Friends. A dietitian wants nothing less than for you to assume we eat perfectly. We do not. Nor do we want you to. Nor do we teach you to.
I had one too many people this week confess “how badly” they have eaten recently. Or how they just cannot eat, nor feed their kids, as well as I do.
My kids eat junk. They eat dessert, candy, and chips, and they don’t like fish. My kids also eat vegetables, and we try not to have dessert or chips at every meal. None of that makes them “good” or “bad” eaters.
Hopefully if you learn anything from me, it’s that I want you to learn how to eat in a way that makes you feel amazing AND that brings you pleasure. Sometimes those might overlap nicely, and other times they will not. And that’s ok. I want you to learn that you will probably always be tweaking and adjusting What, How, and When you eat as you learn how it makes you feel physically AND mentally.
Sometimes you’re going to eat out, and the nutrients might not be ideal, but the mental health benefits are worth it. Other times you’re going to recognize that a home cooked meal is probably a better fit for what your body is craving. Sure, I want you to feel your best and optimize your health, but the idea of working towards perfection is likely not going to help towards that end.
What we are working on at home, and what I can hope you can keep focused on instead, are things like:
What foods & habits make you feel your best
What you might need to ADD to your meals to make you feel your best
What foods you need to keep in your fridge, freezer or pantry to feel your best
What helps you tune in and notice when things (moods, digestion, energy, sleep) feel off
What habits & behaviors matter even more than obsessing over what you are eating
How much, or in what context, you can enjoy certain foods and still feel great
How to experiment & learn from your choices
Adopting a mindset of curiosity & exploring what your body-mind might be saying
Recognizing that what works today might not work tomorrow
Acknowledging that health looks different for each of us
Food perfection, whatever that might mean in your mind, is NOT the goal.