We all strive for eating healthy and trying to be as nutritionally sound as possible. But sometimes eating chai seed smoothies, flax oatmeal, and kale as every side dish can actually turn out not so great.

Let me explain…

Let’s say a client hands me their food journal and it looks like this:

• 8:00 am: greek yogurt and blueberries
• 11:00 am: handful of almonds
• 12:00 pm: salad with grilled chicken and extra vegetables
• 3:00 pm: an apple with nuts
• 6:00 pm: tilapia with broccoli and cauliflower

This is like the quintessential near-perfect diet diary, amiright?! I mean, submit this in class and you’d get an A++ for healthy eating.

Yes, this is clean, healthy eating at its finest.  And it sure does look amazing when you see it on paper!

But actually…therein lies the problem.

Just because it looks good on paper doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what’s best for you and your health.

So, let’s talk dudes for a second. I know you’ve dated that one amazing guy, who seems to have every quality you could ever want in a man. 

Intelligent? (Graduated #1 in his class from Stanford)

Kick-ass job? (An electrical engineer who makes 100k)

Caring? (Writes his mom beautiful cards every birthday)

Thoughtful? (Brings roses & a stuffed bunny on your first date)

Kind-hearted? (Rescues animals in his spare time)

Ambitious? (Getting his MBA so he can start a business)

Good Lookin? (Umm hello Channing Tatum look-alike)

And yet….Despite all of his amazing characteristics, despite his sweet, endearing nature, and despite the fact that he’s quite the looker, there’s just something that isn’t there.

You try to like him because you’ve ticked off all the boxes on your checklist (c’mon I know you’ve got a checklist!) and he meets all of the requirements.

But something is missing.

He doesn’t make you laugh until you bend over in stitches. His smile doesn’t give you that meltin’ like butta feeling deep in your stomach. That excitement of “I can’t wait to hang out with him again” never even formulates in your brain. And to be honest, he’s kind of…boring.

And after months of “trying” to find that feeling, it dawns on you…

He looks amazing on paper, but he just doesn’t do it for you.

And so it is with super healthy eating.

Yes, breakfasts of yogurts, snacks of almonds, and dinners of grilled chicken are all fine and dandy…but what if it just ain’t doing it for ya?

Is what you’re eating so deliciously satisfying that you just grunt in satisfaction after you’re done? (please say I’m not the only one who grunts… 🙂 )

It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to eat super clean and awesome-ly healthy. But just because it satisfies all the boxes on your nutritional checklist, doesn’t mean it’s going to feel enjoyable and sustainable in the long-run.

You want the way you eat to feel like that guy you finally get excited about. (tweet that!)

Your meals aren’t lackluster. Your dinners aren’t bland. Your breakfasts aren’t monotonous.

I’m not saying you should sit around and eat hostess cakes all day. But you want your food to have some oomph, pizazz (and some jazz hands 🙂 )

You get excited to come home and tear into that delicious crockpot salsa chicken that’s served in tacos loaded with sour cream, onions, and tomatoes. You can’t wait to wake up and dig into that fried egg, tomato, avocado, and cheese on toast for breakfast. You eagerly await your delectable lunch of grilled turkey and cheese panini with pesto sauce. Yum!

It’s not wrong to eat healthy. But don’t let your desire for perfection get in the way of enjoyment and satisfaction in your meals. (tweet that!)

Now it’s your turn! Take a look at your own food and a typical week of eating.  If you look at it, see that it’s mind-numbingly boring, lackluster, and devoid of any zest…it’s time break up with what’s not working and try a new approach.

How can YOU add some thrilling, delightful food choices into your life? Share in the comments below 🙂