When friends ask me what I eat, I always kinda stare back for a moment. I am in no way perfect in my nutrition, but I aim to be conscious of what I put in my body, and though I may have a cheat meal here and there, I listen to my body and respond accordingly. My family and friends who know me well know I'm not overly rigid. I try not to let food become an "idol," so to speak. In the past, I have been more rigid, and I let it stress me out rather than "fill me up." Below are a few reasons why I don't follow recipes and why I'm less about following the new trend diet and more about lifestyle changes.
1. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. My body talks to me; sometimes it even YELLS at me! When I eat quickly, it SCREAMS! When I eat rich and/or greasy foods — well, let's just say I rarely eat these kinds of foods anymore. If your body doesn't talk to you after you drink a coke or eat a greasy burger with fries, then might I suggest you either aren't slowing down to listen to your body, or maybe your body is so accustomed to eating this way that its scream is muffled by other emotions of temporary satisfaction. Consuming processed and high fat foods, artificial anything, and possibly dairy or gluten should get your body talking. Are you listening? Our body knows how to process greens, vegetation, fruits, nuts, most meats and grains. But our body either doesn't know what to do with GMOs (genetically modified organisms), processed foods, refined flour, etc., or it doesn't fully satisfy or benefit us. Though I do consume a burger from time to time, my body is pretty sensitive, and I attribute that to consuming mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, lean meats and whole grains. For example, after I have eaten fatty meats, sweets or heavy carbohydrates, all I want to do is bathe in veggie juice. Slow down and listen to your body. Now, how will you respond to it?
2. MAKE FOOD AND EAT LEFTOVERS. Some people hate leftovers. I love them. When I cook up my salmon from Whole Foods, I make enough to feed my family of 5 and enough to either share with a neighbor or wrap in foil and save for later. Yes, you can freeze cooked salmon, and it tastes pretty good the second time around, but then again, I'm not too picky.
Broccoli contains vitamins C and K, fiber, calcium, folate, beta-carotene, lutein, etc.
3. DON'T BE PICKY. Picky eaters are for toddlers; that's it. Once you turn 4, you can no longer be picky. Get over it, and eat your broccoli. For the record, broccoli is one of my least favorite veggies to eat — BUT I figured out a way to make it delicious, thanks to Rachel Ray. Cut it lengthwise (with stem), drizzle it with EVOO (of course) and balsamic vinegar, and roast it in the oven (400 F). Add S&P. So, even though I'm not crazy for broccoli, I buy it and I eat it. Fortunately, Skyler and Elijah LOVE broccoli, so there is no way around it! :)
How do you prepare your least favorite
vegetable to make it delicious? Seriously, I want to know!
Best answer wins bragging rights!
4. THINK OF FOOD AS FUEL rather THAN PLEASURE. Ask yourself the question, "What does my body need right now in order to conquer this day?" Cereal with almond milk and a cup of coffee is not the best answer. A better answer is a tall glass of water, sautéed spinach in coconut oil topped with two eggs, garlic and cherry tomatoes. For lunch today, I ate my leftover salmon from the night before, a grapefruit and some nuts. Tonight, I will go out to dinner because my daughter has a performance at 6pm, and with 3 kids, we need to "keep it real" and simple. Though convenient, eating out can be difficult nutritionally. Try to stick to the salad options, or a la carte it appetizer-style. I always order Brussels sprouts when on the menu. As hungry as you may be, steer clear of the heavy plates, and if the timing works, eat a small amount at the restaurant and then head home to fill up on something more nutritional and satisfying. Don't think of your dining-out experience as your last meal ever (unless it is); continue the train of thought, "What does my body need right now?" I have a love for cooking shows. Seriously, my kids and I curl up and watch a cooking show quite often. I could watch Jacques Pepin every day, and I have a bit of a crush on Alton Brown. I still enjoy Alton's show, Good Eats — he's a big nerd, but in his show, he helps break down the science behind different foods. He wrote up an interesting list of what to consume daily, weekly or never.
What nutritious foods do you eat every day?
5. AVOID FILLER FOOD. I call pretzels, Goldfish, chips, etc. "filler food." It is the in-between food that you want to fill you up, but it never does. It never satisfies! Don't buy them, and yes, your kids will LIVE without them! I promise. I usually have tortilla chips in the pantry and an occasional non-GMO grain cracker. And yes, I do purchase the other ones on occasion . . . so my kids don't eat all the neighbors' Goldfish. But, for crying out loud, I hate filler food!
6. WHY I DON'T FOLLOW RECIPES. I try to let nutrition lead, rather than a recipe. I'm practical, resourceful, intentional and creative. When a recipe calls for heavy whipping cream or a stick of butter or 2 tablespoons of sugar, my tummy begins to cry, so I skip the recipe and search my kitchen for inspiration. I keep my kitchen stocked with onions, carrots, garlic, celery, spinach, etc. Colorful veggies and fruit fill my kitchen (and yes, fruit flies abound, unfortunately). So, when someone asks what I eat, I kinda stare back at them because I rarely make the same thing twice, and I usually let my veggies take the lead. For example, I picked up the thickest, most plump eggplant (though technically a fruit) yesterday, and to me, eggplant tastes best with tomatoes, onions and garlic. I take my eggplant down the Italian road or up the Indian path. I let my imagination run wild with where that plump purple vegetable can take me. The possibilities are endless! Eggplant parmesan (minus the bread crumbs) is delicious! I also chop eggplant in small cubes and add it to a colorful dish of sautéed onions, garlic, peppers, squash, potatoes, etc. I add tomato sauce or tomatoes and tons of Indian seasoning. To make it creamy, you can add plain greek yogurt! Serve with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
One of my family's favorite meals is my Kitchen-Sink Meat-Love Balls: I know, such a funny name, and since I never follow recipes, it is never exactly the same. Elijah, my middle, calls my meatloaf "meat love" because he LOVES it! I make the gooey mixture into meatballs and cook them in olive oil over high heat in my cast iron skillet. After getting a nice brown coating, I finish cooking the balls on a cookie sheet in the oven (350 F) for 10-15 additional minutes.
I throw everything in my meatloaf, other than the "Kitchen Sink":
I chop up tons of veggies (usually any and all veggies I have on hand) using my Cuisinart food processor: carrots, onion, garlic, Brussels sprouts, sweet pepper, cilantro, etc. — it all goes in a large bowl. Next, I add the meat, usually a combo of ground turkey, elk and hamburger. I eyeball everything and apologize to the person reading this wanting exact directions. I have no clue. My veggie-to-meat ratio is about 1:1, so for example, 3 cups of chopped veggies to 3 cups of ground meat. Then, I add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, 2 eggs and gluten free crackers to help it bind and absorb the moisture.
How do you cook up your nutritonal meals? What works for you?
Do you need a recipe, or would you be wiling to shop your local grocery store for in-season produce and come home with a blank slate?
Imagine that. . . The opportunities could be endless, and yes, also disastrous!
Take it one simple step at a time and share your success with me!
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