Monday, November 23, 2009

Eat What You Want

"Oh, really?," you ask. "So I should just have the double cheeseburger and fries?" Well, not exactly. At least not all the time. Plus, if you have a cheeseburger, maybe have half a burger and a salad to go with it instead of fries...

While I don't advocate to eat anything we want without planning and watching our portions, I think it's important that we eat what we like. So often I hear people talk about things they "should eat" because they "are good" for them. But they don't really like these foods. So they eat some of the "oh so good for them" foods, and then they go on to eat what they really like. In my view, that's not very productive.

When I met hubby, he had food very clearly divided into "good foods" and "healthy foods." Unfortunately, the two categories rarely merged in his mind. He literally ate "healthy foods" so that he then could eat the "good foods" he really wanted to eat. It took him quite a few years to realize that healthy food can taste great...

We hear so much about "super foods" and "wonder nutrients" that it's easy to think we should eat certain foods because they are good for us. And if we like these foods, great. But if we don't like them, we should remember that there are so many fruits and vegetables out there that it's possible to find nutritious foods that we truly enjoy. There is no reason to eat foods "just because they are good for us." Food should be enjoyed and celebrated...

I think we should make sure we experiment and figure out what fruits and vegetables we truly like, and then make note of how we like them best (raw, sauteed, baked, roasted, steamed...) and with which condiments and flavors (lemon, garlic, different herbs, soy sauce, hot sauce...). Also, so often we think we don't like something but haven't tasted it in years. Maybe we didn't like the way the food was cooked the last time we tasted it. I would suggest to give it another try! You never know, you may find that you love Vegetable X after all...

Questions: What is one food you don't like? When was the last time you tasted it? How was it prepared? Are you willing to give it another chance?

Some foods I used to not like (but love today) are: Brussels sprouts, beets, apples (we had too many of them because my parents had several apple trees), and bananas (I didn't like that they are "mushy"). Today, these foods are some of my favorites; I'm so glad I gave them a "second chance!"

Be well,
Andrea