What is the middle ground in nutrition and how do we find it?
When scrolling through Instagram it becomes very apparent that a lot of the posts you’re seeing are either on one nutritional spectrum or the other. You see a decadent overflowing milkshake topped with cookies and cake, followed by a green smoothie bowl with every “nutrition boosting” topping under the sun. It seems like the more extravagant the food, the crazier people go over it. I feel like the normal, every day meals that most of us are eating often get overshadowed and forgotten in the world of social media. And since social media plays such a huge part in our lives, I think we often times forget about the regular meals we are having most of the time, too.
It’s super easy to get caught up in the fact that our meals aren’t looking beautifully Instagram-able on a daily basis. We all have that little part of us trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” because we are human! In this world of elaborate desserts and pricey whole food smoothies, how do we find that middle ground in nutrition? How do we realize that we are doing just fine and are perfectly normal for where we are at right now? That our bowls don’t need to look like the cover of a magazine every time we eat. That if we get out of our own head we can realize we don’t have to be one extreme or the other. We can live in this middle ground of nutrition and eating. And with that, have a much more pleasurable experience around food.
It’s super easy to get caught up in the fact that our meals aren’t looking beautifully Instagram-able on a daily basis. We all have that little part of us trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” because we are human! In this world of elaborate desserts and pricey whole food smoothies, how do we find that middle ground in nutrition? How do we realize that we are doing just fine and are perfectly normal for where we are at right now? That our bowls don’t need to look like the cover of a magazine every time we eat. That if we get out of our own head we can realize we don’t have to be one extreme or the other. We can live in this middle ground of nutrition and eating. And with that, have a much more pleasurable experience around food.
So how do we get to that place? What does this middle ground of nutrition look like?
It’s going to look different for everyone, but the common theme is that you can bounce back and forth between the two ends of the spectrum when the opportunity arises and live in the middle on most days, and that’s okay. What I mean by this is when that hip, new acai bowl shop opens up in town try it out if you feel like it! Or, when you’re visiting a new city and they have a famous extravagant dessert place, go for it! Realize that you don’t have to live one extreme or the other to feel validated; you can live in that middle ground of normalcy and messiness and be okay. From the outside the middle ground may seem boring and unimportant, but I’m telling you, it’s not.
It’s the meals that make you feel good, taste good, and satisfy you on a daily basis. That’s the middle ground
That’s super important! When we take the pressure off of being Instagram-worthy and focus on our inner self and how the food we’re eating makes us feel; that’s when we starting hitting the sweet spot of middle ground. Not every meal is going to be (or should be) glamorous. Not every meal is going to be perfect. By taking away that pressure for it to be, you take a lot of stress off yourself and that’s when you start to really find what works for you and your body.
It’s the messy bowls and quick weeknight dinners. It’s the dinner table where you’re sharing how your day was. It’s grabbing coffee with friends on a Saturday afternoon. It’s your every day self and all the stuff that comes with that.
It’s the messy bowls and quick weeknight dinners. It’s the dinner table where you’re sharing how your day was. It’s grabbing coffee with friends on a Saturday afternoon. It’s your every day self and all the stuff that comes with that.
That’s the middle ground.
I really focus on sharing easy, approachable recipes that fit into every day life because I think finding that middle ground is so necessary. I try to make sure the pictures I’m sharing on Instagram are a good mix of middle ground with the occasional extravagance. I encourage you to find those people on social media whose middle ground looks similar to yours. Unfollow the accounts with unrealistic foods. Be proud of your middle ground and what it looks like for you!