Yesterday, I read a post by Caitlin which mentioned a scene from a recent episode of The Biggest Loser, where contestants were advised that bananas, pineapples, and mangoes were “bad fruits.”
Unsurprisingly, reading this made me feel a little bit violent.
i like bananas ridiculously ripe. more sugar? probably. better choice than frosted flakes? yes.
I have a lot of issues with The Biggest Loser, which is probably a topic for another post – and I suppose I’m in the minority. I recognize that competition and money are both motivating factors for many, and if the show has the ability [and it does] to motivate people to alter their unhealthier habits, that is obviously wonderful. So while I can’t say I watch the show myself, I am aware of the wide audience it has.
As an influencer with such a large domain, the show also has a responsibility. Imagine a viewer who is entirely unschooled in nutrition: now, she won’t consider pineapple to be a nutritious choice. To a viewer struggling with disordered perfectionism, a mango will become synonymous with weight gain.
mangoes are one of my favorite fruits – my sister and i have joked that our balcony needs a mango tree.
I wish someone in the mainstream would simply say: eat real food. Not “eat half a banana at a time,” “eat twelve almonds,” “eat two cups of greens.” What would happen if we were simply told: eat bananas, eat nuts, eat greens. And then, we would be forced to think, and we would choose for ourselves the quantities and the flavors most satisfying to both our bodies and our minds.
If a banana and a cookie are sitting next to each other on a table, there should not be debate over which is the healthier choice. I’ve said it before: if it comes from the earth, it’s ok by me. I just wish the media could help others feel the same.
Does the “bad fruit” concept bother you as well? Do you think eating natural foods will ever become the norm?
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Me and my sister too noticed that they deem certain foods as “bad”. I also noticed that they consider vegetables a carb…I honestly don’t believe you should ever have a serving size on vegetables like you would with pasta. I do understand that the show is trying to help weight loss and baby steps should be taken to a healthier lifestyle but they do get a bit extream. My sister even asked me what was wrong with bananas…or last night she asked me if it was wrong to eat fruit at night? This is coming from a teen! I think there are many misconceptions as to what is bad and good. Processed “low cal” snacks are bad..not nature’s produce!
I could rant for hours but I do watch the show with raised eyebrows at times,
Maggie
THIS IS SOOO GREAT!! you never cease to amaze me girl– seriously! i was JUST thinking about this concept the other day!! seriously what BS we are fed from teh media and all that! i was thinking to myself about how special K is branded as “healthy” yet its full of corn syrup etc etc.
then on the contrary we are told to avoid things like bananas because they are ‘bad fruits’– seriously i dont believe ANY fruits/veggies are ‘bad’ for you!! this is soo funny i was just thinking to write a post on this!!
love it love it love it & couldnt agree with you more!
I don’t watch The Biggest Loser because I don’t feel like it is a realistic approach to health and happiness. And as far as my food perspective, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the banana, the mango or the cookie. I think the important thing is to listen to your body and honor it’s signals. By tuning in, most will find that they do crave whole foods but sometimes, you have to eat a lot of cookies before you pick up on that.
Honestly, I hate the Biggest Loser. I think that how quickly they lose weight and jump into vigorous exercise is extremely unhealthy and super dramatic. And yeah, the concept of “bad fruits” really bothers me. How could a fruit be considered bad!? Ugh. People are so stupid sometimes – I could write an entire post on this too. Natural, foods from the earth = the best! I eat bananas, nuts, and greens…and I eat them until I feel full. I never cut myself off if I don’t feel satisfied. You’ve got me fired up! Thanks for such a thought provoking post, love!
I am with you. It’s all about real food.
I completely agree. I’d actually really like to read your opinions about the Biggest Loser because I don’t like the show either. I eat a banana every day…does that make me unhealthy?
I am the exact same way. Anything that comes from the earth beats anything that comes from a processing plant!
Oh my gosh I know what you mean! According to these people carrots also have too much sugar, and avocados, too much fat. What nobody takes the time to realize is that humans can never get anywhere near the amount of nutritional benefit into something that is manufactured. Even in some cases where certain products are pumped full of extra vitamins and minerals, the truth is that the body is not able to recognize all these extras and they leave almost as quickly as they came. Nutrients are absorbed in food, real food, and if mother nature has created certain ones that are more flavorful than others we should be thankful for the fact that eating well is easier because of it… not question the motives.
Definitely. Sometimes I find myself concerned with the calories of more than a serving of avocado or almonds. But they are whole foods, so if I feel I need a bit more they will nourish me in ways that other foods cannot. So why the unnecessary fear? It’s silly. The most important thing is, as you said, to consume whole foods as much as possible.
I agree as well! I have never watched this show (I tend to become absorbed in stimulating trash: Real Housewives
) and I believe I never will. Personally, I do not need to watch a show that tells people that there are bad and good foods, some fruits are bad, and weight loss as a whole. It’s a bit triggering and makes me anxious. On the topic, I was watching Paula Dean a while ago (I can’t help it, she’s so fun to watch even if her cooking style is an extreme opposite of my own) and she said that bananas were fattening. It freaked me out a little, but then I thought, this is coming form the woman who thinks butter is a food group so her nutritional knowledge might not be reliable.
this was a very thought provoking post. so, i admit that i enjoy watching the show every now & then (i don’t really watch tv regularly at all now b/c i forget when my shows are one) but now that i think about it, it is completely bs. how can you honestly say that those are ‘bad’ fruits?? wtf? like that makes absolutely no snese. there is plenty of nutritional value in all of them & they are DELICIOUS! there’s no way a banana is going to be what makes you gain wait….
i jsut think the show will make these people crazy & make their lives all about weight loss when really that shouldn’t be what life is all about. but it is of course important to be healthy.
thanks for brinign this up!
xoxox
shelley
While I agree with your comments about the show for the most part, I have to assume that the talk of bad fruits was subject to bad editing. I know a lot of the contestants have health problems, diabetes being one of them. I assume that they try to get them to eat fruits that are lower on the glycemic index since tropical fruits especially are known to spike blood sugar.
Totally not justifying it at all, but just a guess. Bob and Jillian are both incredibly knowledgable about nutrition so I would hate to think they endorse that. And I am totally with you: anything coming from the ground is okay by me!
I soooo agree.
No fruit is ‘bad’, unless it’s poisoned with arsenic or drugs or something.
I hate it when they say dried fruits are bad bc ‘you gain more weight with them than fresh fruits’. Or when watermelon is one of the healthiest food bc it’s over 90% of water and fills you more…Heck no, it’s bc of the vitamins -_-!
Anyway, I hope someone will do something about…maybe you could have your own show on TV :p
What a powerful, important post! The media sends out such a twisted, unhealthy message– especially for adolescents and teenagers. I wish there were registered dietitians and nutritionists on the show (and actually, just in general).
Way to go with this post. I love it.
Have a fantastic day, lovely lady!
Becca
http://fromheretothereinpurple.blogspot.com/
ugh yes! i hate that, its so ignorant to think that fruit could be “bad” unless its drenched in high fructose corn syrup and eaten in large quantities lol..i dont think any fruit should be deemed good or bad..In IP one girl said to me my 2nd day when i was 17..”ohh bananas are a weight gain fruit!!” WTF!…so ehhugh :/ and i was scared of nanas for like 1 year and now i am pretty much a lil monkey
i have one every day if not 2 times 
anywhoo…EVErything in moderation and all food is great! and the biggest loser pisses me off 
loved this post great topic!
xo
maya
loved this topic so much Leslie, i agree 100% with everything, and i hate that bananas and mango’s are deemed “weight gain” fruits Ugh, as Maya said in treatment a girl said that to us, and before that i never thought anything, just thought bananas are bananas lol…
because i tend to eat like 6 or 7 on most days lol…okay i could go on about this…but i will end my mini novel haha 
then i was so scared of them for like 1 year, now i eat like 1 a day or even 2…they are so healthy for you,
and ugh biggest loser, hate that show too! :/ well also i hate how peas are considered a starch according to the fda or food pyramid or w/e, ugh then my ED never lets me have peas b/c its a starch? so stupid.
food from the earth is so amazing and healthy as you said, and the quantities shouldn’t be limited like 5 fruits a day or w/e pisses me off
love you
xx
Eliza
Great topic and when I was trying to loose weight I would listen to people like that and stay away from bananas or what was called “bad fruits or veggies” I now realise that’s ridiculous and they should be teaching about cutting out most foods, but teaching about portion control, swapping unhealthy foods for healthy foods. I myself don’t watch the Biggest Loser either.
Great post. For the most part, I agree. Presenting pronouncements like that out of context is bound to promote fear of certain foods, which is an incredibly toxic thing. It would be hugely refreshing to have someone with a wide audience express a more common sense view of food.
At the same time,I always want to be careful about making blanket pronouncements. I am more carbohydrate sensitive than many people, and my body doesn’t feel good if I eat a lot of high glycemic index foods. Mangos aren’t a problem for me, but they might be for some people, especially people who are trying to manage diabetes or have other medical reasons to maintain a steady blood sugar.
I have never been obese or had weight-related medical problems, and from what I gather, the tyical person who hangs around our sort of food blogs hasn’t either. I am not endorsing Biggest Loser’s methods by any means, but I want to avoid disparaging people who desire or require more structure to their eating than “eat lots of plant based foods.”
mangoes bananas and pineapples rock my socks off and will forever never leave my life I don’t care what the freak JM says.
AMEN girl..mangos=amazing..especially frozen
I agree with you, BUT I get that some people need more structure the that. i.e. a serving of almonds is a dozen. Certainly if your main goal in life is to lose weight then these details matter.
Also – to that first poster I know that Jillian recommends to her contestants to not count calories on leafy greens at all, they are suggested to eat as much as they want. Whew.
I am more concerned about eliminating things entirely then when they make strange portion control announcements. (i.e. bananas are evil don’t eat bananas).
That said, don’t even get me started on the Extra gum or the disgusting protein powder those poor contestants drink.
Off to eat a banana (my 2nd of the day)
mangoes & bananas are my two most favorite fruits…and likewise, we have a very funny relationship. especially mangoes! i love them! and kind of had an addiction/obsession a year back. but i am so happy that i have become comfortable enough to eat one the size of my head, without measuring or counting the negligible calories. same goes for winter squash. because i would much rather enjoy a sweet, juicy mango, than a portioned bowl of splenda laden fro-yo. i do not understand why the media is making up these rules for fruits and veggies! a plant based diet is so natural, and so perfect. this issue, along with the biggest loser, really irks me. rant over.
leslie, i loved this post! thank you. xo
I don’t watch the show for that very reason, in that of course eating 12 bananas at a time would cause you to gain weight–eating too much of anything will result in a gain. The problem is that people are always looking to eliminate things instead of practicing moderation and taking the time to educate themselves.
Because of my history, I do have a thing about fruits, and it stems from an environment I was in that deemed the sugars as “bad.” So, the past couple years I’ve been trying to retrain myself in the mindset that if it’s natural, it’s naturally good for me. Fruits, veggies (any kind, corn and tater haters) and whole grains are what I crave, what I need and what I want, so why label them as anything other than a natural food choice?