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As I get older (and wiser!), I’ve noticed a few, well, “shifts.” One thing I haven’t noticed with the years is a big shift in weight. I owe that to - you guessed it - all the vegetables and fruit I eat. I also eat treats regularly, and last night, I enjoyed trying my son’s newest concoction: banana root beer split (frozen banana pieces, organic vanilla ice cream, and organic root beer…we were celebrating an outrageously great math score). And, like most moms, I often find myself finishing my kids’ plates, rather than “wasting” food.
But here’s why those habits of mine don’t send the scale numbers upward: my body is already bolstered by tons of fiber and micronutrients (many of which we probably don’t even know about yet) from eating so many plants. I also make sure my kids get plenty of plants. So instead of polishing off the rest of a kid’s soggy, orange-colored mac and cheese after dinner, my choices include whole grains like rice or quinoa, and myriad veggies.
I hear parents talk a lot about protein, and I’m NOT saying it’s unimportant to our growth and development at every age. I’m just saying it’s probably over-rated. People love to fill their plates with a burger, steak or chicken, and many feel a meal isn’t a meal without that hunk of protein. But protein comes from legless sources, too…and when you consume it that way, say in beans, seeds, and nuts, you also get fiber! And as far as I’m concerned, fiber is the best “diet secret” there is (as long as you consume sufficient water, of course). Fiber fills us up and doesn’t rush through our bodies, so it keeps us full longer.
It’s taken me a long time on this Good Better Best Path to reach the point of seldom eating “processed” foods like bread, cereal, and pasta, but here’s the crazy thing: I don’t really crave them anymore. And that is something I NEVER thought I’d say, since I used to devour cookie dough for breakfast, and spread toast with something new on it almost daily! Maybe it’s because my body is finally listening to what foods are telling it now!
Anyway, I’ve heard lots of talk about weight lately, so I decided to comment (I seldom mention calories, and you will not find that info on any of my recipes). If you want to live free from scale-phobia, listen to your body, and eat more veggies: you’ll be amazed how choosing an extra serving of green beans or salad instead of an extra roll can literally change your life!
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