In today’s world, where groceries can arrive at your doorstep in minutes, it’s tempting to believe that access to good food is universal. But that’s far from the truth.

Behind the convenience, there are communities rural and urban struggling with food deserts, rising malnutrition, and the slow disappearance of traditional diets that once nourished generations.

As a clinical dietitian working with diverse populations, I’ve come to realize that nutrition is not just about calories and nutrients. It’s about who grows the food, how it reaches our plates, and whether the system respects people’s health, dignity, and cultural identity.

Food justice is the idea that everyone regardless of income, location, race, or social standing should have access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally meaningful food.

It’s about more than hunger. It asks tough questions:

• Why do some people get fresh produce while others get only processed food?
• Why are the people who grow our food often the most food insecure?
• What happens when traditional food knowledge fades away?

Food justice challenges the power imbalance in the food system and aims to create one that’s fair, respectful, and inclusive.

If food justice is about having access to good food, food sovereignty is about having control
over it.

Coined by grassroots movements like La Vía Campesina, food sovereignty is the belief that communities should be able to define their own food systems. That means:

• Supporting local farmers instead of giant corporations
• Saving traditional seeds and protecting land rights
• Reconnecting with traditional food wisdom and practices
• Ensuring that food policies are shaped by those they impact most

As a nutritionist, I’ve seen the power in people reclaiming ancestral grains, cooking methods, and stories passed through generations. This isn’t just about food it’s about identity, healing, and freedom.

When I advise people to “eat healthy,” I often pause, and think is that even an option for them?

What if:

• The nearest grocery store is 10 km away, but fried snacks are available at every corner.
• Millets have been replaced by polished rice because they’re cheaper in the market.
• A person wants to follow a clean diet, but can’t afford one?

This is why we can’t treat malnutrition as simply a “personal choice.” It’s deeply systemic.

And truthfully, traditional diets like the ones our grandparents followed were often far more nutrient-dense and sustainable than modern convenience foods. Our role as nutritionists isn’t just to fix deficiencies it’s to question the systems that create them.

India: Millets Making a Comeback
In parts of Karnataka, NGOs have helped rural women revive millet farming. These ancient grains are rich in iron, require less water, and have helped communities reclaim both nutrition and food dignity.

USA: From Abandoned Lots to Urban Gardens
In cities like Detroit, communities have transformed vacant plots into vegetable gardens improving food access and rebuilding community agency.

Canada: Honouring Indigenous Food Traditions
First Nations communities are returning to traditional hunting, fishing, and seed saving practices connecting food, healing, and identity

We can’t expect individuals to solve food injustice alone. This is also a policy issue, and systemic problems need systemic solutions:

• Promote agroecology instead of chemical-based agriculture
• Strengthen government meal programs using local and regional foods
• Ensure fair wages and working conditions for food workers
• Include dietitians and public health experts in policymaking, not just clinics

You don’t need to be an activist to start making a difference. Here’s how you can help:

• Support local farmers whenever possible
• Learn about your regional food traditions and share them
• Contribute to or volunteer at community kitchens
• Talk about food issues in your circles from your child’s school to your office
• Help change the conversation from “what to eat” to “why can’t everyone eat well?”

Food is so much more than fuel. It’s history, culture, connection and yes, power.

As a clinical dietitian, I’ve learned that supporting someone’s health isn’t only about what’s on their plate. It’s about giving them the freedom, knowledge, and access to choose what’s right for their body and their roots.

If this article resonated with you, share it with a colleague, a patient, or a policymaker. Let’s start conversations that move beyond diets and toward dignity, justice, and sovereignty

Alkon, A. H., & Agyeman, J. (2011). Cultivating food justice: Race, class, and sustainability. MIT Press.

Altieri, M. A. (2009). Agroecology, small farms, and food sovereignty. Monthly Review, 61(3), 102–113.

Down-to-earth. (2023). “Millets in Karnataka: Local revival for global sustainability.”

FAO. (2021). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.

Gottlieb, R., & Joshi, A. (2010). Food Justice. MIT Press.

Hoover, B. M. (2013). Environmental justice and the food system. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 3(4), 89–94.

Indigenous Food Systems Network. (2022). “Reviving traditions, restoring health.”

Johns, T., & Eyzaguirre, P. B. (2006). Linking biodiversity, diet and health in policy and practice. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 65(2), 182–189.

La Vía Campesina. (2003). What is Food Sovereignty?

Patel, R. (2009). Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World
Food System.

Food is a celebration of life of memories, emotions, tradition, and love. Mindful eating doesn’t restrict that joy. It honors it. It helps you eat not just for fullness, but for fulfillment.

So, the next time you sit down to a meal, don’t just ask, “Is this healthy?” Ask, “Am I present?” 


Let your plate be a place of peace, not pressure. Let joy guide you—and let mindfulness help you truly taste it.