From Feudies to Foodies

by Leslie Bonci, Director, Camp Delicious!

Although nutrition is a hot topic, it as an area fraught with confusion, crowding and confrontation. Food blaming, body shaming, and food phobia have created an environment of feud over food resulting in consumer distrust and mistrust.

As a registered dietitian, I spend a great deal of time translating nutrition recommendations and science into communicable, easily digestible bites. Credibility is key, but empathy, reality and practicality are all important as well.

What are some of the issues?

• There is too much easily accessible nutrition information available 24/7
• Just because we eat, it doesn’t mean that we are all experts in nutrition
• What is trendy in food is not always the most nutritious nor is it always necessary
• Good vs bad food mentality: Some people may have food allergies, intolerance and sensitivities so particular foods may not be good for them, but the only “bad” foods are foods that are spoiled
• Self diagnosed nutrition concerns without medical justification
• Too much emphasis placed on external look vs internal health
• Culinary incompetency: we like to watch cooking shows, but the skills involved making a shopping list, going to the supermarket, and preparing food is becoming a lost art. Knowing how to shop and cook are survival skills
• Sensationalism over science
• Highlighting individual micro, phyto or macro-nutrients rather than entire food emphasis
• Desire for immediate results with minimal effort
• Shift away from shopping and meal preparation in favor of dining out, prepared meals or ready to eat/heat
• Elimination without discrimination: there is NO need to cut foods out of your diet unless there is medical justification. Going dairy-free, gluten-free or fat-free may result in nutritional deficiencies over the long term
• Focus on what to take off the plate rather than what is on the plate
• Not thinking beyond the food to the eating environment and food habits

Let me offer some suggestions to create a better attitude about what we eat, and gratitude for our bodies:

• Foods that provide the good for you: palate, physical benefits
• Affordability and accessibility
• Minimize waste
• Get in the kitchen with food
• Focus on what your body allows you to do
• Don’t be a slave to the scale or a clothing size

Challenge yourself to be kind to your body, be mindful of what you choose to eat and find what gives you happiness, enjoyment and fun!

- Leslie

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Leslie is the Owner of Active Eating Advice: be fit, fed and fearless. She works with individual clients, Carnegie Mellon University athletics, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She strives to help her clients, viewers and readers cultivate a love for food, appreciate what fueling well does for the body, and communicate the message of being a foodie instead of a feudie.