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Summary
On episode 92 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan defines what “good food” actually means before getting into where to buy it. His definition centers on nutrient density, variety, and where and how the food was grown or raised.
He walks through reading ingredient labels instead of just calorie counts, why food that traveled a long way or was picked before ripening loses nutritional value, and how animal welfare affects the quality of meat, milk, and eggs.
He ranks shopping sources from good to best: staying on the outer edges of a standard grocery store, moving up to health food stores and co-ops for organic and local options, and, best of all, farmers markets and local farms where you can talk directly to the person who grew your food.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Good food is defined by nutrient density, not just protein, fat, and carbs. Allan says the macronutrient counts on a label matter less than how many vitamins and minerals, like zinc, magnesium, and vitamin C, you get relative to the calories.
- Eating the same handful of meals on repeat starves you of variety. Most people cycle through about seven meals over and over; mixing colors, textures, and spices across meals fills nutritional gaps that repetition can't.
- Where food is grown and how far it traveled affects its nutrient value. Out-of-season produce shipped long distances is often picked before it's ripe and treated to survive the trip, which means it never fully draws nutrients from the soil.
- Healthy soil makes healthier food. Farms that rotate crops and let plant matter return to the ground build nutrient-rich soil over time, while farms that lean on chemical fertilizers year after year don't.
- How an animal is raised shows up in the meat, milk, and eggs it produces. Allan points out marketing terms like “vegetarian-fed chicken” are a red flag, since chickens naturally eat bugs and seeds, not just plants.
- Read the ingredient list, not just the calorie count. The FDA's “generally regarded as safe” standard is not the same as “good for you.” Allan argues that once you get past the top few ingredients into the chemical names, you're no longer looking at food.
- Undiagnosed food sensitivities often hide behind other labels. Symptoms that get chalked up to irritable bowel syndrome or unexplained weight gain can actually be a reaction to something like gluten or dairy that you don't know you're sensitive to.
- Allan's good, better, best hierarchy for where to shop: good is staying along the outer edges of a regular grocery store where whole food lives; better is a health food store or co-op for organic and locally sourced options; best is a farmers market or local farm where you can talk directly to the grower about how the food was raised.
- You don't need a farm to grow some of your own food. Allan encourages even apartment dwellers to try small-scale growing, since more control over sourcing means more control over quality.
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