Dietitian Kate Moran shares how to make healthy choices feel like second nature.

When it comes to eating healthier, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice taste. Because to make healthier habits stick, it’s essential that you enjoy them! That’s why for the Make It Mindful contest we asked you to create the most delicious pizzetta you could dream up—and then let our Sodexo chefs and dietitians focus on bringing together great taste and good health.

Food should always be an incredible experience. It’s socially and culturally a huge aspect of our lives. Whether at a family dinner, a holiday gathering, a post-soccer-game potluck or a social hour with co-workers, food is a platform for life’s most cherished experiences.

Take a minute to reflect on your personal relationship with food. How do you view food in your life? Do you respect hunger and satiety? Do you eat certain foods to better your health, or is your diet based on taste alone?

Identifying this relationship is a way of self-care, a higher level of love for your body. Food nourishes our souls as a means of enjoyment and our bodies with nutrients to help live a healthy life.

Once you better understand what’s behind your food choices, it’s easier to see if they align with your personal goals and priorities. For example, as a child you may have prioritized your friendships, so eating ice cream after school was important. But as you get older, you’re more likely to make an effort to seek out healthy options. The good news is there are always healthy alternatives—and they can be totally delicious!  

To create a balance between the healthy choices that nourish your body and the joy of feeding your soul, I suggest that 80 percent of the time you prioritize health and 20 percent of the time you prioritize taste. After all, food is meant to be enjoyed!