So much misinformation is out there related to food lately. It can be overwhelming.

I’m not going to tell you nutrition is easy, as a registered dietitian I completed a bachelors degree, supervised practice, passed an exam and I have to get continuing education. Newer dietitians have masters degrees! We study our butts off to learn about nutrition so we can translate it to the general public. We provide medical nutrition therapy to help with various disease processes, including diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease to name just a few. Our lives are math, charts with metabolism pathways, and telling people we don’t just take your food preferences!

Nutrition recommendations you see on Tik Tok and Facebook can be good or bad! We need to look at sources and intentions.

Is the post telling you cut specific foods/food groups out? Is it telling you that you need to “hack” your metabolism, is it telling you you need to buy something to get healthy or see results? these can be red flags!

Is the post telling you to try to increase your veggies, try plant based protein (like beans!), increase fiber intakes, include monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Does the post avoid demonizing foods? Green Flag!

So what should you do? First, speak with your doctor. If you have specific medical concerns you may benefit from working with a registered dietitian. Registered dietitian’s are trained to work with a wide variety of disease states, each with their own nutritional recommendations. We can help you sort out what to focus on first, and help you figure out how to reach your goals! Do you need help planning out meals, figuring out how to add more fruits or veggies? do you need to know how to translate recommendations to something specific for you? Dietitians can help!

In general, take nutrition advice with a grain of salt (ha ha). Eat your fruits and veggies, cut back on fatty meats, try to increase your fiber intakes (gradually!), and Enjoy your food!

Food is not just about calories in and calories out. For many of us, food is about family, culture, and history.