"More Than Macros: My Evolving Relationship with Food as a Dietitian"

I can’t quite remember why I chose to study Dietetics in the first place. In the beginning, it felt like a decision made by process of elimination from excluding other options which I knew I did not desire, such as medicine, law, accounting. But I grew up in a family setting where good, freshly prepared, nourishing food is deeply valued. It was a priority in our everyday life, and also a central part of social gatherings and celebrations. Perhaps that had something to do with my subconscious desire to explore nutrition more deeply. 

It may also help to share that that I was born and grew up in Greece, where appreciating good food is a core part of our culture, religious celebrations, socialising and hospitality.

When I started university in 2007, I was fascinated by the variety of modules. Beyond clinical nutrition, we studied bio physiology, biochemistry, food chemistry, psychology, statistics, lab work- and so much more. I was particularly intrigued by the role of epigenetics and how the environment influences the way gene expression. And at that point, I did not realise that learning never stops in this profession. As dietitians, we commit to remain informed with health updates and developments for our entire careers.

As expected, and as I observed for many of my classmates, our learning started to shape our eating choices, habits, portion sizes and most importantly, how aware we became of our own eating behaviours. In Greece, for instance, eating feta cheese with most meals is very common. But I started worrying about how the calcium from the cheese might affect iron absorption from my favourite bean stews—rodina or fasolada.

My best friend at uni would make sure he drinks his orange juice very quickly after freshly squeezing it, because we ‘d just learned that vitamin C is highly sensitive to air oxidisation. When we began practicing meal planning, I started measuring my pasta, rice and cereal, to compare how much was I eating compared to the recommended portions. I already had a strong nutrition foundation but this felt like a deeper layer of learning.

These behaviours can look quite innocent to begin with, and in many cases they were. Most of us integrated some of these "nutritional hacks" into our routines while naturally letting go of others. For example, I went back to eating my bean stews with feta cheese, quite simply, it tastes great! But over time, I also found new ways to enjoy beans, like adding spices—paprika, cumin, black pepper, dried chillies—and realised I didn’t always need cheese. Sometimes, I just needed something salty, and seasoning did the trick.

On the other hand, after an 8 month phase of weighing all my carbohydrates during 3rd year of uni, I have long stopped doing this, but it has left me with a great skill of being able to estimate and educate others about portion sizes, which has been a helpful asset for my career. 

This wasn’t the case for everyone. I noticed that another friend of mine would incorporate many new eating rules in her diet based on what we were learning, which was however meaning that her eating was quite restrictive. For someone with an anxious or perfectionist personality, it’s easy to see how this could spiral into rigid eating habits, and cause stress when life doesn’t allow for perfect control.

It's worth noting that the model of teaching dietetics back then was different to what is accessible now. Our primary meal planning model taught was based in counting food group equivalents. Learning how to calculate calorie, protein, carbs, fats and micronutrient requirements is of course crucial for many clinical conditions, as we often need to adapt nutrient intake, for example low protein for renal disease. But we were not really taught how to create meal plans with the focus on balanced eating habits for individuals aiming for disease prevention, or those who didn’t want to track every bite.

Even now, nearly two decades later, I still come across meal plans that break down every meal into exact grams and macronutrient targets. The goal seems to be ensuring that the same balance of protein, fat, carbs, and fibre is met daily. Demonstrating meal choices to a client learning about balanced nutrition is undoubtedly helpful to their understanding of how to create nourishing meals, however this should not translate to encouraging this way of eating as a way of living. It is not sustainable or even desirable for most people long term.

Reflecting on my journey, I’ve come to realise that food is more than just fuel—it’s culture, memory, emotion, and connection. As much as nutrition science is vital, so is our relationship with food. As a dietitian, I’ve learned that balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about flexibility, curiosity, and the joy of eating well. And I think my younger self, measuring pasta cups and measuring all carbohydrate equivalents, would be happy to know that.

Written by Penny Vlachou (09/04/2025)