PODCAST EPISODE 155: Making Nutrition Simple with Mallory Gonzales

What should you eat? Eating is a basic human need—but one that has been twisted to seem overly complicated amidst the flurry of food misconceptions, contradictory information,  unsustainable fitness goals, and fad diets that are churned faster than you can keep up. The realm of nutrition is just so messy! But what if you could ditch the ever-growing list of diet rules but still eat healthily? Mallory Gonzales believes this is possible and her solution is as simple as, well, making nutrition simple. 

Mallory Gonzales is a registered dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition. She is also the head of nutrition at Kencko, which is a plant-based nutrition company that is on a mission is to help people get more organic fruits and vegetables in their everyday routine every single day through shelf-stable smoothies and gumdrops. 

Listen in to learn more about why Mallory suggests that we should peel the layers of nutrition back to the basics. Eating healthy should not be an uphill battle. It should feel like second nature; it should be seamless. To quote William James, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” 

Titbits from Our Conversation 

What is Your Nutrition Philosophy? 

Mallory: First of all, making nutrition simple! Then going through foods that are good for your body—but not overly restrictive. The idea is to make people feel confident that they can really implement the nutrition goals into their routines. 

How Do you “Uncomplicate” Nutrition? 

Mallory: It’s all about going back to the basics. I tell people to take away all the information that they've been told and go back to the basics – i.e., what are the foods that we know are nutritious for us? 

Navigating Calories and Macronutrients 

Kim: Should we be counting calories and macronutrients? Should we just be focusing on eating a certain number of fruits and veggies to improve our nutrition but also keep it simple so it's something we can follow long term? 

Mallory: It’s helpful information (i.e., monitoring and balancing your intake to make sure you're getting adequate amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, etc.) but I wouldn't recommend sticking with a specific calorie amount every single day. This is because our bodies are different every single day; we have different activities; our bodies aren't using the exact same amount of energy every single day. 

Nutrition is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Practice 

Kim: I think the world of nutrition has gotten so difficult to navigate because everybody has a plan, a program, or a diet. So, I really appreciate your approach of simplicity - of taking it back to the basics. 

Mallory: Nutrition should be simple. But like you said, everybody has the perfect plan or the perfect diet—and that might work perfectly for them, but nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. It's very individualized. 

Understanding Food Groups 

Kim: Do you think cutting out food groups is necessary? 

Mallory: I don't think it's necessary. Unless, of course, if you have a specific health condition that would require you to eliminate a food group. 

Mallory’s Take on Intermittent Fasting 

Kim: What are your opinions on intermittent fasting? Or is there a time of day when we should stop eating or start eating? 

Mallory: I ask the same question; “Is this something you see yourself doing every single day?” Research studies are showing certain benefits of intermittent fasting. However, I would tell people who have time constraints on food that their metabolism does not just stop. Your body does not just stop digesting at a certain time of day. 

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