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1) First and foremost, give yourself a break and quit being so hard on yourself. There are no Slip-ups once you have a healthy relationship with food and with eating, because a slip-up simply doesn’t exist in that type of relationship. There are no “bad foods” or “magic foods.” One meal or even one day will not make or break you! Too often people (especially those trying to follow overly restrictive diets) will try hard to avoid certain foods or entire food groups, which is incredibly difficult to stick with for most people, not to mention typically unhealthy. This is where the notion of “slipping up” comes in. There is no place for guilt or self-admonishment in a healthy relationship with food. Enjoy the foods you like, but be mindful of the foods you should eat more of/more often and the foods that you may want to eat less of. If you do happen to eat more of the “fun foods” in a given period of time, let it go and just decide to do better tomorrow.

2) If you know there is an event coming up in which there will be more of the “fun food”, plan for that. Perhaps eat a little cleaner that morning, knowing you will be indulging more later that evening. Higher fiber foods can help fill you up and keep you full longer. Fruits and vegetables are very high in fiber, but have very few Calories. Make half your plate full of these foods. When it comes to grains and processed foods made from grains (i.e. breads, crackers, pastas, etc.), opt for the whole grain versions. They contain more fiber. If the first word in the ingredient list isn’t “whole,” then it’s not whole grain. Sometimes it is hard to get in enough fiber, so taking a fiber supplement can help on those days. Men need around 38 grams of fiber per day and women need around 26. Sometimes that is a bit more challenging to do. A fiber supplement can sometimes help. I recommend vitafusion Fiber Well gummies as they’re a great tasting way to help get some extra fiber to help meet your needs. A serving contains 5 grams of soluble prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics are what probiotics feed on.

3) Plan ahead of time. Planning and preparing the week’s meals in advance will not only help you save time and money, it helps you to eat healthier meals. Having a balanced meal prepared, packed, and ready to go can help keep you on track.

4) If there is something that you love (like I love ice cream), let yourself have it. Instead of trying to avoid it completely because some people out there say that you should have some “bad foods,” allow yourself to have some of what you love. Pick intentional places in your diet to allow these foods to happen. Maybe you know that on Friday, you will want a piece of cake, or a milkshake, or whatever it may be. Go into it knowing you will have one. Eat a balanced dinner and allow yourself to enjoy it without feelings of guilt or remorse. Making it intentional can help be more mindful about the portion sizes.

5) Be in the moment. We can easily overeat when we are distracted. I love food .… I mean I truly love food and most Registered Dietitians do. That does not mean I overeat. That means when I eat, I pay attention to the flavors, the smells, and I truly take that moment to appreciate the food that I’m eating. I think everyone deserves the right to enjoy eating. It’s easy to ignore the feelings of hunger and satiety if we are distracted. Try to reduce the distractions while you are eating and pay attention to how your body feels while you’re eating. Assess if you are truly hungry, or eating out of habit or boredom. After a few bites of that cake, are you still enjoying it as much as you did with the first bite? If you are, okay…eat it. If not, be done with it (yes…even if there is still some left on your plate). Try drinking water between every couple bites. This will make you slow down and give you the opportunity to pay attention to those feeling of satiety.

These are just a few ideas to help establish a good relationship with food. There are many more. My main goal working with almost all my patients is to help them establish a healthy relationship with food. While there are a lot of extreme diets out there and a lot of people who have some extreme opinions (without the education to back them up), navigating the world of nutrition can be hard. Bottom line, I truly feel that everyone, EVERYONE deserves the right to enjoy eating, and a healthy, balanced diet can still include those “fun foods” that may not give us a lot of nutrition, but they sure do make us happy.

About Susan E. Wilson RDN, LDN

Susan is a Registered Dietitian with University of Louisville Physicians Pediatric Specialists in the Gastroenterology division for your piece and is also the President of the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.