It all started out with a thinly sliced, hot off the grill piece of boneless steak, a fresh baked potato no butter or salt added and a cup of steaming hot, sugar-less black tea... I was ravenous. As the one who must always engage in an internal tug-of-war over what she should or should not eat, I surprised myself at how swiftly and effortlessly I was able to evade any ensuing battle with my conscious over the nourishment that was placed before me (or rather quickly disappearing). I barely had time to process my typical ensuants of eating a cow (environmental impact of both ranching and methane gas and the drawbacks of industrial agriculture) as I tore into the succulent, well-seasoned and tender beef and hearty, wholesome baked potato. This Combination of foods resulted in one satisfying experience and a glimpse into into the world of minimally processed foods. And it dawned on me- if this is what good food tastes like, when why have I been denying myself the exquisite pleasure of making the acquaintance of the supermarket perimeter where there exists a mecca of possibilities to explore?
In my previous life in New York City, I had neither the time, money or ideal setup (think roommates) to develop a relationship with the foods I ate. My standard rations were Kraft mac and cheese, packaged tuna with saltines, pasta in tomato sauce and various assortments of soups and sandwiches from Pret a Manger. Now I feel my spirits life when I think about the exciting breakfast meals I can create with just a few simple ingredients.
Making mindful breakfasts to me means being conscious of how I feel physically and emotionally and how what I consume for breakfast can either enhance or take away. I had a terrible sore throat for almost two weeks and I simply could not imagine having cereal and cold milk so instead I made a hot breakfast. I was feeling a little blue and wanting something comforting and warm to soothe my blue mood so I set out to make homemade oatmeal. I was craving something sweet but light and by this point, foodstuffs were running low around the house so I toasted some bread, found some peanut butter and cut up a single banana that was on its way to the dumpster in the next day or so and voila! A satisfying, healthful and filling breakfast. Other items in my breakfast lineup have included: - White toast with butter and a cup of coffee
- Whole wheat toast with peanut butter, topped with bananas
- Spinach sauteed in olive oil and lemon juice with scrambled eggs
- Homemade oatmeal simmered in milk with sugar and raisins
- Blended shake of Chocolate nutrition mix with bananas, milk, peanut butter
Now that I've discovered the richness and value that eating wholesome goodness can add to our lives, I'm looking towards preparing more mindful meals. Why? Because it felt good to me. Providing my body with natural, minimally processed food helped me to feel good and to appreciate starting my day in a positive way knowing that I'd done something good for my body by doing without unnatural inundations of salt, sugar and preservatives.
Simple, basic, minimally processed.
12/15/16
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