The Simplest Nutrition Philosophy: Don’t Stress

What’s  your nutrition philosophy?

Making decisions about what to eat or how to feed your family can be hard, right? In this current world, establishing your nutrition philosophy is a challenge, and it is no wonder. Nutrition information is coming at us from every direction – TV commercials, magazine ads, food packaging, infomercials, and best-selling books. On top of that, legions of Internet nutrition enthusiasts share their stories on social media and blogs, encouraging everyone to jump on their personal bandwagon.

Unfortunately, much of this ever-available information is conflicting.  Dairy and grains are under fire in one camp and touted as wholesome in another. The organic-versus-conventional produce debate drags on. Paleo-styled eating plans reign supreme in the fitness set, while the USDA encourages adults and kids alike to consume a balanced diet of grains, dairy, protein, and produce.

Having constant access to nutrition information is a phenomenon causing us to be both fully informed and wholly overwhelmed all at once.

Even for me, being overwhelmed is a constant state. What? You thought that, being a registered dietitian with two master’s degrees and 20+ years of experience, I might have the secret? I only have one surefire answer: Don’t Stress. All I know is this: there is no one best way to define your nutrition philosophy. In fact, my own philosophy, both for the world at large, and for myself and my family, is constantly evolving.

Thirty years ago…

…I was a high school senior eager to start my college degree in nutrition, hoping to become an expert in fueling my (and others’) athletic endeavors with delicious and healthy food, as well as divining the secret (finally!) to reducing the size of my bum-bum (Joking!! Kind of.) In four years of nutrition studies at the University of Maine, I did my best to live what I was learning. I discovered a love of seafood, aerobics classes, and salad bars (kind of a novelty in the 1980’s). I also discovered the Freshman Five, thanks to Pat’s Pizza late-night deliveries — double-dough, double-cheese being  a particular favorite.

Twenty years ago…

…I was a young wife, new homeowner, and full-time working professional. I was – finally – a Registered Dietitian, employed in a local hospital and ready to solve the world’s nutrition problems, one low-salt, heart healthy diet at a time. A lifetime baker, I started cooking more and learned to make real meals. Unfortunately for anyone who ate my cooking, I was heavily influenced by the extremely unfortunate low fat/fat free craze that gripped the nation. Fat-free dressings, cookies, cheese, and even chips. Thank goodness that’s over with. Going on the best evidence available at the time, I strived for dishes low in fat and cholesterol.  Even now, my mother likes to remind me they were also often low in taste 🙂

Ten years ago…

raising young eaters, my primary focus was to have them try everything, and to simply avoid battles over food. It was easy with the first-born, who never turned down a mouthful of anything. Things started to go south when the second kid disgustedly spit out his first fruit – bananas. What baby doesn’t like the sweetest fruit in existence? By the time the third kid came around, I knew I was headed for trouble when she categorically refused nearly every cooked vegetable we ever offered her. Now, at age 9, she’ll say yes to just five: corn, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and – wait for it – kale chips. Overall, we weathered the food jags and stand-offs and all three like a whole bunch of different kinds of foods.

Today…

I am focused on expanding my family’s healthy diet even more, and trying to impart to them the skills and good decision-making they’ll need later on. I also started blogging about all of this to help others, like you, in your quest to feed yourself and your family healthfully and still keep your sanity 🙂

Here (and by ‘here’ I mean both in my home and in this blog space) we talk about where food comes from, and focus on local produce when we can, like the farm share we’ve been taking part in the last couple of summers. We’ve even grown some herbs and vegetables ourselves!

My kids are slowly learning their way around the kitchen. And I am continually challenging their taste buds through new dishes with different ingredients, flavors, and textures.

We could do better, though. Recently, I’ve started talking with them about their sugar intake. Don’t mistake me for the Sugar Nazi. We are a dessert family, and ice cream is king. It’s all the other stuff that ratchets up the daily sugar intake. Had my crystal ball been functioning properly a decade ago, I would have insisted on slightly stricter sugar standard for a couple of items – breakfast cereal and peanut butter.  Those two foods are eaten almost daily. Slowly we’re reducing. We’ve cut way back on cereal in general, and are buying mostly low sugar types. Two of the five are OK with natural PB. Work in progress 🙂

My #1 goal always is to create a positive environment around food. No guilt, no anguish. My kids all have different tastes, and they (shockingly) don’t always align with mine. That’s OK as long as their diets resemble something that is mostly nutritious and, especially important, that they are happy eating it.

Feeding with Love and Good Intentions

Final thoughts on my nutrition philosophy? Eating well is a process not a destination.

Do not plague yourself with concerns over whether you are feeding yourself or your family well enough. You are doing fine. We all are. We’re cooking with love and good intentions and doing the best we can. We’re not trying to achieve the perfect diet. The ‘perfect diet’ is a fantasy. The best we can do is to weave healthy, nutritious foods into our diets in a way that makes sense for our lives, nourishes us physically, and satisfies us in every way.

I always say if you’re not enjoying your diet, you’re not doing it right. Food ought not to bring with it stress, guilt, or anxiety. Avoid broccoli if that’s not your thing. Snub that squishy eggplant and instead enjoy your favorite roasted vegetables. Crave chocolate with gusto. And ditch the stress over it all. Whatever you are eating, honor your appetite and savor every bite.

~Julia~