Eat This Not That: "Crowding Out" As a Sustainable Diet Strategy for Real Change

I have always been interested in nutrition, but until I became a health coach, I had never even heard of “crowding out.” I didn’t realize that one of the main things I had been incorporating for years was an actual strategy taught by coaches to help clients eat a more nutrient dense diet and, in the process, boost health and wellness.

"Crowding out" means you fill your daily diet with so many healthy options that you are less likely to crave other things. 

A nutrient dense diet (one that contains plenty of whole foods) feeds your body in such a way that you have more choice about treats, and won’t be prone to relying solely on junk foods to fill your cravings. Many women cave in to the fad diets running rampant in our culture. Not all of them are bad, and most of them create a sense of control, which is what many of us are looking for when it comes to our consumption of undesirable foods. 

Policing your food can backfire when you end up starving yourself of any pleasurable foods and, instead, obsess about them until you cave.

I have been on this ride, I know it well. The last diet I tried was Paleo, which did work to help me feel more energy throughout my postpartum months and healed some of my gut issues. Diets can be a great healing tool in that way! However, most of them are not meant to be sustained for very long. I really started craving oatmeal and bread with butter and other treats that weren’t “allowed.” Now, I have a better understanding of my body and can honor the carb-fat-protein ratio that makes me feel energized and well, without the strict rules of following the Paleo diet. 

These days, I use crowding out (and my knowledge that I gained on the Paleo diet) to make sure that my breakfast, lunches, dinners and snacks are choc full of healthy, delicious and nutrient dense foods. This way, I have less of a desire for desserts, wine and packaged foods, but that doesn’t mean they are off-limits! And that is the important part. Just the other day I enjoyed a delicious hamburger out with my family and some friends while we were driving back from a joint vacay. It was simple but swoon-worthy. 

I want my clients to feel a sense of freedom with their food. We already live in a society that tries to box us in, and we don’t need any more walls or ceilings to break through. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to nourish our bodies with healthy choices. CHOICE being the key word there. 

Crowding out works really well as a sustainable strategy that allows you to be in charge of your own diet. When you are using this method, there is no need to feel ashamed when you have a treat. Instead, enjoy the treat and continue with your healthy eating habits (much like they do in Europe, I might add). Giving ourselves this freedom to have whatever we want actually creates a much better relationship with food and our beautiful bodies. 

How would the concept of “crowding out” work for you? Are there any delicious, healthy foods you would love to have on your plate? What foods can you add in to your meals and snacks that can fill you up with nutrient dense foods so you are less likely to crave sugary, salty stuff?

Need some help getting inspired to eat a nutrient dense diet? Subscribe to my newsletter here. Or book a free consultation call with me here.