I'm a Texan, but same. We have Tortillas pretty much daily in my home and always have."
– Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly
These honorable mentions are also a frequent part of Redditors' diets.
Exotic Gravy
"Indian curry. It must be coming close to tonnage now."
– floydie1962
Can't Live Life Without It
"Cheese. Definitely cheese. Only because of the diversity of cheese options and the broad spectrum of other food products (vegetables, fruit, meat) that distribute the curve. ...."
"Who am I kidding. It's mostly because cheese is just so damn good."
– SanctionedMarine
And The Golden Ticket Goes To...
"Chocolate ftw! Chocolate milk, chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, brownies, chocolate muffins, chocolate pudding, chocolate oatmeal, chocolate icing, chocolate ice cream, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate candy at every holiday and that was just when I was a kid."
"Now as an adult I've cleaned up my diet and only eat dark chocolate. Sadly I gave up 90% all sweets/junk food. But I can't say no to dark chocolate protein bars, dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, dark chocolate oatmeal. And sometimes just plain dark chocolate with a little bit of sweetener. Chocolate is my kryptonite."
– nessao616
For me, it's noodles.
Growing up Japanese, I had ramen, udon, and soba noodles all the time and loved slurping up each helping.
It wasn't surprising that I later became obsessed with pasta. Put me in front of a moving conveyor belt with a parade of spaghetti, fusilli, fettuccine, linguine, penne, macaroni, gnocchi. I'll devour them all if I could.
Lord help, me if I ever develop an intolerance for gluten.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
People Explain Which Foods Make Them Wonder 'How Did Anyone Realize This Was Edible?'
Think of all the various foods you eat. Picture all the fruits and vegetables, the animal products (if that's your thing), the grains, oils, and fungi.
Would you have eaten any of those without knowing others did before you?
That was the question on peoples minds throughout a recent thread on Reddit. They imagined what it must have been like to decide to try all these foods for the first time.
Were people bored, starving, stupidly courageous, or winning a bet? Maybe all of the above.
Redditor DreamedJewel58 asked:
"What food makes you go 'how the hell did they find out this is edible?' "
Many people immediately turned their sights to the foods that, besides a particular sweet spot, are completely toxic. What went in to finding that sweet spot?
Trial and Error
"Cashews are hilarious. Literally every part of the plant is poisonous, but the nut isn't once toasted."
"At least a half dozen dudes probably died figuring that one out"
-- DeanWarren_
Know the Lay of the Land
"That one tiny sliver of the fugu fish that won't kill you. . .hopefully. . ." -- Kepheo
"Yeah and it numbs your mouth still or something I heard. That's way to sketchy for me. I'll stick with regular ole tuna rolls and eel I think." -- appleparkfive
Let Water Do the Work
"Cassava" -- Tingusspinguss
"Yeah like this thing right here is super poisonous, but if you soak it in water for a few days and cook it you should be good, also don't use the water it soaked in it's now full of cyanide. Who figured that out?" -- Coolnessmic
Others were more amazed by the bizarre preparation methods that go into some of the foods we know and love.
Deliciously Spoiled
"Cheeses: Blue cheese, Linberger, and 'head cheese'. 'Oh theres stinking, rotten milk in the bottom of the milk bucket? …I'll taste it!' "
-- bleuberypi
Assumedly Just Didn't Want To Waste It
"Gumbo. What person burnt flour for two hours on purpose?" -- Wooden-Discount7884
"A genius (or someone like me: formerly known as "smoke detector man" by my roommates for liking things too crispy)" -- Czernobog243
Rotting Right
"An Icelandic delicacy, it's 'fermented shark meat' "
"Now, it's reasonable that people would figure out that sharks were edible. But what thought process led to digging a hole in the ground, throwing the dead shark in, pissing on it, covering up the hole, and leaving the corpse to rot ferment for several months before digging it up and eating it?"
I Have No Words
"Kopi Luwak, the coffee bean that is fed to civits, digested, shat out, and then brewed into coffee. Hey Jim we're out of coffee! ….hold my beer"
-- gharr87
And others offered up examples of foods that they simply couldn't understand.
Why? Just why?
Scooping Out Slime
"also oysters 'hey i found a rock with snot in it let's eat it' " -- HurricanRocker
"Feel similarly about sea urchin."
"A long time a guy some dude saw the spiky little thing and thought, "Hm. You know what? This probably tastes amazing." -- BigBaldPurpleTitan
Worth the Stings
"Honey"
"the first guy to think to himself 'them bees must be hiding something, I just know it.' " -- shroomheadfloridaman
Layers to Penetrate
"Coconut…how hungry and desperate were the first people who managed to find those edible? I'm surprised they weren't used as a weapon tbh." -- Plantayne
"Definitely this. A coconut in the store isn't like a coconut on the tree. There's a big, tough fibrous husk outside the fruit that requires sharp tools and/or a lot of effort to get open. I've done it and it takes a sh** ton of work. Don't know why anyone would go to that effort just to see what's inside." -- bdbr
Durian
"Durian."
"It’s spiky and is the size of a basketball. Falls off the tree when it’s ripe and if you happen to be under it then guess you’ll die?"
"It smells like leaking gas on a good day, but in bad days it smells like diarrhea."
"To get to the meat of the fruit, you need to be able to split the spine between the sharp HARD shell."
"Also, it’s like the forbidden fruit of Asia. You’re not allow to bring it into hotels or anywhere because it can cause a panic if people smell it thinking there’s a massive gas leak. Or that something died."
"But boy, it is sweet like nectar and velvety if you’re brave enough to try."
"Oh, and if you live in the states, depending on which states, a fresh one costs between $75~$100."
- Welpididu
A food didn't have to be fancy for people to be fascinated by it - all sorts of things ticked people's boxes.
Bread
"Bread."
"Somebody had to figure out that the grain had to be milled, then somebody had to figure out other ingredients including the yeast that makes it rise."
"Lotta science, critical thinking, and experimentation involved in coming up with bread."
- moinatx
Toxic
"Potatoes.. the ancestor plant is toxic."
"They had to cultivate the plant for years to make one that didn't make you sick and wasn't bitter by selectively planting from the tastiest of each harvest."
- Oryihn
The Madness Of Mushrooms
"Mushrooms man."
"Some will kill you, some will make you smell colors, others go really well on a steak."
"I always wonder how much trial and error had to go into this as some mushrooms can be fine and others poisonous while looking exactly the same."
- twerking_for_jesus
"Mushrooms. This one is good on salads, this one is super deadly, and this one will get you high. Good luck!"
- Bitchcat
Tree Blood
"Maple syrup."
"Not only did someone decide to eat tree blood, but then in a twist they boiled it for many hours to get real thick tree blood."
- RingoStarkiller
The Chocolate Process
"I've always wondered how people discovered how to make chocolate."
" 'I found some poop looking beans inside of this giant nut looking thing, I left 'em out in the sun for 5-8 days, dried them for a week, took the shells off, roasted 'em, grinded 'em, added some sugar, milk, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, lethicin and vanilla and then molded it and cooled it, you won't believe what I got!' "
- pomskiesxx
Meat Jello
"Jello with chicken/ham in it. I mean, I get that they needed to use the jello to make food go further, but...yuck!"
- loulori
However weird and ill-advised these early experiments with food were, all I can say is thank goodness those bygone ancestors put in the work instead of me.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.