Week 9: Avoid "Lite", "Low-Fat", or "Nonfat"

Why, Michael? Why I ask you as I sit here about to eat my Fage 0% Fat Greek yogurt with agave nectar. Why?

Pollan's argument around fat is about balance and imbalance in our diets. By villainizing fat in our diets we give a free pass to all other nutrients, such as calorie dense starches and carbohydrates.  During the fat-free craze of the 70's and 80's the western world stayed or became fat eating lower fat diets. We need to look at our daily diet as a whole, not compartmentalize certain nutrients in a way that places a temporary band-aid on a broken leg.

I am going to finish my breakfast of fat free yogurt, counting the calories in my yogurt and agave nectar as part of my daily whole, but also make sure I am eating some good fats today. Fish, avocado, olive oil. Later in the day, when I head to the grocery store to buy ingredients for the dinner I will cook tonight, I will buy a week's worth of Greek yogurt that is not fat-free, planning to balance out the fat calories from my morning yogurt by eating more veggies later in the day instead of processed carbs or starches.