The Junk Food Nutritionist

I don’t believe in making strict New Year’s Resolutions that will likely be abandoned. The main problem I see is that people use the word “never.” It’s unrealistic to resolve to “never eat added sugar,” for example. However, I am all for working on developing healthier habits. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I became a dietitian! Let’s look at 3 resolutions you’re likely to break and 6 better resolutions to consider: Unrealistic: I will never order takeout or delivery. Alternative 1: I will try 1 new recipe a week (or a month, whichever is more realistic for you) . If you are used to eating takeout or delivery, it’s unrealistic to start preparing everything from scratch. Instead, work on introducing home-cooked meals. Alternative 2: I will meal prep 1 day a week (or month). This is a good choice for people who already cook a few days a week but rely on takeout or delivery for busy days. Prepare meals a few days in advance and store in a fridge or freezer until needed....

Someone once asked me, "Is nutrition a soft science, like psychology?"   There may not be a straightforward "yes" or "no" answer. So, I will warn you right now, this might be a long post... Some areas of nutrition overlap with "harder" sciences, like chemistry and biology. We know what a calcium ion looks like (chemistry!). We know that there are different forms of some minerals, like magnesium oxide vs. magnesium glycinate (again, chemistry). We know that sailors who didn't get enough vitamin C developed bleeding gums or scurvy (biology).  But, other topics within nutrition are more "softer." They are more hotly debated and the research is conflicting.    Let's explore this further...