Have you every stood in front of the fridge wanting to eat but feeling totally paralyzed in your head with all the thoughts that come racing into your head? If you’ve ever felt trapped by food rules – like counting calories, cutting out carbs, or labeling foods as ‘good” or “bad” – you’re not alone. Diet culture has trained us to believe that following strict rules is the only way to be healthy.

Here’s the truth: food rules don’t create health. They create guilt, stress, and obsession.

This guide will help you begin breaking free from those rules and find a way of eating that feels flexible, nourishing and fun.

Understanding Food Rules & Why They Don’t Work

What are Food Rules?

Food rules are rigid beliefs about what, when, and how much you should and should not eat. And, this is different than nutrition science. I fully believe in nutrition science. We know that protein and fat take longer to digest. We know that straight carbs, like skittle or applesauce, can digest and be absorbed within 20 minutes – super helpful lifesaving information for someone with type 1 diabetes to understand! The difference between science and rules is the rigidity, fear and often shame that rules induce. We all say them differently, but they might sound like:

• “I can’t eat after 7pm”
• “Carbs are bad”
• “If I eat that, I need to workout later”

There are some many direct and sneaky ways that these creep into your brain. You have stories that come from growing up (parents, teachers, middles school health class…) and then social media and every influencer out there that wants to promise you the magic bean that fixes whatever you feel vulnerable about. And then, all those stories start to concrete themselves in your brain. Yet, over time, they even start to contradict each other until you have no idea what to eat anymore. UGH!

Hidden cost of rules:

Food rules can hit you physically, mentally and socially. They can cause you to under-eat which can lead to fatigue and large nutrient gaps. Mentally, rules can increase your guilt and shame when you eventually break the rule – this is a huge contributor if you struggle with binging. And then there’s your social life. How many times have your rules led you to skip out on dinners or celebrations OR left you feeling so guilty if you didn’t skip yet broke your rules?

The Foundations of Food Freedom

Neutralizing Foods

Instead of “good” and “bad” or any other categorizing words you might use, shift the thought to: food. Some foods give energy and a variety of nutrients, some food give energy and also bring comfort and connection – both matter, both provide energy, both are food.

Listening to Your Body

• Hunger = your body asking for fuel
• Fullness – your body saying it’s had enough
• Satisfaction = the missing piece most diets ignore

Just like your body gives you cues when you need to pee, your body cues you into when it needs food and when it’s had enough. And you know that feeling when you know you’re physically full yet you feel like you’re missing something? That’s taste satisfaction.

Making peace with all foods.

Permission is powerful. The more you allow all foods, the less control they have over you. It may feel safer to keep food out of the house that you feel you can’t “control” yourself around, and this backfires more often than not.

Gentle Nutrition (without the rules)

Gentle nutrition means making choices that feel good for your body (aka biological needs and taste hunger needs) without rigidity. It’s the opposite of restriction – it’s about caring for yourself.

Using a flexible meal framework:

To break rules, it can be helpful to lean into a temporary framework to increase variety.

Aim for: carbs + protein + fat + color + fun most of the time. [biological need]

As you make the choices, ask yourself “which of these options sounds good right now?” [satisfaction]

Examples:

• Oatmeal with peanut butter, honey and fruit
• Pancakes with butter & syrup and blueberries
• Yogurt parfait with greek yogurt, granola and sliced strawberries

Balanced eating supports stable energy, better focus, and improved mood – and there’s no need for perfection, there’s room for fun.

Everyday Food Freedom

Navigating social situations

• Remind yourself: one meal won’t ruin your health
• Choose connection over restriction
• Eat what looks and also leaves you feeling good

Handling diet talk

• Completely change the subject: “What fun things are you up to lately?”
• Set boundaries: “I’d rather not discuss diets”

Reclaiming your life

When food isn’t controlling your thoughts, you free up time and energy for hobbies, relationships, and joy.

Sustaining Food Freedom

Signs you’re growing:

• Less guilt when eating
• More flexibility in going out, in timing of eating, and in so many more ways
• Feeling at peace with food choices
• Noticing food thoughts and moving past them

When old rules resurface…

Notice how I said “when” and not “if”? Yep, that was on purpose! It’s completely normal for food rules to creep back in. Instead of self judgement or shame, use it as a signal to pause, reflect and reset.

This isn’t about eating perfectly – it’s about eating without fear. When you work to trust your body more, food becomes just one part of a full and fun life. You deserve that freedom.