Evenings at my house are chaotic. My partner and I have two-year-old twins, and that gap between preschool pickup and bedtime can be the toughest part of the day.
We both have busy jobs and are always doing too many things at once cooking, trying to remember if anyone fed the dog, and diplomat-level toddler negotiations, to name a few.
Amidst all that, were supposed to be eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, and practicing self-care. Who has time for all that?
These days, my biggest healthy eating challenge is finding the time and energy to plan balanced meals for myself and our family. Increasingly, we can do it together in a way that we couldnt when the twins were babies (Im not even sure what we ate for the first 2 years of their lives, to be honest). They like to go grocery shopping and eat the foods they see us eating. Im excited to keep moving in this direction together.
But that doesnt mean its easy. Toddler food whims change daily, and sometimes they just dont want to eat anything. Evenings for me usually end up the same way with two kids on the counter or one in my arms, spending time together and helping me cook dinner.
This is our healthy eating reality. Whats yours?
I am not a poster child for healthy eating. I will say Ive trended better in that direction as an adult, but I used to follow what I now understand was a poorly planned vegetarian diet.
I was a vegetarian from childhood through my mid-twenties, mostly existing on fruit, yogurt, cheese, bread, and pasta. My partner still likes to tease me about being a milk-tarian.
What I didnt understand then is that any diet, especially one that removes certain foods, requires planning and balance. I started planning more balanced meals that included a variety of food groups when I moved to Iceland in 2015. I also started eating fish, which is fresh and plentiful here. For me, this was a life-changing decision, and Ive enjoyed exploring the culinary opportunities a more flexible diet has provided.
These are my preferences, and a mostly pescatarian diet is what works for me.
However, that doesnt make it the right diet or eating pattern for you. Healthy eating is a journey one that changes over time and you have the power to determine which foods and eating pattern make you feel your best.
We know healthy eating can be challenging. It can be tough to know where to get started and confusing to wade through nutrition misinformation. Plus, healthy foods can be expensive or hard to find.
Nevertheless, healthy eating is an important wellness goal for many people.
In a study conducted by Healthline Media, 72% of respondents said that eating healthy and nutritious foods was their most important health or wellness goal.
In another study we conducted, 66% of participants said they were interested in nutrition content. However, only 32% said they eat very or extremely healthfully. The other 68% reported eating meals and snacks that were either not at all, a little, or somewhat healthy. This really stood out to us, as it means the majority of these people wanted to eat well, yet less than one-third did so.
So, whats standing in the way?
Change is hard, and life is busy. People want more than information and need actionable steps to get started, as well as support along their journey. Recommendations need to be accessible and affordable. Community and connection also matter.
Furthermore, inequities in our food system and food biases contribute to issues of access and, ultimately, to widening existing health disparities. Theres also a clear need for cultural competence in nutrition and dietetics too often, what is healthy is seen through a homogenous, Western lens that often ignores and others foods and traditions with deep cultural roots. In this field, we have a responsibility to challenge and broaden our definition of healthy eating and provide more appropriate and relevant recommendations to better help people meet their health and wellness goals.
We aim to help bridge the gap between intentions and actions by providing realistic nutrition information paired with actionable takeaways you can implement in your life today.
Welcome to Healthline Nutrition, the newest brand from Healthline.
Our approach is all about healthy eating in the context of your real life. We know that for healthy eating to be doable and sustainable, it has to be realistic. You are at the center of your healthy eating journey, and we are here to support you in finding a long-term, healthy eating pattern that works for your needs, preferences, and culture.
To us, healthy eating is not about every dietary decision you make, but rather the overall trends of your choices what your habits are like most of the time. Additionally, you wont find us recommending quick-fix solutions or promoting fad diets.
All of our nutrition information is based on studies, which youll find cited in numbered, clickable references in our content. Our articles are written and medically reviewed by registered dietitians who are experts in their fields but real people, too. They have their own healthy eating journeys, and theyre happy to share those perspectives with you.
Our aim is to meet you where you are in your healthy eating journey, whether you want to learn about supplements, dive into meal prep, focus on weight management, discover diets, shop, or learn about eating for specific health conditions. We want to help you implement doable, lasting change that you can put into action today with our just one thing takeaways.
We know healthy eating is hard, and youre not alone in this. Were in it together.
Before meals in Iceland, we say gjru svo vel. It means here you go, and invites everyone to dive in and begin eating. With that, I welcome you to Healthline Nutrition.
Ive been working with our nutrition content for 6 years, and am very proud of who weve been and where were going. It has been incredible to watch this cohort become the top nutrition source of information on the internet, evolve, and reach many millions of people every month.
Im beyond excited about our new direction, and I hope you are, too.
I also want to acknowledge our team and all the people who work on nutrition content at Healthline, both past and present. We wouldnt be where or who we are without you.
Thank you, all, and cheers to our next chapter!
Aubrey WoodEditorial Director, Nutrition and Fitness
See the original post:
Welcome to Healthline Nutrition: A Letter from the Editor - Healthline
