Labeling foods as "good" or "bad" doesn't just create stress for you—it sends the wrong message to your kids and builds unnecessary guilt around eating. Instead of building healthy habits, this mindset can lead to shame, confusion, and a negative relationship with food that’s hard to shake. The truth is: all foods can have a place in a healthy, balanced life. Letting go of the "good vs. bad" mindset is freeing and helps you—and your family—build a healthier, more joyful connection to food.
How many times have you heard someone say, ‘Oh, I can’t eat that—it’s so bad for me’? Or found yourself thinking the same thing?
We live in a world where food gets labeled as either ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ and honestly—don’t you find it exhausting?
As a parent, it’s even more overwhelming because now you’re not just thinking about your own food choices—you’re also trying to navigate what’s best for your kids. The problem with using *good* and *bad* labels is that it leads to unrealistic expectations and unnecessary pressure.
Expectations that there is a “right” way to eat and pressure to get it right all the time.
For me, this used to leave me feeling like I was failing.
But there is a solution: shift your mindset. Don’t think about foods as good or bad—think about them on a continuum and as part of a larger whole.
Let's really dig in.
For years, popular nutrition advice has felt like a pendulum swing. Remember when dietary fat was public enemy #1? The low-fat craze swept America, and suddenly fat disappeared from packaged foods—only to be replaced with carbs. But guess what? Our underlying health issues didn’t go away.
Then the science changed, and carbs became the villain.
Here’s the reality: following diet fads, eliminating entire food groups, or obsessing over macronutrients might sound like a shortcut to health, but it’s sure to leave you disappointed at best—or struggling with guilt, shame, and a negative relationship with food at worst.
And when it comes to kids? Well, they’re fickle creatures. One day, strawberries are their favorite food; the next, they act like strawberries will kill them. (BTW: You can help them practice tasting new foods, which will help with this behavior. Help, but not eliminate!)
Focusing on a single food’s “good” or “bad” qualities—and obsessing over whether they eat it—isn’t helpful. In fact, it doesn’t just stress *us* out; it teaches our kids to feel the same guilt and confusion around food.
We can do better.
Personally, I believe that—save some food additives and highly processed ingredients—foods are not *good* or *bad.*
Every food can have a place in a healthy, balanced diet. And letting go of that ‘good vs. bad’ mindset might just be one of the most freeing things you can do.
Michael Pollan said it best: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
But food isn’t just fuel or a nutrient profile. It’s so much more than that. Food is culture, tradition, and, yes, pleasure.
Think about some of your own favorite foods or your favorite meal. Think back on the experiences eating those foods. What is is that you remember about them? Is it the ingredient list or macronutrient breakdown you remember? Or is it the way those foods and food experiences made you *feel*, and the people that you got to experience the meals with?
My guess is that it’s the latter.
When we focus on the bigger picture of what food brings into our lives, we can let go of the guilt and enjoy eating again.
So rather than thinking about foods as good or bad (which, again, can lead to feelings of guilt and shame), instead the solution is to make a mental shift and to think about food more holistically.
But how? How do I actually put this into practice?
If you’re ready to shift your mindset about food, here are five practical tips that have made a huge difference for me:
Rather than thinking about a single food and whether or not it is “good” or “bad,” look at your meals over the course of a day—or even a week.
Let yourself enjoy a mix of whole, nutrient-dense foods alongside those little indulgences that you *might* have previously labeled as “bad” and felt guilty about enjoying.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for indulgences all day, every day. But I am an advocate for moderation across *all* forms of food.
When you catch yourself thinking, “I shouldn’t eat this—it’s bad. It's bad for me, I really shouldn't do this” stop and ask yourself:
“Do I really believe that? If so, why? Why do I believe that?”
Is it actually bad for me, or is this something that I've been conditioned to believe or have absorbed from our diet culture? Taking a moment to challenge that thought can help you break free from automatic food judgments.
There is a lot out there about mindful eating, and I am certainly not an expert in this space. But I do know that mindful eating doesn’t need to be complicated. For me, it’s as simple as making space to listen to my body:
- When I'm hungry I try to ask myself: "What am I hungry for? What is my body craving?"
- And while eatingI try to take moments to pause and remember to ask, "How am I feeling? Am I feeling full or would I like more?"
You may feel foolish at first, but learning to listen to these messages can help you feel more grounded and connected in the long-run.
And remember: don’t deprive yourself—because restriction just leads to more stress, and usually overeating later.
"Food restriction just leads to more stress."
We've all had moments of having a little too much. An extra slice of this or a serving of that ... leaving the table feeling more full than we would like.
It's okay. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Instead, focus on the joy that food brought you in the moment. Then, take a minute to reflect: *How did I get here?* Was it hunger? Boredom? Stress?
And if you can recognize, oh, that's why I did that. I could have paid attention differently here. I could have made this decision differently. You are beginning the process of recognizing why you made the decisions that you did, and that can lead you to helping identify and make a different choice next time.
I remind myself and my kids all the time, practice make progress. This - becoming a more mindful, purposeful eater and letting go of food guilt and shame - is no different.
"Practice makes progress."
If your relationship with food feels overwhelming or all-consuming, know that you don’t have to figure it out alone.
A registered dietitian, therapist, or even your doctor can help you build a healthier mindset and move toward a more balanced approach to food.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the food itself. It’s about how we treat ourselves and the messages we pass on to our kids.
We can’t expect to be perfect eaters—or perfect parents—and we don’t have to be. What we *can* do is be mindful about how we approach food because it has a profound impact on our mental and emotional wellbeing.
No more ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. Just food.
Because when we take the pressure off, we can focus on what really matters—building connection, creating meaning, and forming healthier habits that last.
Let me know: which of these tips resonated with you? Or do you have your own strategies to share?
Remember: no more good food. No more bad food. Just food. You’ve got this. I’ll see you next time
