Five everyday food habits a dietitian approves of (and five they don’t)
From protein choices to gluten decisions, which practices do dietitians actually use to support health and longevity, and which do they avoid?
December 15, 2025
Every day brings another diet headline. There’s no shortage of online commentary about which dietary habits promote health and longevity, and not all of it rests on solid evidence.
Dietitians are the qualified professionals who tailor dietary advice to individuals, routinely drawing on the latest research to guide their recommendations.
Based on nutritional science, there are several habits that most dietitians would endorse for optimal health and weight management, along with a number of trends they steer clear of.
Focus on
Higher-protein diets
As we move into our 40s, 50s, and beyond, there’s growing evidence that a higher-protein intake—roughly 25–30 percent of total daily calories—helps blunt the muscle mass decline that often accompanies aging. It also supports maintaining metabolic rate, strength, and mobility. This approach generally means about 1.4–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. It’s important to distinguish this from high-protein plans that push protein to 40–50 percent of calories at the expense of carbohydrates.
Lower-carb diets
Just as protein becomes more important with age, carbohydrates can become less central as activity levels dip and carbohydrate metabolism becomes less efficient. The goal isn’t a blanket low-carb diet; rather, aim for a modest reduction in overall carbohydrates with a focus on high-quality, fiber-rich sources such as legumes, oats, and vegetable-based starches that nourish gut health.
Eating more fruits and vegetables
With fewer than 1 in 10 Australians achieving the recommended seven to ten servings of fresh produce daily, most health professionals would agree that increasing fruit and vegetable intake is beneficial. A practical strategy is to add produce at every meal and snack—for example, toss fresh berries into cereal, or include tomatoes and spinach in your omelet. This simple habit often adds three to four servings of produce without much extra effort. Any vegetable counts—fresh, cooked, juiced, stir-fried, or baked in a sauce—so long as you’re eating more of them.
Including indulgences
Healthy eating should be sustainable, which means you should enjoy what you eat. Foods that are calorie-dense and indulgent—such as chocolate, desserts, cheese, wine, and restaurant meals—can fit into a balanced plan when consumed in moderation. A sustainable approach isn’t about deprivation; it’s about savoring high-quality foods in controlled portions. If a nightly glass of red or a bit of premium chocolate fits your lifestyle, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.
Drinking coffee
Regular coffee consumption—about three to four cups per day—has been linked to various benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease. The key is how you drink it: adding milk and sugar increases total calories and can diminish some benefits. The health advantages primarily come from the coffee itself, not the dairy additions.
Habits to avoid
Calorie counting
Calorie tracking is notoriously imperfect, and daily energy needs vary widely. Calories should be used as a rough guideline rather than an exact prescription. Moreover, counting calories can push people to eat based on numbers rather than true hunger and appetite.
Restrictive diets
Diets that are so restrictive they’re hard to maintain daily, or that foster an unhealthy preoccupation with food, tend to be unsustainable. They often lead to a cycle of “on” and “off” dieting instead of steady progress.
Extreme fasting
There’s some evidence that overnight fasting or occasional low-calorie days can offer metabolic benefits, but there’s no proven advantage to extreme fasting patterns such as one-meal-a-day or multi-day liquid-only plans.
Juice cleanses
Juice-only programs are popular and pricey, but they provide no meaningful nutritional or physiological benefits. In fact, they tend to be high in sugars and can lead to muscle breakdown and a slower metabolism over time.
Avoiding gluten or dairy without a medical reason
For individuals with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or dairy allergies, avoiding these foods is essential. However, eliminating whole groups without a valid reason can harm nutrition, potentially compromising gut health and reducing calcium intake, which can impact long-term bone health.
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