Happy 2015 to all! The majority of us (myself included) always start the new year with many high aspirations, new hopes, and pledges to do things differently.  Typically, nutrition and exercise are always included in our "inner self" conversation.   However, I am going to limit myself to only one at a time and encourage you to do the same.  I suggest you may want to start with the word "BAD" when discussing food choices and behavior.  Yes, I am a Registered Dietitian, but NO, neither myself or my family eat perfectly all the time.  I believe all foods are not created equal, but they can and should all be enjoyed!  Moderation has been talked to death when discussing food choices and it is still the conversation we should be having, but another word I always hear at work, in the malls, or in the supermarket is "BAD".  For instance, "I ate bad yesterday!", "That food is bad for you!", "I don't let my kids eat bad food".  The word BAD implies only negative thoughts.  How can something so yummy be BAD?  No food is bad if you only eat it "sometimes"....like once a week or maybe on the weekend.  I believe all foods can be eaten in moderation if you are also consuming foods of high nutritional value and are also incorporating some type of exercise in your life.  For our children, we need to teach them not to stay away from "bad" foods, but rather how to view them as treats, teach them how to portion size, and how they can still fit them into a healthy lifestyle.  We all deserve a piece of cake, a cookie or two, and a bowl of ice cream without calling ourselves BAD!!!!!!