When choosing what to eat, it’s important to have context. Just having a list of the healthiest foods doesn’t always mean they are the best choice for you. Applying context to the list allows you to personalize your choice to your goals and needs. 

How to choose what to eat

Without context, we would all be eating the same foods in the same amounts. However, we all know this would be absurd but how do we choose what’s best for us?

First off, you need to know what your goal/s are. Are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, put on muscle, compete in a marathon, etc. Once you have determined your goal/s you can better determine what your needs are.

Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you may have several goals. For instance, you may want to compete in a marathon but also lose weight and put on muscle. Although this is possible, it would require some serious planning and determination.

If you are not working with a dietitian one-on-one, it may be best to focus on your most important goal. For the prior example, you would have to decide which is more important to you right now. Losing weight, beating a specific marathon time, or laying on some muscle. 

Once you have your main goal chosen, you can apply your food choices based on this goal. Although it may seem that someone wanting to lose weight, run a fast time, and gain muscle would be eating similar foods, the reality is much different.

Losing weight - reduced calorie intake, increased protein intake

Running a fast time - Maintained calorie intake, increased carbohydrates

Gaining muscle - Increased calorie intake, increased protein intake

As you can see, it would be difficult to follow the best recommendations for all three goals. Although, as I mentioned before, it can be done with professional guidance and determination if you are truly committed to achieving all three goals.

For the majority of people, it is always best to choose the most important goal and revisit your other goals once you achieve your main one.

The Key Takeaway

Following general healthy food recommendations without context may not be what’s best for you and your goals and needs. Just because it is a healthy food does not mean it is the best choice for you personally. 

By applying context to your food choices, the food that is best for achieving your goal/s and needs may look dramatically different for each person.

It’s crucial to establish your most important goal at this point in your life. This goal will provide the context needed to determine the best food choices to achieve your goal.

Once you have achieved your current goal/s, you can now establish new goals or build on your current goal, establishing new context and new food choices. 

If you want professional guidance in making sure you are eating to achieve your goal/s, schedule a free consultation or email me at adamskowyra@dietitian2go.net to get started!

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD