When Artful Eating Pays Off

In the midst of evaluating my life-long battle with the bulge, I started considering my relationship with food.  More often than not, I would eat what was convenient and what sounded good at the time (and most of the time, it was high calorie and the worst thing for me.)  I didn't give a lot of thought to food other than I needed to eat something and whether or not that something was easy to make or buy.  Even grocery shopping was tough; its way easier to know what to do with a pantry full of junk food over a recipe that involves veggies and spices--especially when you need to feed more than just yourself!  But, ever since I started this journey, I felt like I needed to conquer my bad romance with food.  Food isn't the enemy; its how I think about food that is the problem.

So, I started with that one question: What do you REALLY like to eat?  I couldn't come up with a specific list of foods that were must have's or life would be utterly miserable without it (other than chocolate of course!)  However, there are definitely certain flavors and textures that I am drawn to that make meals more enjoyable to sit through.  I'm a crunch girl; I love dairy products (especially CHEESE); I crave salts and sweets pretty equally; I like scoopy or dippy kind of foods; I like most greens (hold the brussel sprouts though) and fruits; I'll try just about anything once!  I started to realize that since I have a broad spectrum of likes on my list of an enjoyable eating experience, then I have a lot of room to play with a lifestyle change that is balanced, but delicious and filling at the same time.  I'm not going to commit to never eating cheesecake again or banning chips from the grocery list.  I just need to stop long enough to think about what I'm eating.

I started with buying the basics and switching to smarter versions of foods I enjoy....organic cereals over sugary brand names; almond milk over 2% milk; natural sweetners (like honey & cinnamon) to top toast, waffles and pancakes; organic or rice chips over fatty brand chips.  I started to realize that I really began to enjoy what I was eating the more thought and effort I put into my meals and snacks.  My bad romance was starting to look like the beginnings of a solid friendship.  I made a rule to strive to add color to my meals.  If I took the time to make something that looked good, or smelled good, I would appreciate it that much more, and put some more value to what I was putting in my mouth rather than seeing at as something that took the hunger away.  In a way, I started to feel like I was putting a little piece of me in designing my meals.  And through it all, Preston was willing to take the plunge with me in trying new things!

Let's start with a high-protein breakfast I made....



Spinach & Cheddar Omelet topped with Pico de Gallo
served with 3 strips of Turkey Bacon & Yukon Potatoes
Total Calories = 632

 This lunch is a little too beige, but it was delish...

Southwestern Chick Bagel Sandwich
with Spinach & Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle,
served with Jalapeno Yogurt and
Rice & Adzuki Bean Snack Chips
Total Calories = 387

We had this for dinner tonight.  It was fantastic....

Salmon Milano with Pesto Basil Butter
over Jasmine Rice, served with
Garlic French Beans & Baby Carrots
Total Calories = 488

I was pretty proud of myself over these snacks...

The Alternative Bagel - Italian Herb
topped with Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese
& Pico de Gallo
Total Calories = 175

Mini Cucumber Strips seasoned
with Salt & Pepper, Jalapeno Yogurt Dip,
Celery Strips with Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese
 seasoned with pepper, and 2 sliced Straberries
Total Calories = 157

Tonight's dessert....

Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Granola Thin
topped with Strawberry, served with
Red Apple Slices topped with
Crunchy Peanut Butter, Honey
& sprinkled with Cinnamon Sugar
Total Calories = 188

If you would've asked me to take this kind of consideration and thought into my meals, I probably would of laughed it off as completely ridiculous, reasoning that nobody has that kind of time or dedication to meal planning or calorie counting.  Now, I prefer to count out my chips and see them on a plate over just mindlessly eating them straight from the bag.  Maybe this calorie counting deal is my own natural high equivalent to those obsessed extreme couponing peeps, but I'm diggin' it!  I finally feel like I can have a healthy relationship with food that leaves me feeling happy and proud of myself when I stare down at an empty plate at the end of a meal.