What makes a good food choice?

Rather than thinking about food as “good” or “bad” based on the messages from our screwed up diet culture, try considering these factors next time you’re thinking about whether or not the food is a good choice.

So what makes a good food choice?

• Being hungry for that food
• Food that’s the only available choice when you’re hungry
• Taking pleasure from the food
• Feeling satisfied mentally and physically afterward
• Any food that allows you connect socially and enjoy the company of others
• Any food that provides nourishment, be that physical or mental

Not every food choice needs to be nutrient rich to be a good one, provided you get adequate nutrition via a variety of food over time, enjoying food purely for the taste is healthy too.

What might make a not so good food choice?

• Food you don’t enjoy the taste of
• Food that doesn’t feel good in your body
• Food that leaves you feeling unsatisfied and that results in you craving something else even though you’re no longer hungry