Food Philosophy

Health.com has an article on common “diet-busting” foods and their calorie, fat, and sugar content.  There were some items I wasn’t surprised to see, like anything you can order from the mall’s food court. I also wasn’t surprised to see supposedly healthy options like Healthy Choice frozen dinners, Vitamin Water, and Power Bars. Products like these kind of annoy me; the companies advertise health, but you’re really just getting sugar, preservatives, and all sorts of weird ingredients you can’t pronounce. I was kind of shocked about some brand names, like Amy’s and Bear Naked, right alongside Kellogg’s Pop-tarts!

The article may have gone to extremes, but it IS a little frightening to read the nutritional “values” in some of these foods. Personally I never count calories or fat; I simply try to follow the basic principles of whole grains, lean protein, limited fats and sugars, and as many fruits and veggies as I can get. On top of that, we’re constantly cooking in my house. I usually eat oatmeal or yogurt with fruit for breakfast, leftovers pumped up with extra veggies or a salad for lunch, and a homemade meal at dinnertime. Maybe there’s a lot of butter in what the Roommate made for dinner that night, but she can also list every single ingredient in the meal.  Knowing exactly what we’re eating should not be guesswork.

I’m not sure I’m the healthiest eater, but I would say I eat pretty natural stuff. I really don’t enjoy processed foods. When grocery shopping I buy natural food with ingredients I’ve heard of, and if I can make it at home, it’s always better. If I have to stop for lunch between jobs or something, I’ll go someplace where I can have a sandwich made right in front of me, as opposed to grabbing a bag of pretzels at a gas station. I’m not a dietician or health expert, of course, but this seems to be working for me.

Eating is a learned process, something that develops as we grow from children to adults. My mother was making whole wheat pizza dough way before whole wheat became cool and common.  She never stocked the house with Pop-tarts. We were forced to take “two no-thank-you bites” of vegetables we hated (like zucchini, which I now love and just used in a dish last night). I always assumed I’d move out and, once free of my mother’s vegetable-wielding grip, start buying all the junk I was “deprived” of as a child.  Instead I grew into an adult who loves farmer’s markets. Clearly I’m traumatized.