“It is simpler than people think,” Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., a nutrition scientist at Stanford University and author of the book “Food Sense: What to Eat and Why,” told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n
He believes that the 80\/20 rule is a solid framework for a healthy diet<\/a>. The approach encourages people to make nutritious food choices about 80% of the time while allowing flexibility for indulgences the remaining 20%.<\/p>\n NEW PROTEIN RANKING NAMES UNEXPECTED WINNER OVER BEEF, SALMON AND EGGS<\/a><\/p>\n Gardner also works with the Stanford Prevention Research Center, where a big part of his role is trying to figure out how to get people to follow guidelines that “everybody knows” but doesn’t necessarily follow, such as eating a healthier diet, exercising more and smoking less, he said.<\/p>\n Christopher Gardner, a Ph.D. and nutrition scientist at Stanford University, says that many people know the rules they should be following but still make unhealthy choices. (iStock)<\/p>\n He advises against trying to follow all the latest wellness<\/a> trends because, sometimes, they’re not based on factual information.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n He doesn’t recommend cutting out an entire food group or following a strict diet. Rather, he encourages a gradual approach.<\/p>\n People generally eat too much junk food, a nutrition scientist says, suggesting eating more fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods. (iStock)<\/p>\n An easy way to start improving an unhealthy diet is to incorporate more vegetables, fruits<\/a> and minimally processed foods.<\/p>\n He emphasized the importance of eating legumes<\/a>, adding that he feels they’re an underutilized component of a healthy diet.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n “Asian cultures eat a lot of tempe, tofu, edamame and soy, and Latin American cultures eat a whole bunch of bean and grain dishes, and Indian culture eats a lot of lentil dals,” he said, noting that legumes are usually inexpensive and versatile.<\/p>\n They’re also a great source of protein, Gardner added, as well as fiber, which many people don’t consume enough of, he pointed out.<\/p>\n Context matters when determining the healthier choice, a nutrition scientist says, noting that additives like sugar and dairy play a big role. (iStock)<\/p>\n Americans also eat too much junk food<\/a>, he said, adding that people often know what the healthier option is, but they still choose the “chips and candy and cake and snacks<\/a> and mocha frapp\u00e9 frappuccino instead of black coffee.”<\/p>\n “I don’t think the ultra-processed thing is like, oh, we never understood it before, and now we do. I don’t really think people know that it’s 200 cosmetic additives,” he said.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n Context matters when determining the “healthier” choice, Gardner noted, using the example of coffee<\/a> versus tea.<\/p>\n Coffee and tea<\/a> by themselves are unproblematic, he noted. The issue lies in the sugar, dairy and other ingredients that might be added.<\/p>\n A gradual approach to healthy eating is recommended rather than cutting out an entire food group or following an extreme diet. (iStock)<\/p>\n “I can show you volumes of studies that both are good for you,” Gardner said, noting that both contain antioxidants, but the additives are what determine which is “healthier.”<\/p>\n Ultimately, different things work for different people, Gardner said, and he stays open-minded.<\/p>\n![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/woman-preparing-sweet-potatos.jpg\")
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