At its core, gentle nutrition is about striking a balance between eating for nourishment and eating for pleasure. Think of it as the love child of intuitive eating and sustainable health habits. It ditches the strict food rules and guilt trips associated with traditional diets and instead encourages you to make choices that are kind to your body without sacrificing the joy of eating.

The concept is rooted in the tenth principle of intuitive eating, a framework created by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It’s the cherry on top of a mindset that prioritizes listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, honoring cravings, and rejecting diet culture altogether. Gentle nutrition invites you to ask not what you should eat, but rather what feels good to eat.