I Don’t Eat Anything White

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Last updated on December 20th, 2025 at 04:13 pm

If you’ve spent any time around diet culture, you’ve likely heard someone proudly proclaim:
“I don’t eat anything white.”

Rice?
Bread?
Pasta?
Potatoes?
Sugar?
Flour?
Cauliflower (except no one actually bans cauliflower because diet culture gets confused here)?

The “no white foods” rule shows up everywhere. According to diet cultures standards, you might as well just translate the word “refined” to “completely fucked” when it comes to nourishing your body.

but where did it actually come from, and is there any truth to it?

Let’s break it down.

The Real Origin: A 15-Minute Medical Visit and a Blanket Rule

In my experience, this rule usually comes from a well-intentioned but very rushed practitioner who has exactly 15 minutes to address someone’s diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, AND every other concern the patient has.

So instead of nuanced nutrition education, patients hear:

“Just avoid white foods.”

Boom. Easy. Fast.
And wildly oversimplified.

Somewhere along the way, diet culture took this watered-down advice and turned the word “refined” into:

“Refined = Completely ruined.”

And of course, diet culture’s unofficial motto: “Sugar? F*ck sugar.”

But here’s the truth…

Why the “No White Foods” Rule Makes No Sense

Even for people managing chronic conditions, this rule falls apart almost instantly.

1. It assumes fiber is the only nutrient worth caring about

The logic goes like this:

White foods = less fiber
Less fiber = “bad”
Therefore white foods = off limits

But fiber is one nutrient out of hundreds that support your body.

And guess what?

Not all white foods are low in fiber.
Not all white foods are refined.
Not all white foods are nutritionally “less than.”

Wild concept, I know.

2. It ignores that white foods contain valuable nutrients

Many white-colored foods — even refined ones — can offer:

  • Protein
  • Thiamine (B1)
  • Folate (B9)
  • Niacin (B3)
  • Riboflavin (B2)
  • Vitamin E

Just to name a few.

So when we demonize these foods, we’re also demonizing the nutrients that come with them.

3. It restricts more than it helps

Food rules don’t create health — they create:

  • Restriction
  • Fear
  • Avoidance
  • Shame
  • Disconnection from hunger cues
  • Loss of food satisfaction
  • A chaotic relationship with eating

Whether you’re managing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or nothing at all…
Overly simplistic and restrictive rules don’t make eating easier or healthier.

The Problem With “Off Limits” Foods

Labeling an entire category of foods as “bad” strips away:

  • Flexibility
  • Pleasure
  • Cultural foods
  • Practical options
  • Nutrient variety
  • Mental wellbeing

You deserve a relationship with food that isn’t full of landmines.

Even in the context of chronic condition management, there is room for:

  • White rice
  • Bread
  • Potatoes
  • Pasta
  • Sugar
  • Flour
  • And yes, even refined grains

Because nutrition is not defined by one color or one component of a food.

So… Can White Foods Fit Into a Balanced Diet?

Absolutely.
Wholeheartedly.
Without question.

White foods can:

  • Provide energy
  • Offer important vitamins and minerals
  • Support digestive tolerance
  • Increase satisfaction and food freedom
  • Help you build sustainable, non-restrictive eating patterns

Nutrition is about the big picture — not the color palette.

Stop Letting Diet Culture Erase Half the Grocery Store

The “no white foods” rule is nothing more than a shortcut born out of rushed appointments and amplified by diet culture’s obsession with restriction.

You don’t need to cut out entire food colors.
You don’t need arbitrary rules.
You don’t need to fear bread, rice, or potatoes.

What you do need is balanced, flexible, individualized guidance — not one-size-fits-none food bans.

Shena Jaramillo. Registered Dietitian
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