Well, it seems that winter has finally arrived. Despite the colder weather, it is quite beautiful out. So beautiful that during my run on Saturday, I managed to distract myself and sprain my ankle for the 3rd time this running season. Not fun. Yoga, it is.
The weekend wasn’t all bad. One of my favorite Saturday morning activities is making breakfast creations such as giant omelets with tomatoes, kale, onion, and local hot pepper cheese.
And I’m still hooked on roasted root vegetables over lettuce or quinoa and drizzled with tahini (and sometimes hot sauce). I know I’m supposed to like vegetables as a dietitian, but I really love them…seriously…and not just because they are good for me. I see a lot of kids in clinic who hate veggies, and it makes me wonder how much patterning is involved. As in, parents feed children baby junk food (Gerber Wagon wheels, random crackers, cookies, juice, etc) and continue these feeding habits until kids are old enough to declare they hate all types of fruit and vegetables (exceptions: french fries and corn).
Sometimes I wonder what things would look like if veggies and fruit, whole grains, and healthy protein were staples. Sometimes I wonder if I would see so many teenagers with abdominal pain because they are eating pop-tarts and chips for breakfast and energy drinks and pop while scarfing fries and tater tots at lunch. Those things come at cost, and the cost quite often is constipation, weight concerns, and abdominal pain. It makes me sad to realize what the American diet has become and that people are often more willing to live with pain or take drugs vs paying attention to what they’re eating. I get dirty looks when I say words like whole, unprocessed foods, like I'm suggesting some kind of Asian water drip torture.
I’ve been experimenting with a few different recipes, but in the meantime if you’re interested in some good eats for the rest of your week/weekend…
butternut squash and apple soup :: goat cheese quesadillas :: whole wheat oatmeal waffles :: spiralized zucchini and polenta
So, I’m curious. Did you grow up eating vegetables and fruit, and do you like them now? Or do you just eat them because you know they’re good for you??
