What is Gentle Nutrition?

by Kelsey Chadwick, MS RDN

Friday February 9th, 2024

---

Ahhhh… gentle nutrition. I get a lot of questions about this topic. Despite what many think, a big part of intuitive eating is talking about nutrition. Intuitive eating is not eating without regard to health. Rather, it’s a science-based, self-care eating framework that takes into account both your physical body and mind. Intuitive eating is a process of creating a positive relationship with food so that your eating can better support all aspects of your health (physical, mental, social, emotional, etc).

Gentle nutrition is the tenth (and last) principle of intuitive eating—and for good reason. Some of the preceding principles (like connecting to hunger/fullness cues and granting yourself permission to eat all foods) really need to be practiced for a while before we turn our attention to gentle nutrition. Without this strong foundation in the other nine principles of intuitive eating, the ideas of gentle nutrition can ultimately start to feel like another set of food rules to follow.

Practicing gentle nutrition is all about making food choices that honor your taste and preferences while also integrating knowledge about the role of eating in short-term and long-term health. It’s not about being “perfect” in each eating instance, but rather thinking broadly about your overall routines and eating patterns. The hope is that stress and guilt are not motivating any aspect of your food decisions. As mentioned in the Intuitive Eating book, “you will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or become unhealthy, from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating.” Incorporating gentle nutrition is something that is done overtime and consistently in your eating pattern. This may look different for everyone. Here are some examples of what gentle nutrition can look like: 

• Having a snack before and after your workouts

• Carrying your water bottle with you so you can stay adequately hydrated

• Adding a little bit of structure to your eating pattern to make sure you are adequately nourished throughout the day

• Adding some fiber such as nuts or a piece of fruit to your afternoon snack to help keep you full longer

• Adding fruit as a side in addition to potato chips with your sandwich

• Trying out a new food

Gentle nutrition can look like reviewing labs with your provider and treating deficiencies through foods and/or supplements. Gentle nutrition takes into account medical conditions and dietary needs, in addition to taste and food preferences. Gentle nutrition does not align with diet culture.

When I talk about gentle nutrition in sessions I think it’s important to focus on what can be added. This could be something like a fruit or veggie to a meal or snack or even mixing quinoa with white rice for some extra fiber and protein. And, as always, your personal likes and dislikes must be centered in this process.

If you think you’re ready to approach gentle nutrition, first ask yourself if there is any stress or anxiety around food? Do you also have certain food rules or diet plans that you follow? Reflect on how you might describe your relationship with food now and how it has positively progressed since you started working towards becoming an intuitive eater. If you no longer have food rules and feel you are at a positive place with your relationship with food, you may be ready to approach gentle nutrition. I encourage you to take your time on this intuitive eating journey.