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With so much nutrition information available at our fingertips, it’s easy to get stuck dealing with analysis paralysis and decision fatigue or to fall down the crash dieting rabbit hole. Here are a few basic principles that I aim to follow in order to simplify the decision process, fuel performance, and maintain a healthy relationship with food:
Plan ahead. Whether I’m prepping meals for the week or heading to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for a special occasion, having a plan helps reduce decision fatigue and saves me time for the fun part: making and eating tasty food! Pro tip: freezing your meal preps helps them taste fresh for longer. No one likes refrigerator flavored chicken! Just remember to thaw them in the fridge or on a low power in the microwave before heating them up.
Strive for small changes. Like laughably small. Breaking down large goals into small, easily achievable steps helps make big goals more attainable and makes us more likely to stick with new habits. Trying to increase protein intake, reduce ultra-processed food consumption, and eat more vegetables all at once is a huge undertaking for most people, myself included. Instead, add a greek yogurt to your breakfast or focus on opting for fruit over candy even 50% of the time. Use the small improvements to generate momentum, and remember, perfect is the enemy of better.
Eat for fuel and enjoyment. As a competitive athlete of 20 years and a budding therapist, I am a firm believer in the concept that there are no “good” or “bad” foods. Be it fuel and performance or pleasure and community, all food serves a purpose. Learning how to name that purpose and balance appropriately attending to our physical, emotional, and social needs is key to ensuring a healthy relationship with food.
Finally, take some time to enjoy your food today. After all, we have to eat to live – might as well make it fun!
