eat better = asparagus, olive oil, garlic sauteed in a cast iron skillet.
I've never been much of a foodie, I'm more of an "eat to live" person. Ironic since I spent most of my childhood and my career in the retail food industry! My lack of interest coupled with the picky pallets of my children, food has been somewhat dismal and routine around here for a while. A long while.
Claire | has always been a good eater, preferring fresh offerings and the occasional bag of chips. Oh, and ice cream, lots of ice cream!
Cole | has been my pickiest eater with a hyper sensitive gag reflex. He has made mealtime a bit of an adventure for a long time.
Chloe | will eat anything as long as it's white and starchy. We've introduced a few green things but really, her preference is pretty bland.
Caden | is a foodie. A complete lover of all things food. Not only does he like eating, but he really enjoys learning to cook.
It is through Caden's eyes and enthusiasm I now approach food and feeding my family.
The easiest part of this new adventure is my natural aversion to "plastic" food. I'd far rather eat the real things - butter, cheese, cream, full fat foods - than the "fat free" and chemically manipulated alternative. Remember that reference to being in the food industry my whole life? I know of what I speak and "fake" food is to be avoided as much as possible!
When I went to Canyon Ranch last spring, with my sister, I was reminded of how good food, prepared well, tastes, and what portion control is all about. For ten days I followed the eating protocol and never once felt hungry or deprived. (Though a glass of wine would have been nice!) Mind you, all of the food was prepared and served. It made things far easier than simply bringing the protocol home.
At home there is no simple. There is a lot of work. Worth every minute of it!
The Canyon Ranch recipes are wonderful and can be found on their website. Our family favourites include:
Asian Braised Flank Steak with Bok Choy (especially the Mongolian BBQ Sauce!)
We have now ventured out a little bit and while incorporating the ideas and portion controls learned through the Canyon Ranch, and considering the instructions from our naturopath, I feel confident we can move into some new territory.
While waiting for Chloe at her singing lessons a couple of weeks ago, I took the boys to Chapters to wander around for a bit. I had no intention of purchasing anything. We hit on a table full of cookbooks. Both of my boys spent quite a bit of time going through the books and asked if they could buy one. One each. I was so thrilled they were interested! Of course they could.
We now own the new Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes and the Donna Hay Fast, Fresh, Simple.
They both look amazing in very different ways. With those books, combined with Jamie's Food Revolution, Barefoot Contessa At Home and Family Style, we are now putting together a monthly eating plan.
The key? NO DEPRIVATION.
We are expecting a lot from a food program: I want to lose weight; Claire wants to maintain while making better choices; Cole wants to gain a lot of muscle, at least 15 pounds; Chloe needs to maintain or lose; Caden is a growing boy and needs healthy calories. It all comes down to portion control. Same food, just different amounts to meet each need.
Over the course of the next while, I'll be keeping a record of what we eat and give it a pass/fail by participant. I'm excited to try some of the things the kids have flagged to try, and hope they make an effort at a few of the recipes I'm interested in trying.
The good thing is that we enjoy a lot of the same foods: savoury Mediterranean inspired foods with lots of garlic, fresh and biting Asian inspired noodles and stir frys, and comfortable crock pot meals. It's the nit-picky little things that are going to drive me bonkers! I'd like to incorporate something new - like beets and salmon for them and maybe (eek!) I'll re-try zucchini or some Brussels sprouts. Okay. Not the zucchini.
Do you ever fall into a meal rut? What do you do to shake things up a bit? Are you totally organized with a weekly meal plan or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants cook? What do you want to do better?
