Filler Foods!!??
The Subconscious Fat of them
Mr. Skeptical leans over and sees my title for this post. He folds his arms, tilts his head, and squints his eyes, saying, “Filler foods.”
“Yes. Filler foods.”
“So this picture with all of these foods. Are all of these considered to be filler foods?”
“Mostly, the right lower corner selection, I wouldn’t call it all filler food. We aren’t going to talk about all of them. That would make this post way too long. Filler food is a term I use with my clients. To get them to realize that even when a food is marketed as nutritious, it may not be. It’s filler food.”
“And who are you to claim what is and isn’t filler food?”
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 Feet
My eyes narrow in on Mr. Skeptical. “I am an independent human being who can think for himself. Despite all the marketing for certain foods and how healthy they are, I see food for what it truly is: fuel. And I’ve made logical conclusions as to what is filler food.”
“What made you select certain foods as filler food?”
“Because since the dawn of humanity, we have used certain foods as filler foods. Think back to when humans needed to hunt for their food. Often, if a large prey animal were killed, like a buffalo or large deer, they would simply eat the fat and meat by itself.”
Mr. Skeptical smirks. “But what if they didn’t catch a large prey?”
“Exactly. That’s where vegetables come in. They’d cook up a vegetable to kill some of its toxins and make it edible.” I then stand up to make a point. “But if they had a large animal carcass, they’d prefer to eat that.”
“You don’t know that that is what always happened. I’m sure they often ate vegetables with the meat.”
“I’m sure vegetables were often eaten because as the family and tribe grew, the animal population declined. Eventually, there wasn’t enough meat for everybody.”
Mr. Skeptical has smoke coming out of his head. His brain is working furiously, thinking of a retort.
“Lettuce is a filler food,” I declare confidently, waving a sad-looking iceberg leaf in the air.
Mr. Skeptical leans back in his chair, arms crossed, giving me that look. “Let me guess; you’re about to call half the foods people enjoy ‘filler’ because they don’t meet your impossible steak-and-eggs standard?”
“I’m just saying,” I reply, “lettuce isn’t exactly pulling its weight nutritionally. It’s mostly water and a handful of “healthy” fiber.”
He shakes his head, sighing. “You know, not every food has to be packed with nutrients. Some foods are about balance, volume, and practicality.”
“Balance, huh? More like wasting valuable stomach space.”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 Feet
We begin with oatmeal, a supposed breakfast staple.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
“Oatmeal is classic filler food. It’s cheap, bland, and nutritionally hollow. The only way to make it nutritious is to doctor it up with toppings. People think it’s a superfood when it’s really just a carb bomb waiting to spike their blood sugar.”
Mr. Skeptical rolls his eyes. “So predictable. Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. It’s also slow-digesting, giving you lasting energy.”
“Lasting energy?” I scoff. “More like a mid-morning crash. Besides, why not eat eggs or bacon? They don’t need a ‘doctorate in toppings’ to deliver nutrition.”
He gestures at the oatmeal. “Not everyone has time to cook a steak every morning. Oatmeal is fast, satisfying, and budget-friendly.”
Next, we move on to popcorn.
Photo by Georgia Vagim on Unsplash
“Popcorn is the definition of filler food,” I say. “Light, airy, and mostly useless nutritionally. People snack on it thinking it’s healthy when it’s just a salty, crunchy distraction.”
Mr. Skeptical raises an eyebrow. “Popcorn has fiber, antioxidants, and it’s low-calorie. If you don’t drown it in butter, it’s a perfectly reasonable snack.”
“Fiber? Don’t make me laugh,” I say. “You still think fiber is so vital! We discussed fiber before; there’s a lot of misinformation about it.”
He narrows his eyes. “Not everything has to be steak! Some of us just want something to nibble on during a movie that isn’t dripping with grease.”
“Sure, but don’t pretend it’s doing anything for your health. And if I want something to nibble on during a movie, I’ll sneak in a bag of pork rinds cooked in port fat into the theater.”
And then there’s lettuce, the supposed foundation of every healthy salad.
Photo by Petr Magera on Unsplash
“Lettuce is crunchy water,” I announce. “It’s filler food with a green halo. People toss it in their salads thinking it’s healthy food when it’s really just wasting space that could go to more nutritiously dense food.”
Mr. Skeptical frowns. “Not all salads need to be superfoods. Lettuce adds volume and texture without extra calories. It hydrates you, too!”
“Hydration?!” I laugh. “Drink a glass of water if you’re thirsty.”
He waves me off. “Okay, so maybe iceberg lettuce is weak, but romaine? That’s legit. Not every meal has to be a nutrient-dense powerhouse.”
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
The argument rages on with other examples like rice cakes (“Styrofoam with salt”) and baby carrots (“Crunchy water with sugar”).
Mr. Skeptical is clearly exasperated, but he doesn’t back down. “Look, filler foods aren’t bad. They help people stay full without overloading on calories. Not everyone can handle your meat-heavy diet.”
“Filler foods keep people stuck in cycles of hunger,” I counter. “Real food nourishes and satisfies. You don’t need to snack on rice cakes when you’ve had enough steak and eggs.”
He sighs and grabs a baby carrot, munching defiantly.
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
“So, what’s your alternative to filler foods?” Mr. Skeptical asks, his tone half-genuine, half-sarcastic.
“Eat real food: steak, eggs, liver, fatty fish—foods with actual nutrients that keep you full for hours. Ditch the lettuce. Skip the oatmeal and have bacon and eggs. And leave the rice cakes to the birds.”
He leans back, smirking. “Of course. Back to steak.”
“Because it works!”
He shakes his head, but there’s a hint of a smile. “Alright, I’ll give you this: next time I eat popcorn, I won’t pretend it’s a health food. But I’ll still eat it.”
“Fair enough,” I reply. “And next time you’re hungry an hour later, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He laughs, tossing another baby carrot in his mouth. He adds, “Crunchy water never tasted so good.”
I smile sadly. Mr. Skeptical jokes about not prioritizing what one eats. This is a common and popular attitude. Yet, I know that many who have that attitude will pay a hefty price for their health later.
What you eat is a choice.
Choose wisely, for your health depends on it.
Be aware.
PS Links on Facebook and Instagram. Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.
PSS Online event: Carnivore Q & A next Wednesday, Dec 4, at 8 PM