Dietitian Diaries: From Fear to Fuel: My Journey with Snacks

A story about unlearning food rules and reclaiming nourishment.

For a long time, I felt that snacking meant I had failed. I thought it meant I had “given in” and lost control over my eating habits. Maybe, like me, you’ve felt that snacks are something to be avoided unless you're truly starving, and even then, guilt can weigh heavily on your shoulders. You might have found yourself waiting as long as possible between meals, believing that hunger is something to fight against rather than listen to. I understand how this mindset can be so prevalent and damaging. As both a dietitian and someone who has been through eating disorder recovery, I want you to know that you’re not alone in these feelings, and there is a way to find peace around food.

Where the Fear Comes From

We live in a culture that labels food as “good” or “bad,” and snacks often fall into that “bad” category. They’re seen as indulgent, unnecessary, or something that needs to be “earned.” But here’s the truth: snacks are not signs of weakness. They’re part of a healthy relationship with food.

Recovery Taught Me

Healing my relationship with food involved unlearning the rules I had absorbed for years. I had to challenge the voice that told me snacks were shameful.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe and now teach others every day:

• Snacks provide energy between meals.

• They stabilise blood sugar and mood.

• They support metabolic and hormonal health.

• They help prevent extreme hunger (which often leads to bingeing or increased anxiety).

• Most importantly, they’re a way to listen to your body, not fight it.

When Snacks Still Feel Hard

If snacks still make you feel scared or ashamed, please know: You’re not alone. Part of recovery is learning to respond to hunger with kindness, not punishment. It's about rebuilding trust in your body, one snack at a time.

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Support from someone who understands and listens without judgment, and gently guides you, helps build trust, resilience, and hope. You're not meant to do this alone.

Book an appointment: hdean1974@gmail.com

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Helen Dean is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and founder of Stepping Stones With Helen Dean. She supports families, children, adolescents and adults with their food and body challenges, from fussy eating and ARFID to eating disorders and ADHD. What sets her practice apart is the seamless combination of nutrition expertise with therapeutic counselling, addressing not just the “what” of eating, but the “why” behind it.