It's Time To Ditch These 5 Outdated Nutrition Tips For Something Better

If you’ve ever found yourself ravenous by 3 p.m. after eating the “perfect” high-protein breakfast, you’re not alone.

Every week I hear from women who are doing everything they think they’re supposed to do. They’re skipping breakfast because they heard fasting burns more fat. They’re eating protein bars instead of lunch. They won’t touch bread but happily put protein powder and butter in their coffee. They’re carrying around giant water bottles and wondering why they’re still exhausted.

Here’s the thing: most women don’t need another nutrition rule. They need permission to stop following so many of them.

As a marathoner, cookbook author, and mom of two, I’ve watched wellness culture turn good nutrition advice into rigid food rules. The result? Too many women are underfueled, exhausted, hangry, and wondering why they don’t feel as good as they should.

If you’re out the door at sunrise for a run or trying to get everyone out of the house on time, it’s easy to convince yourself you’ll eat later. Maybe you’ve even heard that exercising on an empty stomach helps your body burn more fat.

Sometimes life happens and breakfast gets skipped. We’ve all been there.

But if skipping breakfast has become your daily routine, don’t be surprised if you’re dragging by midmorning, irritable by lunchtime, or rummaging through the pantry by midafternoon.

Breakfast literally breaks the longest stretch your body goes without food. While you sleep, your body is repairing muscles, restoring energy stores, and preparing you for the day ahead. If you’re active, those energy demands are even greater.

That’s why breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day and why I wrote an entire cookbook, Rise & Run, dedicated to helping people reclaim it.

The goal isn’t to force yourself to eat a huge meal before a morning workout. It’s to give your body enough nourishment (including carbs) to feel energized instead of depleted. 

Protein deserves the attention it’s getting. As women age, getting enough protein helps preserve muscle, supports recovery, and keeps us strong for all the adventures we want to have.

But somewhere along the way, “eat enough protein” became “eat as much protein as possible.”

I’ve watched women stress over hitting protein goals while replacing balanced meals with bars, shakes, and powders. Suddenly, eating becomes a math problem instead of something that should be enjoyed.

Active women need all three macronutrients, not just protein. Carbohydrates fuel your workouts, healthy fats support hormones, and protein helps repair and rebuild muscle. Instead of obsessing over grams, think about building meals you actually look forward to eating: protein, colorful produce, flavorful sauces, and a satisfying carbohydrate like sweet potatoes, rice, oats, quinoa, or pasta.

This advice sounds good in theory. No one feels great after polishing off a pint of ice cream right before bed.

But there’s a big difference between mindless late-night snacking and going to bed genuinely hungry.

If you’ve ever woken up at 3 a.m. feeling restless, anxious, or hungry, your body may simply be asking for more fuel. I’ve learned this lesson firsthand. Every time I increase my mileage during summer training, I need a bedtime snack or I’ll wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

A small evening snack can actually help support overnight recovery and more restful sleep (especially if you eat dinner early). My go-to when I’m training, which I eat every single night before bed is Greek yogurt with blueberries and granola.  

Carbohydrates need a PR agent. Somewhere along the way, one of our body’s most important fuel sources became the villain of the wellness world.

Meanwhile, bacon stole the spotlight and cauliflower somehow became everything from pizza crust to rice.

Food trends come and go, but one thing hasn’t changed: carbohydrates remain your body’s preferred fuel source for your brain, muscles, and higher-intensity exercise.

If you’ve ever struggled through a workout feeling flat or found yourself craving sugar all afternoon, there’s a good chance your body is asking for more carbohydrates.

That doesn’t mean living on bagels and packaged cookies. It means embracing foods like oats, potatoes, beans, fruit, rice, pasta and homemade muffins, waffles, and other freshly baked treats.

Healthy fats deserve a place on your plate too. Avocados, nuts, olive oil, seeds, and full-fat dairy all provide important nutrients and help keep meals satisfying. But they shouldn’t crowd out the carbohydrates your body depends on for lasting energy.

Hydration is another concept that became a competition: The bigger the water bottle, the healthier you must be.

Hydration is important, especially if you’re active. But it isn’t just about how much water you drink. It’s also about replacing the minerals you lose through sweat and eating foods that naturally help your body stay hydrated.

Some of my favorite hydrating foods are also some of the simplest: watermelon, oranges, berries, cucumbers, bananas, potatoes, yogurt, milk, coconut water, soups, and smoothies. They provide water along with naturally occurring electrolytes like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. In fact, the healthiest way to eat is just to cook more of what you love at home.  

Whether you’re training for your first 5K, chasing your kids around the park, or simply trying to make it through a busy workday with more energy, your body deserves enough delicious food to support your goals.