One hundred years.
When I really sit with that number, it doesn’t just feel historic; it feels like looking at an old black-and-white photograph. I imagine families gathered around kitchen tables with home-cooked meals being passed around. Simple moments that probably didn’t feel extraordinary at the time, but meant everything.
I find myself reflecting on how wellness and the healthy foods that support it have remained central to our story from the very beginning.
Wellness Then and Now
Of course, wellness looked a little different 100 years ago.
There were no fitness trackers counting steps. No smoothies photographed on Instagram. No podcasts reminding us to hydrate. If someone in 1926 talked about “core strength,” they probably meant working the fields from sunrise to sunset.
Back then, wellness looked like home-cooked meals made from simple ingredients. It looked like fresh air, early nights and food that came straight from the land, not a label. Wellness wasn’t something that was talked about often, it was simply lived, in long days spent caring for the land and feeding communities.
Even portion sizes told a story. Plates 100 years ago, and even through the 60s and 70s, looked different than they do today. Meals were simpler, portions were smaller and produce often took up more space on the plate. Food was satisfying, but it was also balanced, rooted in what was available, seasonal and home-prepared.
Today, meals may look different than they once did, but the importance of fresh, thoughtfully grown food remains just as strong and the work that begins in the fields still plays the most important role in nourishing our communities.
Today, wellness comes with apps, wearable devices and more information than we sometimes know what to do with. We talk about gut health, mindfulness and balanced lifestyles. We read labels more closely. We try new recipes. We look for ways to feel better and stay energized.
And while the language has changed, the heart of it hasn’t. At its core, wellness has always been about taking care of ourselves and each other.
The Meaning of Wellness
Wellness isn’t about perfection. It’s not about doing everything “right.” It’s about small, consistent choices made with care. Healthy eating plays such an important role in that picture, not as a rigid rulebook, but as an act of respect for our bodies, our futures and the people who gather around our tables.
Food has always been a connector. It brings comfort. It builds tradition. It creates moments that last far beyond the meal itself. Often, wellness begins with something beautifully simple:
- Bringing home fresh ingredients and cooking a meal from scratch.
- Adding more color to your plate with leafy greens, bright berries and vegetables.
- Choosing seasonal produce that tastes the way nature intended.
- Trying a new fruit or vegetable for the first time.
- Sharing a wholesome meal around the table with the people you love.
Simple Ways to Support Healthy Eating
As a nutritionist, I’m often reminded that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. It usually begins with small, thoughtful steps. The kind anyone can take.
Adding more fruits and vegetables to daily meals helps provide the vitamins, minerals and fiber our bodies rely on to stay energized and strong. Choosing fresh, whole foods when possible supports heart health, digestion and overall well-being. Eating a variety of colorful produce ensures we’re nourishing our bodies with a wide range of nutrients.
And perhaps just as important, slowing down long enough to enjoy meals allows us to feel more connected to both our food and the people we share it with. These simple habits, practiced over time, help build healthier lives.
Because wellness is never just individual. It strengthens families. It strengthens communities.
Looking Ahead
If the past 100 years have taught us anything, it’s that while trends will come and go, the need to care for our health will never fade. Wellness will continue to evolve. There will be new research, new tools and yes, probably even more apps.
But my hope for the next century is simple: That we continue choosing fresh, nourishing foods. That we continue placing wellness at the center of our lives.
Because when people feel well, they live well. And when communities live well, everything grows stronger.
Here’s to the next century: hopefully one with fewer fad diets and more meals made with fresh ingredients, with just as much heart.