Food Neutrality

What is Food Neutrality?

Have you ever noticed how we talk about food?  Words such as “good”, “bad”, “healthy”, and “unhealthy” are used to describe different types of foods, and feelings of guilt, shame, and regret can come from eating foods that we perceive as “wrong”. 

The way we describe food, can become the way we describe ourselves for eating that food.

Food neutrality is an approach to remove MORAL judgement from how we talk and think about food. This approach allows people to make food choices based on their own needs, including their mental and physical health, and their emotional and social wellbeing. Where diet culture has us believing that the way we eat says something about our character, which is entirely untrue.

Food neutrality rejects the rules that diet culture imposes on us and allows us to eat intuitively. Ultimately, it’s about having a positive relationship with food – understanding that why we eat is as important as what we eat, and how those choices make us feel.

Does it really help? What’s the science?

YES! Research has found that that using a food neutral approach leads to better physical and emotional health. Shifting our thoughts to a neutral viewpoint led to significant health improvements, particularly in the areas of eating habits, lifestyle, body image, self-esteem, and overall quality of life.

Does this approach also work with children? YES! Research shows that children are less likely to try foods that are labeled as “healthy” and may assume these foods are less tasty. Removing the judgement helps children and youth feel safe eating a variety of foods.

So, what you eat doesn’t matter?

You might think that removing labels will promote eating habits that could affect health in the long run. Fortunately, the research backs up that food neutrality leads to healthier outcomes – the more intuitively a person eats, the more vegetables and fruit they consume.   

Food, and its nutrients, are necessary for life. All food provides some form of nourishment – anything we consume will have at least one of the major nutrients we need: protein, carbohydrates and/or fats. Yes, some foods have more nutrients than others, but no matter what we eat, we are getting something that our bodies need to function. No single way of eating will work for everyone. 

The food neutral approach wants you to think about:

• Do I like the taste/texture/smell of this food?
• How do I feel after eating this food?
• Does this food support my overall well-being?

Then using this information, you can make decisions on the foods you want to eat, without diet culture’s influence.

Remember that there are many factors outside of a person’s control that determines their “health”. Making judgements around how someone chooses to eat takes away from the whole person they are.

Steps towards food neutrality:

Changing how you think and feel about food is not something that will happen overnight. It can be hard to do, and it takes practice. But it will get easier as your mind moves away from diet culture and food rules to a more personal and intuitive way of eating.

Here are some steps you can take to start your food neutral journey:

Identify your food rules:

• Are there foods you avoid because you think they are bad for you?
• Do you feel guilty for eating certain foods?
• Do you have a “clean your plate” mentality?
• Do you avoid foods because you worry, they will make you gain weight?

Challenge your thoughts:

• Once you identify your food rules, start challenging where they came from, and what they mean to you.
• Explore what you think will happen if you let go of these food rules: Are you worried that you won’t stop eating those “bad” foods? Are you concerned you will put on weight?
  • These points need further unpacking – a Registered Dietitian can help you with that. 

Get honest with how you view food in terms of changing your weight, shape, or size.

• No single food is going to make or break your health.
• Even if you ate the same food and moved the same way as someone else, you will not look the same. 
• Having a positive relationship with food will allow you to fuel your body in the way it needs it.

Change your language:

• Call foods by their name – fish, chips, apples, ice cream, etc. 
• Describe food using objective words like their colour, texture, and flavour.
• Find joy in cooking and connecting with cultural foods. 

Talking to children and youth about food:

Whether you mean to or not, your actions, attitudes, words, and behaviors influence children’s food choices, food behaviours and body image. Consider the following when talking to children about food, or when talking about food around children:

1. Offer a variety of foods regularly and consistently
2. Avoid terms that put foods into defined categories – this includes categories like “sometimes foods”, “green light”, etc.
3. Do not force children to eat any food, not even “just one bite” 
4. Do not use food as a bribe or a reward 

It can be hard to believe that children can self-moderate their food choices. We need to remember that children are naturally in-tune with their bodies’ wants and needs. They will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. Adults need to help them stay in touch with these natural internal cues. 

One way to put this into practice is to use the “division of responsibility in feeding” created by Ellyn Satter (a dietitian, family therapist, and internationally recognized authority on eating and feeding):

It is important to note that you as the parent do not have to say “yes” to all foods. There may be foods your family doesn’t buy for a variety of reasons. What’s important is to not label these foods as “bad” or “unhealthy”, rather, use statements like “that’s not on the list today” or “different families buy different foods, we buy this”. This helps children to understand your choice, without judgment. Too often children tell their friends the food they are eating is bad, and that is not helpful to anyone.

References

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9. Ellyn Satter Institute https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/