I’m sure we all know that one person who says they eat perfectly... No-preservative-only-organic-no-processed-food-eating folks are out there and strive for nutrition perfection.

This is an easy trap to fall into, and it can steer one away from healthy food focus. We should live by the 80/20 rule, where we allow room for foods every now and then that aren’t considered top notch.

1. Organic Ollie

The idea of eating organic is good, but, for some, it overshadows what macronutrient the food actually is.

Obviously, eating food derived from its most natural state without additives is healthy, but it can’t be the only point of focus. Looking at the macronutrients on a food label and knowing true portions is also a must.

Just because a food item is organic doesn’t mean it should be indulged. Where you may be avoiding pesticides or eating animal products that haven’t been genetically modified, there is a chance that you’re eating food high in calories, which can result in weight gain — regardless if it’s organic or not.

2. No Sugar Sally 

Avoiding all sugar is not the answer to great health either. I’ve heard countless times from countless people that they don’t eat sugar of any sort. When asked why not, the answer is usually summed up to “well, because sugar is bad.”

My best advice is to know your sugars. Not all sugar is bad, in fact, many natural sugars are complex and give the body healthy calories that will actually be used for energy rather than stored away as fat because the body couldn’t use them.

Healthy sugars are found in fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and vegetables, which are extremely good to the body offering many nutrients and long-lasting energy. Without any carbohydrates, sugars, a person can become very weak and sick.

3. Fad Diet Frank

Of course there are fad diet seekers. We all know that one person who provides the latest trend in diet world and swears it’s the “be all end all” diet — only to tell the same information regarding another diet a few months down the road.

Being on a diet will result in temporary weight loss, leaving one looking for the next best thing to keep the weight loss going. During the transitioning period from one diet to another, weight tends to spike, ultimately leaving one in a rut of yo-yo dieting.

Depriving the body of certain nutrients for some time and then forcing the nutrients back in will result in weight fluctuation. It’s typical to get bored of a diet after spending so much time on it, even if it resulted in a big weight loss. It’s impossible to stick to such controlled eating to the point where every little calorie has to be watched.

Take the carbohydrate avoiders for example — they have to watch out for every gram of sugar in food to prevent sugar consumption. After some time has passed, the prospect of a new diet sounds appealing because avoiding carbohydrates for too much longer is just not realistic. This will just lead to another diet trend that will eventually have to come to a close because a new diet will be discovered. Jumping from diet to diet has the domino effect; one diet won’t last and will result in another diet that won’t last and so on.

So, what IS the answer?

In short, it’s best to just eat in balance. Opting out of certain food groups can rob your body of nutrients it requires for energy and health.

If you want to eat organic foods, that’s a great way to eat, but don’t eat high amounts of the organic cookies just because "they’re organic, and that means they're healthy."

If you want to avoid sugar, avoid the unhealthy sugars such as refined grains and table sugar. Don’t skip out on fiber-loaded foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits in fear that they’re too high in sugar.

Most importantly, stop avoiding certain foods if you don’t have a legitimate reason to avoid them. Reading detailed information on social media regarding a certain food doesn’t make the information true.

Stop eliminating specific foods when professional recommendations and/or treatment is not behind your reasoning. Be wise, and know the facts behind your foods of choice.

Know that you’re human and perfection doesn’t exist. So, don’t try to be perfect, just try to be great!

Can you think of another "food perfectionist" we missed? Let us know in the comments below!