Here are the issues I am having:
- I want to eat multi ingredient foods. Not just boiled beets or carrots.
- I want my food to be quick and easy when needed.
- I want sweets such as ice cream.
- I miss having flavor!! Food should make you drool and not be bland.
- I need calories and fruits and veggies are just not very calorie dense.
Tonight I went out to dinner with two dear friends of mine. Yes I broke my rules, and to be honest I did not care. It was worth not having to stress about the content of my food. I think that is a major thing I am learning, you should not have to stress about where your food is coming from and how much it costs, it takes away the joy of eating. Breaking my "rules" was a mistake, but it is making me decide that I need to define them more clearly both for myself and you my reader. So stay tuned for rule related posts.
Starting tomorrow, I will officially be back on the bandwagon regarding eating non processed food. By telling you, it will hold me accountable. I appreciate any advice you have regarding the concerns I have so far. I do not mean to complain, but I see this as an opportunity to grow and learn from others.
The problem with this experimenting this far is that it is not impossible for the short term but almost impossible to maintain. You can get multi ingredient food bit they take a lot longer (duh), and a diet as lacking in protein that you've been doing is very difficult to maintain (and not super healthy). I till think you need to find ways to incorporate more meats, but if not meats, more legumes and ornery protein sources.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember that flavor doesn't have to be sacrificed, but that you have to work harder to find the slices and additions that you enjoy. Cookig with butter, using herbs you can grow, etc are legitimate ways to flavor your food locally.
I have been improving in the protein realm by having more peanut butter. I have some frozen chicken noodle soup that I made while at my parent's house. Honestly, cooking meat is my weakest link, I am always afraid that I will undercook it. I also am slowly learning which herbs will go well with what dish, I think that is an art in itself.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that the experiment feels impossible to maintain right now, I feel like I am always cooking or thinking of what my next meal will be.
I have discovered that fruit sorbet is a pretty good substitute when I crave ice cream or frozen yogurt. For a wedding shower gift Colin and I got this thing called a Yonannas machine, and it makes frozen banana chunks into a pretty legitimate ice cream-esque concoction. I think a regular food processor or blender would do the same thing- and you can add things like other frozen fruit or chocolate to it :)
ReplyDeleteI will pray for you to keep it up and not become discouraged. And I hope that you will be able to find ingredients to make the natural foods tasty! I have some recipe books I can share with you if things get difficult - a lot of them allow for non-processed ingredients.
ReplyDeleteBuy yourself a decent meat thermometer -- they can be had very inexpensively in the kitchen section of your local store, and the price can go up from there -- and then look in the meat section of your cookbook for the cooking temps. Most meats are very forgiving -- ground meats are done when they're brown, chicken at the given temps, and pork can even go as low as 140 and still be safe these days.
ReplyDeleteMEAT!!! MEAT!!! I WANT TO SEE MORE MEAT!!! (Yes, this is Mama Carnivore writing you.)