Psst… want to know a secret? You don’t HAVE to eat vegetables every day. Permission is granted from your local Detroit-based, food freedom dietitian.
Now before you run with that, notice that we didn’t say you don’t ever have to eat vegetables ever again. In striving for balanced nutrition, we do still lovingly encourage eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (like this recipe for the perfect summer salad).
What we’re saying is that you don’t need to beat yourself up if you didn’t have the “recommended four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily” that we heard about when we were kids, either because it’s been A DAY (you know what we mean) or you just weren’t feeling it. LIFE HAPPENS!
My Thoughts as a Food Freedom Dietitian
Recall a moment when you genuinely were craving a salad. Or maybe some gorgeous fresh produce you picked up from the farmer’s market.
Especially in the summertime, sometimes a crunchy cucumber or refreshing watermelon just hits the spot! Fruits and vegetables taste better when you eat them from a place of enjoyment. This means you ACTUALLY want to eat them. No need to force. No need to add pressure.
Once you allow yourself to be intuitively led by what your body needs, you may find yourself eating cereal, bread, pasta, pizza, and sweets one day (yum!) and then genuinely craving something lighter and fresher a few days later. Take a macro lens view instead of hyper-focusing on the dos and don’ts of the day.
PS: Did you know that studies show that intuitive eating is associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption among adults? It’s true!
PSS: Ranch, hummus, dips, etc are absolutely allowed! Vegetables can act as vehicles for yumminess.
Looking for more food freedom content? Make sure to read my blog post about why diets don’t work and what you can do instead!
If you’re looking to schedule a free discovery call to learn more about working with an intuitive eating dietitian and finally finding the food freedom you deserve, click here.
We would be honored to support your journey.
