My Food Language

#Goals. The calling card of influencers can provide a boost of motivation, but its larger impact can be less than aspirational. Social media has given a powerful voice to people who have no particular training or expertise on nutrition aside from being young and attractive. This can be particularly dangerous as their advice can do real harm in perpetuating disordered eating habits and passing them off as an aspirational lifestyle. In an effort to combat the larger narrative on how we talk about food, I wanted to share a bit about how I approach food and nutrition.

First, I want to share what brought me into this profession. I grew up on a small farm where we grew our own beef, chicken, eggs, milk and much of our fruit and vegetables. Cooking and sharing meals together was a primary value in my home growing up, and because of this I always felt one of my love languages was food. I also saw how different the way I ate was from the general population because of how close to the ingredients I was, which gave me an early interest in how the foods we eat can affect our health. The main reason I became a dietitian was because I love food.

My love of food is not limited to leafy greens and avocados. In fact, on the first day of my master’s program as a way for everyone to get to know each other, we all went around and shared our favorite food. The number of people that said avocados or kale was shocking! I timidly admitted that cheese was my favorite food, which of course made me feel like maybe I was out of place. After my years of schooling and experience, I now look proudly back at myself for making space in that room for honesty and for there to be a place for all foods.

Making space for all foods and not labeling any food as being “bad” or “unhealthy” or even as “healthy” or “good”

Food plays many roles in your life. It meets your body’s requirements for energy and nutrients, but it is also highly emotional. It is central to religious and cultural traditions, brings back childhood memories, and eating meals around a table is an important space to build relationships. Making space for all foods and not labeling any food as being “bad” or “unhealthy” or even as “healthy” or “good” is something I actively work on when I talk about food. Often this is the primary vocabulary people have for food and nutrition. However, it is easy to turn language around bad/unhealthy food to mean a person is bad/unhealthy for eating that food. Given both the massive rise in obesity and the massive rise in eating disorders, I think it is important to take morality out of the equation when talking about foods.

A Snickers bar, many would argue, is a bad or unhealthy food. However, maybe a Snickers is a nostalgic treat that brings back special childhood memories. Maybe it is the only thing available to a mom of a child about to have a meltdown from hunger. Maybe it can even be medically recommended when someone with diabetes is suffering from dangerously low blood sugar. By appreciating that all foods can have a place in one’s diet, I avoid becoming “food police” (which is a role I NEVER want).

I want to help clients find joy and health through learning new foods, new ways of cooking and eating, and above all, through balance in day-to-day food choices

Food was the original medicine and has amazing power to bring our bodies to a healthier place. It can help improve energy, focus, digestive symptoms, whole system inflammation, and support appropriate growth and development of children. I want to allow space for food preferences, favorite foods, and celebratory meals. I want to help clients find joy and health through learning new foods, new ways of cooking and eating, and above all, through balance in day-to-day food choices. In taking this approach, clients feel more included in the nutrition conversation without fear of judgement, which can improve willingness to try new things. It also means that changes to eating patterns end up being more sustainable in the long term, which improves health outcomes.

Ultimately, the kitchen and the dinner table is such a crucial space for fostering connection and health; my aim is to restore the accessibility of balanced food strategies and the way we relate to our meals. I hope this can provide you another lens with which to look at your social media feed, or help you think critically when someone promotes the latest diet trend. I hope to share more here about my approach to nutrition, and I think starting with our language around food is a useful place to start.