All foods can fit in a balanced diet – a dietitian explains how flexibility can be healthier than dieting

Social media and advertising is full of messages about what you should or shouldn’t eat. But making health and nutrition so black and white can do more harm than good.

By: Charlotte Carlson, Colorado State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 27, 2026

Words: 1,342

Last Updated: 21 hours, 40 minutes ago

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By Charlotte Carlson, Colorado State University

Eat this, not that. This one food will cure everything. That food is poison. Cut this food out. Try this diet. Don’t eat at these times. Eat this food and you’ll lose weight. With society’s obsession with food, health and weight, statements like these are all over social media, gyms and even health care offices.

But do you need to follow rules like these to be healthy? Most …

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