Food for thought

I've mentioned that "healthy eating" is a big passion of mine but what does that mean exactly? For me it means trying to eat unprocessed food as much as possible, trying to get a good balance of protein, whole grains, and fruits and veggies, and trying to cut back on foods that I tend to overindulge in, namely cheese and sweets. Defining what "healthy" is to me is an ongoing process and though it's a process I enjoy, it can easily become complicated.

The other day I was talking food and cooking with one of my coworkers and he commented that he was impressed with how much thought I put into what I ate, and how he didn't really give much thought to food.

Sometimes I wish I could say the same. The problem with putting thought into what you eat is that there's so much to think about! I think about adding fruits and vegetables to every meal. I think about getting the right amount of protein, iron, vitamins. I think about ways to make quick healthy meals without pulling them out of a package. I think about avoiding certain foods and filling up on others. I think about all the food research out there and how one minute a food or food trend is good for you, the next minute is bad. It gets exhausting and I won't pretend there aren't days that I just put it all aside and eat whatever I want.

I think the important thing to realize is that ultimately I am the one who makes my own food choices. No one else is judging me for what I eat and analyzing everything I put into my mouth. If I eat a packaged meal or skimp on the veggies once awhile, the sky is not going to come crashing down and body is not going to fall apart either. I choose healthy food because I want to do something good for myself - AND because it's yummy! - not because I am imposing a strict regime on myself.

Tonight's food choices:


A salad made with broccoli, a Granny Smith apple, shredded carrots, and raisins, with a combo of mayo, apple cider vinegar, and sugar for a dressing.

Followed by....butter tart ice cream. Like I said, it's an ongoing process!