It seems like everyone harps on your nutrition when you're a collegiate athlete. People are constantly telling you what you should and shouldn't eat, how much you should be eating, and what food is best for performing your sport at your best. But how do you know who you can trust? Consulting a school nutritionist is a great place to start…but how do you know if the nutritionist your school provides for you and countless other teams is giving you accurate information and sound advice? Sometimes, it can be hard to tell, but here are 7 surefire signs that your nutritionist might not be the best person to be taking advice from:

1. Super Strict Calorie Counting

Obsessive calorie counting can be extremely harmful to athletes. Stressing over every single thing that is going into your body can lead you down a dangerous path of disordered eating that is hard to stop. It is also very difficult. If you are eating in a place such as your school's dining hall, it's hard to keep track of exactly what is in each food item to make your calorie counting accurate. The contents and nutrients of the food that is going into your body is way more important than the amount. 

Related: 3 Simple Tips to Improve Body Image as a College Athlete

2. Removal of Food Groups

Eliminating entire food groups is a major red flag. Each food group provides crucial nutrition and removing any could leave you as an athlete to underperform in your sport, and you as a person to not have the energy you need to continue your daily life. If your nutritionist tells you to eliminate a food group for a non-dietary reason, consider eliminating them from your wellness plan.

3. Intermittent Fasting

If your nutritionist is suggesting any type of prolonged fasting to you, do not listen. Intermittent fasting has been shown to worsen performance while doing any type of training during a fasting period, especially in endurance sports. This type of dieting is also very difficult and can leave athletes exhausted and, well, hungry. 

Related: Intuitive Eating for College Athletes: 4 Tips to Promote Food Wellness

4. Judgemental Responses

There are few bigger red flags than when you go to someone you trust with a problem and they respond in a way that makes you feel dumb and needy. Your team or personal nutritionist is paid to listen and help with any problems you might have. Never listen to a nutritionist who doesn't understand the basics of their job.

Related: “Not Good Enough”: The Impact of Body Shaming on Athlete Mental Health

5. Separating “Bad” Foods from “Good” Foods

Sure, some foods add more value to your body than others, but there is no such thing as a food that does not add any nutritional value to your body–such a food could otherwise be known as “air.” Some foods are best in moderation, but do not believe that any food should be completely cut out because it is “bad.”

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6. Saying that Exercise Compensates for the Food you are Eating

Don't believe anyone who tells you that food is a reward. Food is fuel and all living things need nutrients. You are not eating because you worked out–you are eating so that you can workout and food is your friend if you want to crush it in the gym. 

Related: Food is Fuel: A General Overview of the College Athlete Diet

7. They're a Bad Listener

In order to give you advice, nutritionists need to listen to what you are asking about before they can help you. This might seem obvious, but it might be surprising how many people can forget this. Don't let people give you nutrition advice without hearing your full story.

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* Originally published on March 8, 2023, by Bella Nevin