Think about adding in, not taking foods out

This is a non-diet mindset shift that I love both in theory and in practice!

One of my clients was asking me how to eat “healthier.” Healthy is such a nuanced word, so we discussed what that means for this individual person. Then I said: let’s think about where we can add in.

Can we:
- add in a protein at breakfast (Greek yogurt, breakfast sausage, peanut butter)
- add in fruit/vegetable at lunch and dinner
- add in a snack in the afternoon to help with hunger/fullness cues
- add in that dessert you’ve been craving, not needing to earn it but just to enjoy it and not lead to overeating of it

Taking away foods or limiting certain macronutrients or times you’re allowed to eat may lead to feeling restricted. This is not sustainable and you are more likely to “fail” using this approach.

Adding in foods means focusing on food groups/macronutrients you may typically not eat. This also involves tuning into hunger/fullness cues, part of the Intuitive Eating process.

Adding is an empowering mindset rather than the limiting mindset of a diet. It gives you the power to decide what works for you instead of a diet telling you specifically what to remove or limit.

So next time you’re thinking about where to take foods out, instead think about where you can add some in. This is also the perfect thing to work on with a non-diet registered dietitian. Let me know if you’re in here!