My #1 Nutrition Tip for 2024

Yes, I’ve got some advice to dole out, and no, it’s probably not what you think. 

We all need to freakin’ calm down about food.

Period yall.

Because here’s the thing: everyday nutrition is not that complicated. It’s just really not that hard to “eat healthy” (if you are privileged enough to have access to a wide variety of foods and the resources to obtain it, to be clear). 

Yes, even if you don’t know what the heck a nightshade vegetable is or how much protein you need or what the hell a carb even is in the first place.

Now, some people totally geek out about the macro breakdown and micronutrient profile of every food they put into their mouths, and that’s totally chill. For them. Maybe. Unless they become obsessed and stressed and start turning down opportunities to go to a restaurant with friends because their meal won’t be “trackable”, which in this scenario we are now moving into eating disorder territory…

I digress. 

But I do want to make it known that I do not judge anyone for how they choose to eat, whether they weigh their protein or not. 

The point I do want to make is that this do-or-die way of thinking about nutrition 1) overemphasizes the effect that different foods have on our bodies 2) places foods in a moral hierarchy of “good” vs “bad” which in turn makes us all whipped up about food all the time and 3) is not sustainable or realistic for most humans. 

So, then what? If we shouldn’t cut out carbs, try out Whole 30, or remove all “toxins” in our food, then how SHOULD we eat? 

Well. 

That is up to you, my friend. While taking into account your lifestyle, preferences, schedule, goals, health challenges, and resources. 

But Annette JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO DAMNIT. 

Thing is, I can’t tell you how to eat without knowing if you like meat or hate it, if you have kids or don’t, if you like cooking or would rather lie down and die, if you have diabetes or celiac disease or any other health challenge with nutrition implications.

But I can tell you this: 

There are so many ways to be healthy. 

I’ll say it again:

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO BE HEALTHY. 

Yes, even if you serve your family McDonald’s at least twice a week. Even if you have a Diet Coke every day (but the aspartame???!!!). Even if you don’t eat organic. 

Why? Because there is no one food that will make or break your health and our health is about SO MUCH MORE than just what we eat. What we eat actually makes up a pretty small part of our overall health. What else effects our health? Take a look here.

Saying that, I do have a few general, easy-to-implement, basic recommendations when it comes to nutrition that can make a difference in terms of your health, and I’ll be getting into those more in later posts. 

But for now, the most important recommendation I can give is this:

Variety. Just eat a lot of different foods. All of the time. McDonald’s sometimes and salads other times. Diet coke and a sandwich piled high with all kinds of ingredients. Strawberries dipped in smooth dark chocolate. A gently and lovingly massaged kale salad and lots of cheese. Always lots of cheese.

Eat foods that honor your health and eat foods that honor your cravings. Eat foods that make you feel great and give you energy and eat foods that make you think of home. 

Yes, fruits and vegetables are great and important and so is a big piece of funfetti cake on your child’s birthday. 

Why is increasing variety in what you eat my #1 recommendation?

1.    Because food is about so much more than just how it affects us physically. It is joy, comfort, tradition, culture, celebration, nourishment, satisfaction, etc. When we siphon our idea of food into only the effect it has on us physically, we miss out on a lot of what makes life worth living, honestly. 

2.    Because it’s what you eat consistently over time that matters. It’s the sum of everything you eat that’s important. No one meal will ruin your health, and no one meal will fix it. No one food will kill you, and no one food will heal you. No one food will make you fat, and no one food will make you skinny. 

3.    And finally, because foods are intended to work together. For example, did you know that if you have a glass of orange juice (high vitamin C) with your spinach salad (high in plant-based iron), the OJ will actually increase the amount of iron your body absorbs from the spinach?

Or that adding butter (high fat) to your broccoli (high in vitamin A) will help increase the absorption of vitamin A from the broccoli? 

That’s the kind of shit I geek out about when it comes to nutrition. Not the “dirty dozen”, whatever the heck those are. 

So now that you know how to “eat healthy”…..onto the meal planning!

As always, reach out with questions or thoughts.

*******This guest blog post was written by Annette Kutilek, Registered Dietitian. Annette offers intuitive eating coaching, body image healing, and personalized nutrition therapy for clients around the globe! She also offers weekly meal planning and electronic newsletters.