In a culture obsessed with stacks, shortcuts, and daily supplement rituals, Nutritionist Naniel Scott brings the conversation back to the basics. As a nutrition scientist, she believes food should be the foundation and supplements should support, not replace, a balanced diet. Below, she shares five nutritionist approved ways to get the essentials from food first and understand when supplementation actually makes sense.

It’s important that you are having your daily intake of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are going to be an easy source for vitamins, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals (bioactive, non-nutritive compounds produced by plants for protection, which, when consumed, supports health). While the amount of fruits and vegetables you need is dependent on age, weight, height, sex, and physical, a general guideline is to aim for 2 cups of fruits and 2 ½ cups of vegetables. This can be frozen, canned, raw, cooked, dried or even 100% juice (take your pick).

A tip for what it would look like eating this amount of vegetables a day could be 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables; or 2 cups raw or 1 cup cooked leafy greens; or 1 cup 100% vegetable juice.

For fruits I personally enjoy having it with breakfast typically with yogurt to also get some probiotics (hear me out purple grapes and vanilla yogurt, thank me later) or snack (my player of choice are clementines).

1 cup of fruit would be about 8 large strawberries, 1 medium pear, 1 large orange, 22 grapes, 3 guavas etc. I always recommend to keep it fun and have different colors (but really different colors means nutrient diversity).

Also please don’t force yourself to eat any fruit or vegetable that you don’t like the flavor of because you heard it’s a super food then you can’t sustain eating it. Focus on trying different methods of cooking (for example I season my broccoli and roast it in the oven instead of boiling) or different food pairings such as eating dried cranberries with nuts to decide your preference.

Do you really need more protein?

Americans are eating roughly 20% more protein than recommended according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans actually notes that we are over consuming protein, namely protein from meat, poultry, eggs and not enough from fish.

Case in point assess for yourself if you need the protein bar, protein foam, protein shake, protein chocolate... you get the point.

Again what your specific intake should look like varies but a baseline guideline is around 5 ounces per day or .8 g per kg of body weight/ 0.36 g per pound. It’s important that you eat a variety of protein foods to get more of the nutrients your body needs.

Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat, like 93% lean ground beef, pork loin, and skinless chicken breasts. Select seafood options that are higher in healthy fatty acids (called omega-3s) such as salmon, sardines, oysters and mackerel.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, turn to plant based options (I also recommend that omnivores also incorporate plant based protein not only is good for our body but for our planet) such as beans, soy, peas, lentil or any of the alternative meats that is fortified with B12.

For visual representation 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry is the size of the palm of your hand, while 1 ounce of other protein foods may look like 1 egg; or 1 Tbsp peanut butter; or ¼ cup cooked beans, peas, or lentils; ½ ounce unsalted nuts or seeds.

Choose food sources of key nutrients first

Choose food sources of key nutrients first whenever possible, because nutrients are most effective when they come packaged the way nature intended. Whole foods don’t deliver vitamins and minerals in isolation; they provide them alongside fiber, healthy fats, enzymes, and phytonutrients that work together to enhance absorption and support how your body actually uses those nutrients.

For example, omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish like salmon or sardines come with high-quality protein, vitamin D, and antioxidants; nuts and seeds provide magnesium along with fiber, healthy fats, and trace minerals; fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut deliver probiotics plus beneficial compounds that help those microbes survive digestion; and iron-rich foods like legumes or lean meats also contain B vitamins and other cofactors that support energy metabolism.

This nutrient package deal means you’re getting a broad spectrum of benefits from one food, rather than relying on a single isolated compound. Building meals around these nutrient-dense staples helps cover multiple nutritional needs at once, supports better digestion and steady energy, and reduces the need to depend on a long list of supplements to fill gaps that a balanced, varied diet can often address naturally.

Focus on consistency over perfection

A healthy diet isn’t built on perfect days or short-term resets; it's built on small, repeatable habits you can maintain over time. Not every day of eating will look the same, and that’s completely normal.

Having a donut one day isn’t going to put you at risk for disease, just like drinking a smoothie every day for a week won’t create lasting health benefits on its own. It’s your overall pattern that matters most.

Consistently including whole, balanced meals with fruits, vegetables, quality proteins, healthy fats, and fiber does far more for your long-term health than chasing extremes or trying to eat flawlessly. When you understand your nutritional needs and regularly meet them through real food, there’s room to enjoy the foods you love, even if they aren’t always nutrient-dense.

That flexibility makes healthy eating sustainable and reduces the urge to rely on supplements to compensate for an all-or-nothing approach.

Ok So When Should You Take Supplements?

Supplements should be used with intention, not as a default part of your daily routine. Rather than adding products just in case, start with a food-first approach: build balanced meals, notice how you feel, and, when appropriate, use testing or professional guidance to identify true gaps or deficiencies.

From there, supplement with purpose targeting specific needs like vitamin D, iron, or omega-3s when intake or status is low, or when your personal circumstances increase your requirements. This might include genetic predispositions, limited sun exposure, dietary patterns such as vegan or vegetarian eating, or life stages like pregnancy when prenatals are important.

There’s also a place for goal-specific supplements, such as creatine to support strength and performance if you train regularly, or ingredients like fenugreek to help manage menopause-related symptoms. These choices are strategic and outcome-driven, not substitutes for real food.

For most people, a simple, consistent diet covers the basics, and supplements work best as supportive tools that enhance your routine rather than compensate for it.