What if everything you believe about nutrition is actually making eating harder than it needs to be? In this refreshingly honest conversation with dietitian Jesse (The Redhead RD), we explore how overcomplicating food choices leads to anxiety, restriction, and broken relationships with eating.

Jesse breaks down why her counseling approach rarely involves complex nutrition science and instead focuses on helping people overcome their fear of food. She explains how many clients come to her not with questions about nutrients or "chemicals," but with deep psychological barriers around permission to eat. Through practical examples and personal stories, we unpack how diet culture has created impossible standards that leave people feeling perpetually inadequate.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when discussing children's relationships with food. Jesse challenges common parenting approaches like labeling certain items as "sometimes foods" or restricting treats, revealing how these well-intentioned strategies often backfire. "Kids are smart—adults make them dumb," she explains, advocating instead for balanced options without judgment or shame. Her approach focuses on teaching children to trust their bodies rather than external rules.

We also tackle the world of nutrition influencers, examining how social media rewards oversimplification and absolutism while punishing the nuanced "it depends" answers that actual experts provide. From mushroom supplements to seed oil panic, we dissect why simple, often fear-based messages spread faster than balanced nutrition advice.

Whether you're struggling with your own food choices or raising children in a world of conflicting nutrition information, this episode offers a refreshing permission slip to make eating simpler. Sometimes, as Jesse reminds us, "good enough" is genuinely good enough.

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