What does Nutritious and Healthy Mean?

What does “nutritious” and “healthy” mean to you, and how has it changed over the years?

When I was in high school, “healthy” meant skinny- at all costs. And “nutritious” meant anything that was low-fat and bland. It meant food restriction and calorie counting and tasteless, boring meals and snacks. But if it led to being “healthy”- ie. skinny- then that was all that mattered.

As an adult they both meant the same- until my first son, at a very young age, verbalized my unspoken definitions and started applying it to the world around him, first on me and then toward himself.

​I haven’t blogged in a while, but my life continues to revolve around food. Now with 2 older kids- 10 and 16- and a business into it’s 6th year, I feel myself pulled closer to nutritious and healthy as a lifestyle description rather than a means to a specific weight or body type. Skinny doesn’t matter. The number on the scale doesn’t matter. What matters is that I feel good about the skin I’m in. I’m confident enough to wear what I want to wear. And I’m capable enough to do what I want to do.

Nutritious and healthy food is food that is colourful. It’s food that I want to eat. It’s a meal that I want to sit down and savour and enjoy every bite, and it’s food that challenges my taste buds and delights my eyes and tickles my nose. Nutritious and healthy food is food that supports my body- in its entirety- it makes me feel energetic and strong. It gives me momentum or brings me quietness. It’s crunchy, smooth, grainy, cold, hot, bright, tempting, spicy, salty, sweet, sour, vibrant, and delicious.

Nutritious and healthy food is food that knows no bounds. It can be prepared or enjoyed in any way I desire. It can be served with whatever side dishes I choose. It can be eaten as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. It works for me and supports me- it doesn’t dictate how I live, what I do, or where I do it. But it gives me freedom for all those things in my life.

This is the definition of food freedom for me. I’m not stuck in an endless loop of angst and worry, of anxiety and stress. I eat what I want to eat because I want to eat it. I eat what I want to eat because I enjoy it. And I eat what I want to eat because it makes me feel good.

I’ll never be “skinny”- I never have been- but my body is just fine in its own curvy way. I love that it sheltered and grew 2 amazing children. I love that it has helped me travel the world and explore my country. I love that I can get up in the morning and enjoy every single thing I eat over the course of the day. I love that I’m aging gracefully and celebrate that I feel really good while I’m doing it.

And most of all I love that food is my whole life. I love that I can help my kids internalize this stronger definition of what “healthy” and “nutritious” mean, and that I can share that lifestyle description with everyone around me- my clients at the non-profit I work with, my business clients, my friends, my family.

And you. Thanks for reading to the end, for sticking around with me over the years. I would love to hear what you think of “nutritious” and “healthy”. Feel free to find me on Facebook- “like” me if you haven’t already- message me in messenger or send me an email or join my mailing list- whatever works for you- I’m here to read your thoughts and reply to them as well.

Enjoy your day, friends! May it be delicious…
Stacy