While eating a balanced mix of nutrient-rich foods is a universally beneficial thing, doing so certainly doesn’t look the same for every person. That is, the best nutritional plan for you depends, in part, on your lifestyle, temperament, and preferences. Because astrology can shed some light on those personal qualities, you can actually use your birth chart to help define a nutritional approach that vibes with your personality. A helpful starting place? Your sun sign, or the sign you’d typically read for in a horoscope and the one that speaks to your core identity. Figuring out how to eat for this zodiac sign is about honoring its energy in both the kinds of foods and drinks you choose and the ways you consume them.

According to astrologer and certified nutritionist Claire Gallagher, author of Body Astrology, that crucially does not mean pinpointing certain foods that your sign must eat. In fact, that’s a slippery slope to sign-based stereotypes (e.g., an Aries needs to eat spicy foods, or a Cancer will always enjoy baked goods), which can quickly veer toward the diet-culture pitfall of “eat this, but don’t eat that” guidelines, says Gallagher.

Nutritional gestures are the general types of foods and eating styles that are most likely to resonate with each zodiac sign based on its overall vibe.

Instead, she says, it’s more about considering how (and not what) to eat for your zodiac sign, in terms of what she calls “nutritional gestures.” These are the general types of foods and eating styles that are most likely to resonate with each sign based on its overall vibe and the parts of the body over which it rules. And these gestures are purposefully broad—like “resilience” for Aries and “balance” for Libra—so that any person of each sign can take that idea and interpret it in a way that makes sense for them, she says. After all, the most important eating habit for folks of any sign is well-rounded nourishment, however that might come.

Read on to find the nutritional gesture for your zodiac sign, plus Gallagher’s customizable intel on how to eat for your sign accordingly.

How to eat for your zodiac sign’s particular energy, according to a certified nutritionist and astrologer

Aries

Nutritional gesture: Resilience

How to eat: A cardinal sign ruled by Mars, you tend to initiate things with a strong spark—but that can fizzle easily over time if not replenished. And that’s where resilience comes in as your guiding principle for crafting a nutritional practice. It’s important to eat for energy, whatever that means for you, says Gallagher: “From a food perspective, I want you to feel supported on all your adventures.” That might mean focusing on fiber or protein at each meal to keep you powered up throughout the day.

Taurus

Nutritional gesture: Pleasure

How to eat: You feel all the things, all the time, as the sign that’s perhaps most in touch with all five senses. As a result, a delightful eating experience—in terms of the ambiance, smell, and even the plating of the food—can bring you as much joy as any particular food item itself. That’s why Gallagher suggests homing in on the quality of pleasure and diving into food as a source of sensational enjoyment. Perhaps that means prioritizing the fancy reservation or treating yourself to something divinely decadent when the moment arises.

Gemini

Nutritional gesture: Adaptable

How to eat: Your sign is flexible, playful, and dynamic, so why shouldn’t your nutritional practice be, too? “Rigid diet rules are typically not going to fly for a Gemini,” says Gallagher. “If you find that your taste changes with your mood, then it’s best to lean into that: Instead of meal-planning or meal-prepping, maybe you go to the market each day and just pick whatever looks good—that’s just as valid,” she says. Similarly, it may be helpful to eat smaller meals more often or while you’re on-the-go, as opposed to trying to fit your schedule around pre-set mealtimes.

Cancer

Nutritional gesture: Comfort

How to eat: Because Cancer rules over the midsection—including the breasts, ribcage, and womb—you may find it important to feel safe and secure, instinctually, in an eating environment. That’s where comfort comes into play as your nutritional gesture: Taking steps to calm any swirling thoughts or stressors before eating, and surrounding yourself with loved ones at a meal may help you digest more easily, says Gallagher. “Or, comfort might also mean literally getting to know which foods feel good in your body and which ones make you uncomfortable, and letting that guide you,” she says.

Leo

Nutritional gesture: Heart(h)

How to eat: As a fixed fire sign, you bring a ton of warmth to the party, which is where Gallagher derived this mash-up of heart (the part of the body over which Leo rules) and hearth. “It’s all about food as a means for celebration and gathering,” says Gallagher. “You could find joy in bringing people together, sharing food, and being a little extra with your food, too—whether that means literally going for the fancy toppings or the finishing touch, or setting the table in a special way.” 

Virgo

Nutritional gesture: Gut feeling

How to eat: Nutrition is likely a pretty big deal to you in some way, shape, or form, as Virgo rules over the digestive system. Because of your analytical nature, you could find that when you focus on food, things become numeric: “Virgo has a tendency to get stuck on tracking what they eat, or tracking calories or macros,” says Gallagher, “but this doesn’t tend to be therapeutic, and can actually separate you from your gut knowing when it comes to food,” she says. Getting back in touch with it requires trusting yourself—not an app or a diet—to know what’s most nourishing for you.

Libra

Nutritional gesture: Balance

How to eat: Symbolized by the scales, your sign has a penchant for balance—and that certainly extends to how you eat. From a nourishment standpoint, that could mean focusing on balancing your blood-sugar levels, says Gallagher, perhaps by ensuring that you eat in regular intervals and choose stabilizing foods rich in whole grains or healthy fats. Or, it could mean considering more broadly the balance on your plate at each meal, reflecting a mix of denser foods and lighter ones. Either way, Gallagher cautions against any version of food valuation for Libras; if you find that you’re mentally labeling foods as good or bad, cultivating neutral food talk will help you return to a balanced state, as well.

Scorpio

Nutritional gesture: Transformation

How to eat: As with Virgo, your sign is closely wrapped up with digestion: While Virgo rules the stomach and small intestine, Scorpio rules the colon…and the transformation that occurs therein. “With Scorpio, the focus is on helping the body transform food into energy,” says Gallagher. So, your nutritional plan might prioritize fermented foods rich in probiotics, along with fiber-packed prebiotic foods to get things moving and regular. Just be careful not to home in too much on what needs to get out of your body, says Gallagher: “Scorpios may be attracted to intense ‘detox’ diets, but that’s bound to leave you worse for wear.”

Sagittarius

Nutritional gesture: Exploration

How to eat: “Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign—which is essentially fire on the go,” says Gallagher. And that same lively spirit drives the adventurous Sagittarian approach to food, too. “Exploration from a nutritional perspective can mean literally exploring foods that you’re not familiar with, and even making that food journey a part of your regular life,” she says. And it could also mean experimenting with foods that have different effects on your nervous system—perhaps, reaching for soothing foods when you feel anxious or grabbing stimulating or energizing foods when you’re sluggish, she adds.

Capricorn

Nutritional gesture: Sustenance

How to eat: Your slow-moving planetary ruler, Saturn, is all about persevering for the long haul. And in order for you to do the same and embody your values around hard work, it’s helpful to orient your nutritional approach around sustenance, too. That often means prioritizing nutrient-dense, protein-rich foods that’ll really help you go the distance, says Gallagher. Similarly, bone-building foods like nuts, salmon, and leafy vegetables are also bound to make your grocery list, given that Capricorn rules over bones and joints.

Aquarius

Nutritional gesture: Autonomy

How to eat: If you almost breezed past your own section thinking you already know what’s right for you, then you may, in fact, be right. Aquarius never was a sign to go by the books, and a similarly autonomous approach to eating might be your best bet. “Be your own expert and your own authority to come up with what works for you,” says Gallagher. And when you sit down to eat a meal, try to turn off or tune out any surrounding tech or noise: “Aquarius can be very sensitive to electricity, energy, and technology, which can interfere with their ability to enjoy the eating experience,” says Gallagher.

Pisces

Nutritional gesture: Freedom

How to eat: As a mutable water sign, you may feel the need to expand beyond constraints and boundaries defined by others. “Try giving yourself unconditional freedom to eat what you’d like to eat, and see how that changes your relationship with food,” says Gallagher. Because Pisces tends to absorb the energy of others, you might also consider using nourishment as a way to fortify your energetic boundaries and immune system, she adds: “Food can be your stable anchor in the water.”

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