A Stanford nutrition scientist says Americans are overcomplicating healthy eating, and that the fix for most people is simpler than the diet industry suggests: aim for progress, not perfection.
Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., a nutrition scientist at Stanford University and author of the book “Food Sense: What to Eat and Why,” told Fox News Digital that people don’t need to chase perfection in their diets.
“It is simpler than people think,” Gardner said.
Gardner points to the 80/20 rule as a workable framework. Under that approach, people make nutritious choices roughly 80% of the time while leaving room for indulgence the other 20%.
Gardner also works with the Stanford Prevention Research Center, where part of his job is figuring out why people don’t follow guidance they already know, such as eating better, exercising more and smoking less, he said. He cautions against chasing every wellness trend, noting many aren’t backed by solid evidence.
Rather than cutting out entire food groups or adopting rigid diets, Gardner recommends gradual change. A simple starting point, he said, is adding more vegetables, fruits and minimally processed foods to the plate.
He singled out legumes as an underused but valuable addition to most diets.
“Asian cultures eat a lot of tempe, tofu, edamame and soy, and Latin American cultures eat a whole bunch of bean and grain dishes, and Indian culture eats a lot of lentil dals,” Gardner said, adding that legumes tend to be inexpensive and versatile. They’re also a strong source of protein and fiber, he noted, both of which many Americans fall short on.
Gardner argued Americans still reach too often for junk food even when they know better, choosing “chips and candy and cake and snacks and mocha frappé frappuccino instead of black coffee.”
“I don’t think the ultra-processed thing is like, oh, we never understood it before, and now we do. I don’t really think people know that it’s 200 cosmetic additives,” he said.
Context matters, too, Gardner said, pointing to the coffee-versus-tea debate as an example. Both drinks are fine on their own, he said — the trouble comes from the sugar, dairy and other add-ins.
“I can show you volumes of studies that both are good for you,” Gardner said, noting both contain antioxidants, and that what’s added is what ultimately determines which is “healthier.”
Gardner said different approaches work for different people, and he tries to stay open-minded about that. Food, he added, is “comfort and food is culture and food is other things” beyond just science.
His bottom line for anyone trying to eat better: don’t let a bad day derail the effort.
“Whatever you screw up today, you get a do-over tomorrow and the day after,” he said, so “give yourself a little grace, a little patience, a little love.”
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