TODAY'S GOAL: Empower you to make food choices for you & no one else.
I am a dietitian and I am promising you I will never be a vegetarian.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for adding more plant foods to your diet. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, and cost make plant-based meals a smart choice. But, as someone who struggles with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) I don't do well with a lot of vegetables. I have spent years fine-tuning what and when I eat in an effort to improve my GI symptoms. While there is no cure-all, tuning in to my body has been a game changer. I have learned that onions and garlic don't agree with me. I don't do well with dairy in large quantities, and cruciferous vegetables and legumes need to be eaten in the tiniest portions.
Honesty, I know eating a lot of meat isn't the best for health, especially when conventionally raised (buy local whenever you can), but without meat and fat I would never be full. While I may need to pass on bean soups and lentil bowls, I have found my own ways to balance out my meals. I add veggies to my breakfast egg bake, eat fruit in the mornings, and enjoy large leafy green salads at dinner.
Your body is talking to you and you need to listen! What is it asking for? What makes it feel good?
Check out this amazing freekah bowl from Cara, my friend at Street Smart Nutrition. Colorful, flavorful, and undoubtedly filling.
Just because I may not be able to fully embrace veggie bowls, doesn't mean you can't.
Social media, documentaries (What the Health), and celebrities love to tout their diets and scare us into thinking their way is the only way. If we listened to every fear mongering "authority" we wouldn't find much satisfaction in our food, health, or happiness. I know this pressure doesn't just come from the media. It comes from family, friends, coworkers, even strangers at the grocery store. It isn't kind to push your way of eating on others.
Today we can commit to making food choices for ourselves. We can respect the way others choose to eat. If we can do these two things we will feel less judgement and be better able to nourish our own body the way it needs.
Have you recently needed to defend your food choices? How did you handle the situation? I would love to hear about it.
