“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces, just good food from fresh ingredients.” -Julia Child
I love this quote and believe it sums up pretty well my philosophy on food. I love cooking heavily plant-based and letting fresh vegetables be the star of the dish. But by the weekend, the hubby is really ready for meat! He makes sure we all get our fill of meat (he is quite a good cook himself!) which seems to balance out as we try to not be too extreme and remember moderation in all things.
The most important thing is eating real, whole, fresh food as much as you can. Diets wouldn’t be necessary if you switched the way of thinking about food and simply (or not so simply for some) turn away from packaged, processed food that is lacking in natural nutrients. I find when I try to completely eliminate something, I crave it even more! This was so hard as I was on an elimination diet as I tried to figure out my food allergies on my own. But I realized after a three month hump, you actually do decrease and eventually eliminate that “need” for foods, whether it is chocolate, sweets, salt, etc. Unfortunately, most diets don’t last that long so no real lifestyle changes with food take place. I feel that deprivation diets are very similar. Deprive yourself for a short amount of time of things you really enjoy, then you will often binge tenfold on it when you finally cave or when the short-lived diet has passed! Eating healthy should not feel like a sacrifice, it can be every bit as satisfying and enjoyable! Keeping your food in perspective and allowing yourself special treats while focusing on heathier eating as a whole will keep you happier, healthier, and without those feelings of guilt so often associated with food and eating.
I “cook from the hip”–throwing things together spontaneously and unplanned– and enjoy the challenge of opening my refrigerator and trying to create a restaurant quality dish with whatever I have on hand. So stay and see what creations come from my kitchen!
