food that’s totally devoid of nutritional value doesn’t exist. all food has macronutrients which our bodies rely on to support life, and the vast majority of food has a significant amount of micronutrients. pop tarts, cheeseburgers, french fries, pizza, cookies, chips, white flour products and other demonized foods contain vital micronutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, b vitamins, vitamin c, and more. meat is a better source of some essential micronutrients than plant foods.
vegetables and fruits are great, as are legumes, but they’re not the only nutrient-dense foods. they tend to be lower calorie & higher fiber foods, tho, which in conditions of scarcity (the reality for many ppl on earth, incl the ~developed world~) are far less efficient delivery systems for nutrients.
“empty calories” aren’t a thing - calories are units of energy - and you’d have to work pretty hard to find a food that contained no significant amount of any micronutrient. again, all foods have the macronutrients that keep us alive.
kindly get off my posts about the health benefits of eating foods you enjoy w this shaming nonsense about “foods that have no nutritional value”. i’m sorry your relationship w food is characterized by fear & a mistrust of pleasure, but we’re not here to keep you company in your misery
I’m all for being skeptical of diet culture and loving your body and all that, but eating 2000 calories in burgers and fries and soda is in no way comparable to 2000 calories in fruits and veggies and whole grains.
I think balance in a diet tends to be key, but eating a greasy diet full of red meat and processed sugar does nothing but hamper your body’s abilities both physically and mentally. Again this isn’t even about weight or body image or whatever, have a burger or milkshake or whatever that’s great, but when someone calls those empty calories it means you’re not gonna get the same benefit from those calories compared to a different source.
I saw this as someone who loves burgers and junk food, but I know that generally eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast is gonna help me have a way more productive and fulfilling day than like pancakes.











