Do you remember when familiarity with the four food groups was all you really needed to know to eat healthfully? I do. Admittedly, I was a kid at the time, and not at all concerned about nutrition. But still, there’s no denying that the topic of healthy eating has shifted significantly over the last few decades. We used to discuss relatively simple things like the importance of balance and variety in food choices. Now it’s not uncommon to be entangled in (or at least overhear) detailed debates about things like macro ratios, glucose monitors, and seed oils.
Information and opinions on nutrition are everywhere. But unless you’re a nutrition professional like me, I see little reason to be consumed by every research finding or the “latest” diet. Here’s how to decide which information to pay attention to and what to let pass you by.
How Did Nutrition Get So Complicated?
Unfortunately, even the answer to this isn’t simple. In much of the world, the focus of nutrition advice has transitioned over time—from getting enough food and nutrients to dealing with the consequences of abundance. Nutrient deficiencies are still present of course, as is food scarcity. But today’s hot topics often revolve around the health impacts of a diet heavy on calories, fat, sodium and sugar. Another contributing factor is the evolution of nutritional and health science, including the ability to study more complex health and behavioral issues related to diet. Many of us have also lost touch with how food gets from fields and farms to our plates. Even the process of obtaining or selecting our food doesn’t require personal effort anymore. We can simply order food and groceries online or through apps and wait for delivery.
And let’s not forget the increasing speed of communication. Information—accurate or not—spreads across the world in mere minutes thanks to technology, the internet, and the power of social media. Taken together, we are bombarded with more information, more messages, and a wider variety of opinions than ever before. So no wonder it feels next to impossible to sort through it all! But take heart, because you can simplify the role of nutrition in your life. It really is possible to eat well without too much stress, time, or mental energy.
Keep Your Diet Simple: Focus on the Basics
The foundational components of a healthful diet have not changed much over time. You know the drill: Eat a balanced diet in portions that suit your body and activity level. (For more on what balanced meals look like, check out this post.) To do that, get plenty of produce of all types, protein in appropriate amounts, whole grains, and adequate water. Be sure to sprinkle in some nuts and seeds and some healthy fats too. And that’s it. Of course, you can dig deeper and add specifics on exactly which foods you may want to emphasize or minimize. But you’ll do yourself a world of nutritional good by just sticking with these basics and ignoring the messy minutia.
Be Selective About Your Sources of Nutrition Information
Nutrition and health information is popular, which is why media coverage of these topics is so prevalent. But that doesn’t mean that all sources of this information deserve equal attention—or any attention at all. Identifying reputable sources can be tricky, so here are a few suggestions to make finding trustworthy information easier:
- Your trusted healthcare providers can be a primary information source for your health and nutrition questions. Jot down your questions as they come to you. If they can wait until your next scheduled appointment, take that list with you so you remember what to ask.
- Look for information from sites that are not also trying to sell you things. You’ll often see obvious ads for food products or questionable supplements with “proprietary” formulas. Diet plans that make big promises are also common, as is equipment (like juicers or glucose monitors). When any of these are alongside the info you’re looking for, don’t waste your time.
- Check the writer’s professional credentials. Whether on social media or an online site, reputable nutrition sources typically have a link to a short bio and perhaps other articles or posts. Click it to check out their nutrition/health credentials. You’re looking for things like MD, PhD, RD, CNS, NDTR, and the like. If you don’t recognize the credentials, do a quick google search to see if they’re legitimate. Any credentials that seem shady mean you should cross that source off your list.
- I have other tips for checking scientific references and putting information through a quick “sniff test” to check its validity. Check out this post I wrote previously and take a look at my mini-guide for making sense of nutrition reporting.
Curate Your Social Media Feed to Protect Your Mental Energy
Back in 2023, about 60% of the world’s population was using social media. No doubt that percentage has grown since then. It’s not surprising that recent research from around the world indicates that social media is tied to body image concerns, disordered eating, and negative mental health impacts. Idealized body images (whether real or AI-enhanced) and “What I eat in a day” videos flood our feeds. And they can trigger comparisons that leave most of us feeling “less than” about ourselves. Nourishing your health through food naturally requires a tailored approach, since we are all unique. Just because a particular food product or diet “works” for one influencer doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for anybody else. (And don’t forget that many influencers are paid to promote products and may not even use them in real life.)
To help protect your mental peace, pay attention to how you feel when viewing or listening to social content. If a particular account’s messaging or images routinely make you feel bad about your body or the way you eat, unfollow that account. Instead, seek out accounts that support your nutrition mindset. Ones that put forth realistic images, and acknowledge that real-life eating needs to be flexible and tailored. Your self-esteem, body image, and mental energy are too precious to abandon them to social media algorithms. Remember, the unfollow button is always just a tap away.
Find What Works for You and Stick With It
Be wary of chasing the next new diet plan, “superfood,” or TikTok-famous cooking hack. They can be the slippery slope to erratic eating habits or budget-busting grocery bills, to name a couple potential consequences. And to what nutritional end? The life of a fad is short. Our bodies do best when we support them with consistent, moderate, balanced food intake. A couple weeks of one diet followed by a few weeks of another just makes life complicated, and provides little (if any) benefit for your body. If you really want to help yourself, find your happy point on the lifestyle pendulum. The one where you are feeling good, and eating a nutritious diet most of the time. (Guiding Stars can help with that, by the way). Chances are you’ll have more success maintaining a healthy weight, with enough flexibility to enjoy some treats once in a while.