The original Healthy/F-Off scale was published on Urban Gets Diesel (Melissa’s old blog) in October 2008. Since then, the post has been one of the most linked and referenced articles on her site. (For those wishing to revisit the original version, please take note, the “F-bomb” was in full effect back then.)
Due to relentless pressure and public outcry (mostly from our friend and Whole30 expert Lauren Guibert), and because our priorities have changed dramatically in the last two years, we’ve decided to release an updated Healthy F/Off Scale… with a fun little twist.
Our new Healthy/F-Off Scale
The Scale is designed to measure foods based on both their “Healthy” properties, and the degree to which you will tell people to “F-Off” when deciding whether or not to eat these foods. Foods that we agree have irrefutable health benefits are the highest on the Healthy scale. While we may not love these foods, they are so undeniably healthy that their F-Off potential is minimal. As an example: We know that fish oil is very Healthy. We may not love taking fish oil, but as it is so high on the Healthy scale, we will not tell you to F-Off when you suggest we take it. Therefore, we take fish oil regularly.)
Foods that we know are not so healthy, but that we think are tasty enough to be justified on occasion are lower on the Healthy scale, but higher on the F-Off scale, so they fall somewhere in the middle. As an example, despite all the arguments against legumes, we will occasionally tell you to F-Off and eat a little hummus. These instances are not common, but they do occur.
Foods that we know should be eliminated from our diets completely because they are nowhere near Healthy, but which we have determined are mandatory to our enjoyable existence, are at the bottom of the Healthy scale, but EXTREMELY high on the F-Off scale. These foods, in the past, include iced coffees and Grey Goose dirty martinis. (As you can see from the current version, some of our tastes have indeed changed.)
What’s on YOUR Healthy/F-Off scale?
And now, for the fun little twist. Here is your opportunity to create your very own personalized Healthy/F-Off scale for your web site or blog. Just follow these easy steps.
- Download our blank Healthy/F-Off template.
- Using some sort of image editing software like Microsoft Paint or Photoshop, fill in your own food(s) at each of the three points.
- Save the file as a new image, and share it with the world.
- Don’t know how to use the software you’ve got? Go low-tech! Print the chart, fill it in by hand, take a photo, and go!
Make sure you share your own Healthy/F-Off scale with us! Post your version (or share your link) on our Facebook page and see what other people think are F-Off worthy.
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This is a cute idea! …also a good tool for each of us to really weigh our choices!
LOVE IT! Thank you so much for the update, it’s nice to know peer pressure still works he he just kidding ;) I really like the DIY scale too and can’t wait to put mine together and post it (gotta figure out exactly where 20 year old scotch and dark chocolate fall on that graph!). I’ve already mandated that my current trainee Jenn do her own scale and bring it to our next consult/workout. Just to brag a little, she’s been doing an amazing job. She did her Whole30 through Thanksgiving and is still going strong, found out today that she met her goal of getting below 200lbs before the end of the year, and she’s already lost over 25lbs since going Whole30 and working with me. Her Whole30 success story will be forthcoming! Hope you’re enjoying the snow in Utah, it keeps pouring down here in Germany. Happy Holidays!
@Lauren: You’re welcome – Merry Christmas!
@All: We’re still waiting to see more of YOUR Healthy/F-Off scales on our Facebook page… the current submissions have been fantastically creative. And stay tuned for some FAMOUS FOLKS’ Healthy/F-Off scales over there, too!
Best,
Melissa
Whew. And here I thought I was in a minority of paleo devotees who secretly hated kale.
Nicole,
We don’t hate kale. We simply don’t think of it as “fun”… :)