Why Calling Food “Good” and “Bad” Can Backfire

You grew up on ’90s diet culture. And now you are the one setting the tone at your own dinner table. Black plastic? Non-stick pans? Superfoods? On this episode of Growing Pains, we speak with accredited nutritionist Charlotte Mei, who says you can have your laksa and eat it. And she’ll tell you how. Charlotte has spent over a decade in nutrition, and she will tell you exactly what she thinks. Her take: most of what scares us in the kitchen needs more nuance, not panic. Also on the table: weight loss medication and why it keeps turning up at dinner parties, a food safety habit that splits families down the middle, and a story from her teenage years she has never told in public. If you want your kids to reach for food with joy instead of guilt, press play. About the Guest Charlotte Mei is an accredited nutritionist who helps people build a guilt-free relationship with food and their bodies. She is a TEDx speaker, a former radio talk-show presenter and the producer of the nutrition podcast In A Bite. She has run over 250 nutrition literacy workshops, turning nutrition science into everyday tools. Instagram: @thecharlottemei YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWpBI-E-LPyphVdLJeiiiPg Podcast (In A Bite): https://open.spotify.com/show/3oIJLgAEKavIDMQcUJuRUT Services: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/628340695eb0bf7547dd84f6/t/6a632b800309546ad9320142/1784884916031/Charlotte+Mei+-+Media+Kit+-+2026.pdf What You’ll Take Away The one word Charlotte wants retired from every dinner table (and what to say instead) Why a nutritionist hid snacks in her bedroom at 15 The vitamin a standard blood test leaves out (and why sunny Singapore did not save her) The two questions to ask before anyone starts weight loss medication Why the people who need these drugs are scared of them, and the people who don’t are asking for them The kitchen habit half of Singapore swears by, and the nutritionist who begs you to stop What to say to a best friend who tells you she is starting next week IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Teaser: Have We Made Healthy Eating Too Complicated? 01:01 Meet Charlotte Mei: The Nutritionist Who Still Eats Cookies 02:18 How Charlotte Turned Food Curiosity Into a Career 04:00 The Childhood That Shaped Her Relationship With Food 05:45 “Give Me 10 Years”: Why She Chose Nutrition 09:08 When Food Became an Act of Rebellion 12:10 Why We Still Want a Snack When We’re Already Full 16:18 How ’90s Diet Culture Messed With Our Relationship With Food 18:17 The “Superfood” Marketing Myth 21:28 Protein Maxing, Supplements & Wellness FOMO 25:29 The Nutrition Advice That Actually Moves the Needle 29:28 Weight Loss Medication: What Nobody Is Saying Out Loud 34:22 Who Gets Access to Weight Loss Drugs — and Who Doesn’t? 37:37 Is Taking Weight Loss Medication “Cheating”? 39:54 How to Raise Kids Without Food Guilt 41:20 Can Food Be Comfort Without Becoming a Problem? 43:47 Is Your “Low-Tox” Kitchen Making You Anxious? 46:21 The Food Safety Mistakes Hiding in Your Kitchen 49:48 Rapid Fire: Milo, Kiwi Skin & Food Rules 50:51 Faz’s Top Three Takeaways Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia’s podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore’s podcast studio.