How to Choose What to Eat
Yes you read that correctly. I’m going to talk about how to choose what to eat. How can you make your food choices satisfying and health promoting? Maybe you’ve experienced a hunger pain, gone to the kitchen, opened the fridge and been at a total loss. So you grab something that should do the trick only to find yourself hungry again in 10 minutes. Odds are you’re either not allowing yourself to have what you’re truly hungry for or you aren’t pairing foods together to be satiating (satisfying). My clients may say, “I want to eat intuitively but I also need some instruction..like what do I actually eat to eat intuitively?!” Good question. Let me give you some tips.
First of all, you want to eat before you get ravenously hungry. When you start to feel pangs of hunger, acknowledge them and don’t wait too long to address them. Don’t try to “override” your hunger. Be thinking about what you want to eat. There are a few questions to ask yourself.
Question 1:
What are you in the mood for?
Consider what sounds good right now. Does any food in particular sound delicious? Yes? Cool! Have that food! (*and see below “things to consider”)
Question 2:
If you’re not craving anything in particular- ask yourself these questions:
Flavor: Do you want sweet, savory, spicy or sour?
Texture: Do you want smooth, crunchy, creamy, chewy, soft, etc?
Temperature: Do you want hot or cold?
Based off of the options you have at hand, what fits the bill for the flavor, texture, and temperature you desire? Choose that food.
Question 3:
If you are at a total loss, go to this:
Have you been lacking anything in the diet today?
Identifying a food group that you may be lacking in your diet today can help you fill in the gaps and create a balanced snack. So if nothing sounds truly great but you’re hungry and you notice you’re lacking veggies in your diet today, great. Add some veggies to your snack! & see “things to consider” below.)
Things to consider
Creating a balanced snack or meal
This is important for satisfaction, slowed digestion (in a good way), blood sugar stabilization, and ensuring all of your nutrition needs are met throughout the day. It’s great to shoot for 2-3 food groups at a snack and 4-5 food groups at a meal (Fruits, Veggies, Grains, Dairy, Protein (+Fat)). Going to questions 1&3: if you’re craving a brownie for a snack you can definitely have that brownie but I would also recommend pairing it with some protein (like nuts) to create balance.
Health conditions
Considering gentle nutrition and eating to support a health condition is an important factor in choosing your foods. Consult with a dietitian if you would like to learn to eat well to manage your medical or health condition.
Having a dietitian-prescribed meal plan
If you have been given a RD-prescribed meal plan to manage a medical condition or for eating disorder recovery - refer to your meal plan when choosing meals and snacks. You can still use the questions to honor your hunger & find enjoyment in your foods, but you want to aim to meet your body’s needs as outlined in your unique meal plan. You can get in idea of what your unique needs are by working with me 1:1 - apply here today!
Menu plan as a back up
Menu planning (planning meals and snacks) is a great tool. Thinking of ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks will let you know what you should shop for and how much to buy. Even if you do menu plan, you can be flexible with when you have foods. So, if you plan to have pasta on Tuesday but now it’s Tuesday and you’re craving the tacos you had planned for Thursday, you can do a swap. This is especially helpful for people just starting with intuitive eating. If you want to go to the fridge and pick out something that’s not premeditated and practice going off of your cravings, your menu plan can serve as a back up in case you get overwhelmed. Don’t know how to menu plan? No problem, you can certainly learn HERE!