Nutritionism

Nutritionism is the idea that food can be broken down into individual nutrients and that a healthy diet is one that provides the right balance of these nutrients. Imagine you are playing with a big box of Lego bricks that can build anything you want. Now, think of each Lego brick as a nutrient, like protein or vitamin C.

Just like how in Legos, each brick has a specific purpose - some are small and fit together to make a larger structure, others are large and provide stability. Similarly, every nutrient has a specific job to do in your body. For example, calcium helps make your bones strong, while vitamin C helps boost your immune system.

While nutrients are important, nutritionism focuses so much on them that we can forget about the whole foods they come from. It's like only focusing on the specific Lego bricks you need and forgetting about the whole set - the different colors, shapes, and sizes that all work together to create something amazing (like a castle or spaceship).

When we only focus on individual nutrients, we might miss out on other important things that whole foods provide, like fiber, healthy fats, or antioxidants. For example, an orange is a good source of vitamin C, but it also contains fiber, which helps keep your digestive system healthy.

So, while it's important to pay attention to nutrients, we shouldn't forget about the whole foods they come from because we need a variety of nutrients in our diets to stay healthy. It's like building with Legos - you need a variety of bricks to make something awesome, just as you need a variety of whole foods to keep your body healthy.