I received a question from a reader last week that resulted in a good discussion, so I thought I’d share it with you here! They wrote:
“I think I know what to do with workouts, but nutrition? I’m not sure where to start.”
Don’t worry, I’ve got you! 💪
At Nerd Fitness, we see most of our clients fall into one of three starting points when it comes to nutrition:
🥦 Option 1: Habit-Based Changes (about 50% of people)
We pick one small habit – like eating protein at breakfast or prepping a go-to meal – and we laser focus on that one change for a few weeks and track how it goes.
Once that feels solid, we add the next one. Slow and steady, but incredibly effective.
✅ Great for: People who want to build sustainable habits without getting overwhelmed.
Of course, you may be thinking to yourself: “That’s great, Matt, but which habits do I actually start with?“
It varies person to person based on what your current eating patterns are, your goals, etc., but Steve and I put together a recommended sequence here. Of course, just like the pirate code, think of these less like rules and more like guidelines.
🍽 Option 2: Balanced Plate Method (about 25% of people)
This is a visual way to structure your meals, aiming for:
- ¼ plate protein
- ½ plate veggies or fruit
- ¼ plate carbs or starches
- healthy fats on top
It’s flexible, so it’s a bit easier to apply in different situations – whether you are cooking or eating out. Probably the biggest challenge with this type of tracking is if you have lots of big “one pot meals” where all the ingredients are listed together. Though we have a few tricks for that, too.
✅ Great for: People who want structure but don’t want to track numbers.
🔢 Option 3: Tracking Calories & Protein (about 25% of people)
This involves logging your meals and aiming for specific targets each day.
We usually suggest starting with just protein and calories to keep it simple.
✅ Great for: People who like data, structure, and dialing things in precisely.
Here’s the thing:
The best option is the one that fits you.
Some of our clients move through all three over time.
Heck, I’ve had clients start with habits, then use the plate method, then decide to track for a bit, and then go back to habits.
All of these frameworks are just tools – so we want to pick the right one for the job (i.e. the one that fits you best!)
🧠 If you’re not sure where to start, try habit-based changes first.
But if that feels too slow or too vague? Pivot to another approach!
–Matt
🎯 Want help choosing the best nutrition strategy for you? That’s what we do.
