Warning: Rant ahead. Anyone who knows me knows how salty my language can get, including my kids, who are old enough to hear bad language from their parents. I may curse in front of my children without a second thought, but there are certain cringe-worthy nutrition terms I will not say. Here’s where I draw the line, and why.
The F-Word
For me “fat” is a word to avoid unless it’s used to describe the nutrient itself or the cells that store energy in the body. Fat should never be used as an adjective to characterize someone’s appearance, including your own. Even if you don’t say “fat,” you may think it. That’s especially true when you complain or joke about your “thunder thighs” or your “muffin top” in front of your kids.
I avoid the F-word because I heard my mother refer to herself as fat one too many times during my childhood. My mom struggled with her weight, and she was on and off diets for as long as I can remember. She got down on herself about putting on pounds, and was equally elated when she shed them on the latest low-calorie fad.
While my mom never commented on my weight, her dissatisfaction with her own rubbed off on me. To make matters worse, I inherited a slower-than-molasses metabolism and my family loved to eat. I dieted plenty before deciding to be done with all that in my early twenties and to focus on eating healthier on a daily basis.
Skinny
This word really gets my goat. It’s often used as a compliment but it can also be used to shame someone who is on the thin side, especially by those who would like to weigh less. Some people are naturally slim because that’s their body type. While many people crave the label, “thin” people may find it insulting.
I can’t even think of an instance where I would say the s-word, yet skinny has such appeal that it’s a part of book titles and names of web sites. It really bothers me that skinny is used as an aspirational term, because going for “skinny” can be detrimental to a healthy body image. In addition, being waif-like in appearance doesn’t mean you’re in good health.
Clean Eating
I ask my children to clean the kitchen, the bathroom, and their bedrooms, but there is no way that I would ever ask them to “eat clean.” I won’t even talk about clean eating unless pressed to describe what it is.
To be fair, the basic principles of clean eating are admirable: consume fewer processed foods and more whole foods and lightly processed ones. But, as with most eating plans, many people have taken the concept of eating “clean” too far.
Cookies are “dirty,” and I like them that way.
I can’t get past the notion that if you’re not eating “clean,” then you’re eating “dirty.” I also get the idea that some die-hard “clean” eaters look down on those who can’t, or don’t want to, eat the same way. Eating clean can be costly, inconvenient, and uninteresting.
I want my children to see food as fuel to keep their body and brain strong and healthy. What words or terms do you avoid saying in front of young children and teens?
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome! 
Nice post! I hate the words “clean eating” too, I see it all over social media.
Thanks!
If I drink enough Skinny Margaritas, will I be skinny? Nice post. I have to admit, Clean Eating doesn’t bother me the way it does some folks, but I appreciate your comment about the implied judgement … if you’re not eating clean then you’re eating dirty? As for my kids, I avoid linking food and exercise to being thin. Rather, I focus on food and physical fitness as a conduit to feeling good, being strong, managing stress and mental health and being able to concentrate in school and work.
We are on the same page. By the way, I like my margaritas full-fat!
I also disagree with Paleo anything. Most aren’t really, in the true sense of the term. It is a lot of marketing… Like GF. If you really are gluten intolerant or have another issue with gluten foods, then fine, but so many people are pushing it as healthy. If I am not bothered by gluten should I feel guilty because food I eat in contains gluten?
There’s no room for guilt, ever, about anything you eat!
So glad I am not the only mom that swears! I really dislike clean eating. It’s just a ridiculous term.
Ha! You and I are far from being the only moms who swear!
Some great points! It’s so easy for these terms to become negative even when used with a positive intent!
Thanks for saying so!
It strikes me that the terms being discussed really aren’t ‘Nutrition’ terms at all, but rather various terms of judgement about our bodies or food choices.
I couldn’t agree more! There’s a huge element of moralizing in so many terms that are associated with eating.
We are totally on the same page about all of this! These terms are often loaded with judgment, used to hype a recipe or new way of eating, and promote guilt and shame. Both of those things give me dyspepsia, so I try to avoid them at all costs 🙂
I totally agree about being judgmental. There is no room for that when it comes to health!
I’ll stick to my dirty eating (good for my microbiome) thank you!
We should all follow your lead. My microbiome is in very good shape thanks to dirt!