Veggies as the Main Course

I really love eating. That might seem like a funny statement. Like, of course, who wouldn't like to eat? I actually lived with a woman who didn't like to eat... It was hard to agree on meal protocol. Things like how much oil, salt, and time went into each dish and each meal became points of tension. Partly because I really wanted to make things that were tasty and she didn't really care if it was tasty...eating was just something you did because it needed to be done.

So now that I need to modify my eating habits, there has been certain challenges. One of the big ones has been how to keep B and the girls happy with meal time; while limiting the temptations that sat on the table. On that note, I hope to one day not be tempted by things I shouldn't eat since I just feel bad after eating them. One night during the holidays I felt so awful after both eating the wrong stuff and overeating...my tummy was so sore. At bedtime the girls all prayed that God would help me to not eat so much so my tummy wouldn't get so sore...sweet things!

These last few weeks I have been trying to assimilate all the information I could about creating a healthy diet. On a recent MacLean's magazine is a cover photo of a very skinny man. Inside are two stories about a lifestyle and diet called Calorie Restriction (CR). The idea is that you eat 20-30% less than needed to sustain your weight to keep you skinny and healthy with the aim of living a longer life. Then I was reading about the Eat-2-Live plan and the McDougall Plan. The more I read the more overwhelming it became. It was starting to feel like if I wanted to eat well to correct my cholesterol and high blood pressure it would consume my time and thoughts. My information junkie tendency was leading me into a mire of opinions, thoughts mixed with some facts. I don't want to have to download software to calculate the number of calories and nutrients each meal contains (like CR requires). I am not prepared to give up rice and more particularly peanut butter (like Eat-2-Live recommends). Peanut Butter is like comfort food for me... And the thought of giving up suger, flour and coffee (McDougall) feels a bit like giving up the remaining enjoyable food left. After all, I have already cut out egg, butter, dairy, red meat and chicken.

Finally, yesterday I gleaned all the information down to...Make veggies the central figure of the meal and everything will be okay.

Last night was the test run. We ate raw spinach, cucumbers and carrots with hummus and raita, and zucchini stuffed with rice. For dairy and extra calories the girls' half of the zucchini had cheese in it. I also made flat bread to eat with the hummus. Now tonight, B and I were trying how to make Moussaka safe for me. Eureka!! We made the sauce with soya granules soaked in veggie stock. Then I made the becamel sauce on the side so everyone else could ladle it on to their heart's content. So spinach salad with dressing on the side and vegetarian Moussaka with Becamel sauce on the side made a satisfying meal for everyone.

VOILA! I have a new eating philosophy...veggies get centre stage and my heart will be healthy. I must also add that my brain is happy too, less worry about details and more focus on the good stuff...eating without stress!!