But… what about nutrition?

“Hey, Annette, you live and breathe dietetics- why won’t you tell us if something is [insert health word here]?”

Well, because, lots of things:

1. Nutrition is incredibly personal.  Everyone has different needs- something that is healthy for someone with Cystic Fibrosis could be harmful for someone with heart disease.  Even without any diagnosed conditions, some people need more protein, some people choose veganism, some people have religious restrictions (spiritual health matters too!), so it’s impossible to cater to everyone.
2. Nutrition is incredibly nuanced– ask any scientist worth their salt a yes-or-no question about nutrition, and you’ll get a long-winded answer with lots of seemingly conflicting results.  In any given situation, the right answer may be different, because human nutrition is nearly impossible to study (humans make the most frustrating research subjects.  Thanks, Free Will.)
3. A cooking blog is not the right place to deal with nutrition, in my opinion, unless it is a blog specifically geared towards one facet of nutrition- see point 1.  If you do have questions pertaining to your own health, seek out a Registered Dietitian in your area to get personalized advice rather than Google advice!
4. You should be eating things because they bring you joy, not because they’re “low-fat” or “zero-carb” or whatever the trend of the day is (see points 1 and 2).

If this confuses you, I get that. 

By day, I work as a Clinical Nutrition Specialist at an obesity medicine outpatient clinic.  Many of my patients have been through the wringer, having tried diet, after diet, after diet. Though they generally loved food, they were also worn out and tired of thinking about food.  They often felt frustrated and confused by conflicting nutrition advice and ever-increasing ingredients lists. They’d ask, once and for all, what “diet” they should ascribe to; which rules to follow.

But healthy living shouldn’t be that hard. If one eats foods made out of plants and animals (if desired)- and one mineral: salt-  and gets a variety of them, they will have a healthy diet without thinking too hard.  Unfortunately, we are surrounded by more convenient “healthy” options which promise instant gratification, generally without any actual gratification at all.

Our relationship with food in America (and similar cultures) is so messed up that we basically need to start from scratch.  In contrast to cultures like France, where food/cooking is something to be enjoyed with loved ones, food here is something to be feared before eating and something to feel guilty about after.  If I bring words like “healthy” or “guilt-free” into my food descriptions, or I use one food in place of another (i.e. cauliflower rice in place of rice, zoodles in place of pasta, hummus in place of mayo), it subconsciously makes people think that other foods are intrinsically “unhealthy” or “bad.”

The good news for you, friendly reader, is that I do typically choose highly-nutritious foods to write about*.  You’ll notice, as I add more meals to this site, that many of them follow some basic themes:

• I use lots of whole grains in my cooking (because they taste delicious), except where the flavor or texture messes with the enjoyment of the dish.
• I cook with huge amounts and varieties of vegetables (because they taste delicious) and share cooking techniques appropriate for different types of produce.
• I use lots of fruit (because they taste delicious) and not a ton of added sweeteners in desserts, because unless sugar contributes either taste or texture to a food, it just masks other flavors.
• I like a little protein in my meals and snacks (because they taste delicious), as I find that makes me feel more satisfied after eating.
• I use salt, cheese, butter, and/or oils with most foods (because they taste delicious) and don’t worry too much because it’s still way less than you’d get at a restaurant or out of a package.

See a trend there?  Anything I put in a dish contributes something to the overall enjoyment.  So, if you see cauliflower rice, or zoodles, or hummus, it’s because I think it tastes better in that situation than rice, or pasta, or mayo might.  You may think differently, so experiment with both ways, or get creative and try something totally different!  If a meal, the way I create it, just happens to fit into a certain lifestyle, then I will do my best to “tag” the post so it is easy to find.

*except when I don’t

Take-away message:

Food should be chosen and enjoyed for what it IS, not for what it ISN’T.