Bigger than Candy Corn
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I live in the desert now and there’s not much to the season, but I still decorate with the accoutrements of the season, sip pumpkin spice lattes and buy LOTS of candy corn. It’s one of those nostalgic foods that bring satisfaction, comfort, and a wave of good memories.
Sadly, when I was studying nutrition and dietetics in college, I began to overthink the foods I ate and the ingredients I used. As a result, I didn’t feel at liberty to eat candy corn or most other candies. Looking back, I realized I was learning a whole lot about diet culture, and less about nutrition science, feeding development, and honoring our uniquely designed bodies. Luckily, before long, I got back to trusting my instincts when it came to food and eating intuitively – candy corn and all!
It’s likely that you’ve had a season like I did where you over-scrutinized what you ate, given the pervasive influence of our diet-obsessed culture. You may still be in a season of suffering when it comes to your relationship with food. If that’s the case, you don’t have to remain stuck.
First, please don’t beat yourself up over it. It makes total sense that you might become fixated on food in our diet- and body-obsessed culture. I just proctored a reading placement test for my third-grader, and there was a passage in the test that demonized food. Diet culture is insidious and shows up everywhere, even in our “safe” places. But know this – there is hope.
Consider that in the beginning, every single thing under the sun was created just for us, God’s most prized creation (Genesis 1). Everything we have now comes from, or was created from, everything we were given then.
Of course, we’ve learned how to manufacture, farm, and dine in new ways, but every food, regardless of its nutritional value, provides something for us. Some foods have fiber in them, like tasty farm-fresh corn, and others, like my candy corn, provide pure enjoyment and a bit of energy.
While no one would claim that all food is nutritionally equal, it should be emotionally neutral. When we remind ourselves that nothing is too big for God, we can sit back and savor what we eat without giving a food power that it never really had.
When I’m noshing on my seasonal, not-too-hard, not-too-soft, just right candy corn, I’m so grateful that God gave me taste buds for pleasure and a wise body that helps me eat intuitively, without dissecting everything I’m having. Even when there are piles and piles of candy, we can handle it. And, our kids, given the opportunity to navigate all types of food, can handle it, too – even at Halloween.
Let this be the season that food becomes neutral for you and your family. Here’s to candy corn, pumpkin spice, and lots of things nice that don’t have to send you, or your family, into a food fear tailspin. When you’re enjoying some of your favorite foods this fall, I sure hope you’ll keep this in mind: because our God is bigger than candy corn.
Want more?
Food Freedom Bible Study is now available for individuals and Registered Dietitians who want to earn CEU’s. It’s a simple, online, gospel-centered program for breaking the bondage of food, exercise and body issues.
Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDRD-S, owns a Las Vegas-based coaching practice, specializing in nutrition counseling for those of all ages with disordered eating concerns, and non-diet performance strategies for professional athletes and performers. In addition to running her practice, Leslie serves as the performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil® and as an expert contributor for US News & World Report health and parenting columns. When she's not hiking or spending time with her family, you can find Leslie sharing non-diet messages through media and on speaking platforms across the nation. Leslie is passionate about educating ministry, military, health, medical, and fitness professionals about the harms of typical dieting behaviors. You may know Leslie best as the creator of the Born To Eat® approach and co-author of the award-winning book, Born To Eat.
