Table of Contents

1. Introduction: What Nutrition Basics Actually Are
2. Why the Basics Still Matter More Than Trends
3. Macronutrients Explained: Protein, Carbs & Fats
4. Micronutrients & Why You Might Still Be Deficient
5. Gut Health: Your Body’s Hidden Superpower
6. How to Build a Balanced Plate
7. Habits That Make Healthy Eating Stick
8. When to Work With a Nutritionist (And How It Actually Helps)
9. FAQs

What Nutrition Basics Actually Are

If you’ve ever Googled ‘what should I eat,’ you’ve probably been told ten different things by ten different people. Keto. Plant-based. Low FODMAP. Paleo-ish-but-only-on-Tuesdays.

Most of my clients come to me feeling overwhelmed, not uneducated. They already know vegetables are good and soft drinks aren’t. What they’re missing is clarity – how all those nutrition rules fit into their lives, with their time, budgets, and energy levels.

That’s why this page exists: to strip nutrition back to what actually matters – real food, balance, and a few core principles that never stop working. Think of this as your Nutrition 101 class.

If you’re ready to make eating well feel simple again, you’re in the right place.

Why the Basics Still Matter More Than Trends

Every year a new revolutionary way of eating shows up. And every year, most people end up right back where they started. Because the fundamentals, not the fads, are what drive lasting results.

No matter your age, goal, or dietary style, health still rests on these foundations:

• Eating mostly whole foods instead of packaged ones.
• Prioritising protein, fibre and healthy fats at each meal.
• Not eating too much or too little.
• Drinking enough water.
• Sleeping well and managing stress.

That’s it. Everything else is personal preference and fine-tuning.

If you want to see how these foundations look in action, check out My Diet Isn’t Perfect – a behind-the-scenes look at how I make the basics work in real life (imperfections and all).

💬 If you’d rather skip the trial-and-error phase, book a 1:1 Nutrition Appointment where we tailor the basics to your body and lifestyle.

Macronutrients Explained: Protein, Carbs & Fats

Let’s make this easy.

• Protein = structure. It keeps you full, builds muscle, and helps regulate hormones. You’ll find it in eggs, fish, lean meat, yoghurt, tofu, legumes and nuts.
  → Read more: PCOS Nutrition: The Vital Role of Protein
• Carbohydrates = fuel. Your body’s and brain’s preferred energy source. Go for wholegrains, fruit, and vegetables instead of refined versions.
• Fats = support. They carry vitamins A, D, E and K and regulate hormones. Avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds are your friends.

Balance matters more than perfection. You don’t need a macro tracker – you need meals that keep you satisfied, focused, and not raiding the pantry at 9pm.

If you’re curious how much protein you’re actually getting, see my rundown of My Favourite Protein Powders.

💡 Want to shortcut meal planning? My Meal Plan Bundle gives you four seasonal 7-day plans — nutritionally balanced and approved for real life.

Micronutrients & Why You Might Still Be Deficient

You can eat healthy and still have low iron, vitamin D, or B12. The reason? Soil depletion, stress, gut issues, and busy lives that make it hard to hit optimal levels or get the right diversity.

Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that make your metabolism run smoothly – the quiet backstage crew of your health. When they’re off, everything from mood to hormones to digestion can get messy.

I often order blood tests and functional testing for clients to spot what’s missing. You’d be surprised how much insight you can get from those numbers.

👉 Can a Nutritionist Order Blood Tests? explains what we can check, why it’s worth it, and how it helps tailor your plan.

And yes – those results aren’t just nice to know. They’re the key to creating nutrition strategies that actually work.

💬 If you’re tired of guessing, book a 1:1 Nutrition Consult and we’ll test, interpret, and build your plan properly.

Gut Health: Your Body’s Hidden Superpower

You’ve probably heard people talk about gut health like it’s a buzzword, but it’s the foundation of everything from energy to mood to hormones.

A healthy gut helps you absorb nutrients, regulate inflammation, and even influence your mental health in a small way. When it’s off balance, you feel it: bloating, fatigue, skin flare-ups, or that general gross feeling after meals.

The fix isn’t a detox or ten new supplements – it’s diversity.
Your gut bacteria thrive when you eat 30+ different plant-based foods each week. That includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains.

🧠 Want to learn how to actually do that? Read Good Gut Health Practices for simple swaps and meal ideas that help build a healthier microbiome.

If you struggle with digestive symptoms, the cause could be more complex. Things like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or IBS can throw everything out of sync. These need a targeted plan – not guesswork.
→ Learn more in SIBO: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment Options or Nutrition for IBS.

💬 This is where working 1:1 makes all the difference. If gut issues are running your life, book a Nutrition Consultation and let’s get you back to normal.

How to Build a Balanced Plate

Most people overcomplicate this part. A balanced plate isn’t about perfection – it’s about structure. Here’s what it looks like in real life:

• ½ plate vegetables (colour + fibre + antioxidants)
• ¼ plate protein (chicken, tofu, eggs, lentils, fish, tempeh)
• ¼ plate smart carbs (wholegrains, sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice)
• A drizzle (1 tablespoon) of healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds)

That’s it – a visual guide that takes the math out of mealtime.

If you’ve been eating the same handful of meals on repeat (we all do it), that monotony can hurt your gut diversity and micronutrient intake. Rotate your vegetables, grains, and proteins. Try one new recipe each week.

🍽️ Need inspiration? My Meal Plan Bundle has four 7-day seasonal plans that hit balance, taste, and ease – no wellness influencer ingredients required.

And if you’re plant-based (or mostly), make sure you’re getting enough complete protein. Here’s your cheat sheet:
→ Sources of Plant-Based Protein

Habits That Make Healthy Eating Stick

Most people don’t fail because they lack willpower – they fail because they rely on willpower.

The trick is to make healthy choices automatic, so you don’t have to think about them when life gets hectic.

Here’s how to build habits that actually last:

1. Create cues. Keep your supplements next to your toothbrush. Lay out your gym clothes before bed. Make the good decision the easy one.
   → How to Establish Healthy Habits breaks down the brain science behind this.
2. Plan ahead (loosely). Even a rough weekly meal plan of dinners only saves you from takeout chaos.
3. Use Plan B meals. Quick options you can throw together in five minutes – a wrap, a smoothie, or a salad kit with tuna.
   → My Diet Isn’t Perfect shows exactly how I do this.
4. Ditch all-or-nothing thinking. A missed workout or a takeaway dinner isn’t failure – it’s life. The goal is 80/20 consistency, not 100% control.
   → Read New Year, New Mindset for a crash course in realistic motivation.

When healthy habits feel flexible, not forced, you’ll finally stop ‘starting again Monday.;

💬 If you need help bridging the gap between knowing and doing, my Feel-Good Formula Course is designed to help you build habits that stick.

When to Work With a Nutritionist (And How It Actually Helps)

Let’s clear something up: seeing a nutritionist isn’t about getting a meal plan. It’s about having someone interpret your body’s feedback (symptoms, energy, blood results, habits — and turning that into a strategy that works in real life.

Here’s what that can look like:

• 1:1 Appointments: Deep-dive consults where we review your diet, health history, and (if relevant) blood or stool results to design a plan built for you — not a generic one.
  → Learn more: Perth Nutritionist 1:1 Appointments
• Online Programs: Prefer structure? My Worth Your Weight and Feel-Good Formula programs teach you the fundamentals of eating well for energy and sustainable results.
• Meal Plan Bundle: Four seasonal 7-day plans designed to show you what balanced eating looks like — no rules, no deprivation, no stress.
  → Grab the Meal Plan Bundle

Working with a qualified nutritionist isn’t just for people with gut issues or food intolerances – it’s for anyone who’s tired of wasting energy on guesswork.

And if you’ve been wondering whether nutritionist visits are covered by health funds?
👉 Are Nutritionists Covered by Private Health?

Your Next Steps

1. Bookmark this page. It’s your nutrition GPS. Everything else builds on these basics.
2. Pick one thing to start with – maybe diversifying your plants, or balancing your plates.
3. Get support if you’ve been stuck in ‘I know what to do, but I don’t do it.’

💬 Ready for clarity?

• Book a 1:1 Nutrition Consult if you want personal guidance.
• Join Worth Your Weight if your goal is weight loss that lasts.
• Start the Feel-Good Formula if you’re chasing more energy and better habits.

Small, consistent shifts will get you further than any detox ever could.

FAQs

REFERENCES & READING

1. Townsend, J. R., Kirby, T. O., Marshall, T. M., Church, D. D., Jajtner, A. R., & Esposito, R. (2023). Foundational nutrition: Implications for human health. Nutrients, 15(13), 2837. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15132837
2. Espinosa-Salas, S. (2023). Nutrition: Macronutrient intake, imbalances, and interventions. In Nutrition (NBK594226). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594226/
3. Fogelholm, M., Lahti-Koski, M., & Silventoinen, K. (2012). Dietary macronutrients and food consumption as determinants of long-term weight change and obesity: A systematic review. Food & Nutrition Research, 56, 19103. https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v56i0.19103
4. Tapsell, L. C., Neale, E. P., Satija, A., & Hu, F. B. (2016). Foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns: Interactions and implications for dietary guidelines. Advances in Nutrition, 7(3), 433-441. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.011718
5. Esen, T. A. (2021). Macronutrients and micronutrients in nutrition. International Journal of Innovative Research and Reviews, 1(1), 10-15.
6. Prentice, A. (2019). Micronutrients in the life cycle: Requirements and sufficient supply. Frontiers in Nutrition, 6, 117. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00117