What are ‘food rules?’

‘Food rules’ are a set of guidelines which we have absorbed from a variety of sources – including diet culture, families and communities, and social media. These rules can dictate the foods we eat, the feelings that emerge when we think about certain foods, and how we end up feeling about ourselves and our body, sometimes for even just thinking about food. Food rules can get in the way of us obtaining essential nutrients and adequately nourishing our body.

These food rules can appear as negative or critical internal self-talk, external voices or the opinions of others - or both. In short, food rules can have a big negative impact on our lives.