"I'm a 33 year old that prioritizes protein"
Let me teach you how to eat
The internet girlies are building empires on snappy nutrition proclamations—so here’s mine, but you’ll have to wait until the end to get them.
The YouTube algorithm has learned that I care about nutrition. This makes sense because I am, indeed, a dietitian. I do indeed care about nutrition. Call it mad curiosity, call it research to understand what my client’s see out there, call it boredom: 10 seconds pass and I view the video. What nutrition content is on YouTube shorts1? What I Eat in a Day videos.
I am taking on virtual nutrition counseling clients! If you or someone you know is struggling with their relationship with food, consider booking a free Discovery call to see what it is like working with an IFS-informed dietitian.
But I swear, all these small young women start every video with their nutrition identity. (cue elevator music as I briefly scroll Shorts to literally transcribe these intros):
“What I eat in a day, as someone who doesn’t restrict but still likes to be conscious about what I’m eating”
*intro talking about weight loss* “Here’s what I eat in a day to reach my goals while nourishing my body”
“What I eat as a gal who eats low carb but also aims for satisfaction”
My most detested: “I’m someone who priorities protein, here’s what I eat in a day”
This last one is so abundant. So many people say this! Why does it irk me so much? It already feels antiquated—overdone, exhausted, stale. Why does it even matter to ‘be a person’ who ‘prioritizes protein’ in the first place? I mean, for these women on the internet, it matters because it’s narrow, hyper-marketable, and a symptom of the personal-branding era. It’s so sellable, aspirational, or even inspiring. Darkly: it’s so consumable, so ripe to swell viewer’s insecurity and envy.
In the context of behavior change, the identities we adopt do indeed shape our reality…how we eat, move and experience our sense of self. Some research shows that embodying a health-focused identity can help make behaviors more sustainable. But, protein, metaphorically the Lego bricks of the body, shouldn’t be exploited for a personal brand. It doesn’t need to be the foundation of a personality.
We exist in a social media environment that incentivizes forming an identity around your eating pattern (and body) to build a brand, sell people another veggie chopper from Amazon they don’t need, and gain followers. Or sell an ebook! Fun.
I am picking on protein here as I must have missed the moment when tofu cubes became a personality traits. We are so much more than our diced amino acids!
But, to be fair and ~balanced~: there are certainly reasons that someone may want to eat more protein. I don’t hate protein! Actually, I love it! Protein helps us to feel full. It helps stabilize our blood sugar and energy. It becomes increasingly important to have adequate dietary protein to help combat age related muscle loss. Physical activity increases the need for protein. Protein foods are important sources of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that help us thrive. Protein is wonderful.2
But, selling people a promise they will look like you, have your beautiful kitchen, have access to healthy, prepared foods if they eat like you…just sucks. Shaping your identity around what you eat might predispose you to developing an eating disorder, or drastically complicate your relationship with food.
I think about this a lot because it is literally my job to teach people how to eat and it feels preposterous to imagine spending a session teaching my client how to eat like me.
I think the way that I eat is great. I enjoy the food I eat, I ensure I am getting adequate and varied nutrients throughout the week. I enjoy fun foods without guilt or shame and I implement tons of nutrition skills every week to help me feel my best.
And not once, ever, did I aim to teach a client to eat like me. Because eating like me is not what you need to do:
You need to figure out how to eat in the way that is best for you.
A young woman-in-tech with a side hustle from Chicago isn’t going to help you figure that out.
In our current iteration of the internet, we have thousands (millions?) of people telling us how they eat, implying we need to eat how they eat. When you get a million people’s eating patterns in front of your eyeballs for approximately 15-55 seconds, it makes loads of sense why:
Everyone is so GD confused by how they need to eat!
I’m not going to tell you to eat like me; I am going to share nutrition principles you can try on and try out in your own life.
“I’m a dietitian and what I’m going to tell you is boring and not aesthetic but you may poop more regularly, feel more satisfied, maybe have a little more energy, and perhaps ENJOY your food more”
Here’s how to support your body:
Drink water: Your pee should be light lemonade, not dark, not crystal clear. Hydration = happier poops.3
Eat regularly: most bodies thrive eating every 3ish- 4ish hours. You need to feed your metabolism to have an optimal one.
Eat enough. Comfortable fullness is your new target. If fullness hurts, or you don’t feel it at all - revisit your portions at your next meal.
Eat a variety of plant foods. Plants will also help you poop, combat the development of chronic disease, and feel satisfied.
Notice your satisfaction: Satisfaction is an emotional state as well as physical state. Begin to take note of what foods give you that grounded “YESSS” feeling.
Eat multiple food groups (including…protein!!! yay!!) at most meals, aim for at least two at snacks:
Protein + Starch + fiber source (fruit, veggie) + Fat is an award winning combo. The Oscar goes to: dinner
Give yourself full permission to eat. Mental restriction leads to overeating
Moderation is a myth. I could go on but for today I will not. Just know that minds will justify just about any portion size you choose. Instead, focus on eating with presence and without distractions, especially if you struggle to stop an eating occasion when eating a particular food.
There you have it. Pick one that feels interesting and come back to this post when that behavior feels well-grooved in the habits of your life!
What you eat can be the most boring thing about you: perhaps let it.
I am a dinosaur. I am not on TikTok. I am not relevant. I get it.
A blaring truth: In westernized countries, it is astonishingly rare for someone to develop protein deficiency (clinically called kwashiorkor), and if they do, it is usually due to total energy deficiency leading to protein deficiency.
I understand if you don’t like water, I am a bona fide water snob and I can taste the differences between water types which impact my preferences. Give yourself a hug and then go to the water aisle: Try spring water, distilled water, purified water, bottled water, canned water, SMART water, Hint water. They all will taste different but it is a worthwhile investment of your time to figure out what water you can regularly drink despite not loving it. If tap water tastes gross, you won’t drink it. Buy a filter or a water type (see above) that you can tolerate and maybe eventually…enjoy!