Posted by Johnna Terris on April 16, 2020

Why is this what some people call the key to success? 

Within this thinking, no foods are off-limits and you can possibly gain optimal mental and nutritional health. Here are some considerations with these ambiguous words.


Balance– Being able to fuel your body with all food groups, whole grains, fruit, veggies, protein, diary, or other calcium sources will help your body function properly. Getting a balance of different foods that you love each day will be great! Balance also refers to energy expenditure compared to energy intake via food. The more energy you expend, the more fuel you will need.


Moderation– Make eating enjoyable! It should be an important criteria that is often overlooked. This means that if you are wanting a big nibble on a chocolate bar or fries with your sandwich, do it! Just keep moderation in mind while you are eating. Eliminating sugary and fatty foods in the diet may reduce cravings and over consumption. Having these yummy foods in moderation are going to be doing more good than harm. Savoring these foods will lead to moderation. Eating in moderation is ridding the “good vs bad foods” idea. 



Variety- A good analogy for variety is, your professor asked your class to write a 5 page paper but you are only allowed to use letters A-M. How successful would your paper be? Think about only allowing your body to get ¾ of the nutrients it needs. Adding variety (all letters) into your diet will allow your body to thrive. Try to get all of the different nutrients from different foods. Trying to get all different colors of foods on your plate would be a great way to do this. 

“Creating balance, variety, and moderation in our diets can help us meet our nutritional needs and achieve energy balance, while preserving the joy and connection that food brings to our lives.” – The Friedman Sprout 

How will you adopt these ideas?