Life is too short to eat bad tasting food!

My new motto is "life is too short to eat bad tasting food".  There's an assumption that "diet" food does not taste good and anything that tastes good is bad for you i.e. cake, cookies, pizza etc

I don't know how many times I have been on a "diet" and eaten limp celery or dry lettuce or scraped the mold off the raspberries cuz that's the only fresh food in the house. Geneen Roth wrote a book (among several) called "When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair". She talks a lot about mindful eating in comparison to mindless eating where we end up thinking...I can't believe I ate the whole thing! In mindful eating you say "yum" with each and every bite. So if you eat a piece of cake, it should be a $6 cupcake from a specialty shop where you savor every bite and not some box cake that tastes like cardboard! No guilt...just enjoy it! In addition,  if you are eating healthy make sure what you choose is full of the flavors you love and that it is fresh. My favorite green salad has both fruit and nuts.

My new favorite dressing is a homemade honey mustard: 1 cup of brown mustard, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp oil and 2 tbsp of poppy seeds is optional. I also like Newman's Own olive oil and vinegar dressing.

I am greatful that through clean eating my tastes have changed. I no longer drink soda of any kind and love flavored water...my favorite is a cucumber-mint from Target. I drink one cup of coffee instead of a whole pot. That one cup is exquisite with coffee mate's Natural Bliss all natural coffee creamer.

Geneen Roth's Eating Guidelines include:
1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car.
3. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or  anxiety producing conversations and music.
4. Eat only what you want.
5. Eat until you are satisfied.
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, pleasure and gusto.

#3 is the hardest for me...when, why did the TV get moved into the kitchen or dining room or did we start to eat in front of the TV?

So in the name of healthy eating, I am willing to try new things but question them too...just because
it's deemed healthy doesn't mean it tastes good and just because it tastes good doesn't mean it's bad for you! Healthy food can and should be delicious!  Hopefully one day all of those sugar and fat laden desserts will come with a warning label....not just cigarettes. I continue to struggle with unhealthy eating but am learning to eat mindfully and with forgiveness after I have had a slip.

I tried a new recipe for Vanilla Spice Quinoa Breakfast Cereal....interesting...not sure I will eat it again without tweeking the recipe!

One of the keys is to keep fresh, frozen and canned ingredients that you love on hand so you can whip up healthy meals more easily!  And to keep moving!