Become the boss (of your plate)
Preface
This post is the second one in a series of 7 and is based on my pdf-guide ‘7 challenges to make almost everything a bit better’. You can download it from here. This guide is an attempt to show that living healthier, happier and caring about our future on this planet is not difficult. It does not call for fancy diets, prescription pills, hippie lifestyle or expensive ‘green’ gear.
There are a couple of rather basic but paramount things we can do that have a positive effect on several aspects of our lives. And in here, they are called challenges (because who doesn’t like a nice challenge?).
Challenge #2: Become the boss (of your plate).
For your body to function properly it must receive a variety of nutritious food in the right amount. The most nutritious food is seasonal and organic (also known as regular food before industrialisation).
In addition to that, choose local. Choosing locally grown food gives you more certainty about the quality and conditions — where it was grown exactly, how, when, by who, did it have chemicals sprayed? You put it in your mouth for your body to rely on it. It should be in your interests to know what has happened to it before.
Buying local also means you will be offered what is in season most of the times. On top of that, money you give to the local farmers and producers is likely to stay in your area. This way, you support your own community.
Seasonality is important as food is the most nutritious when grown in the latitudes and conditions intended by nature. A tomato grown in summer under the sunshine in a regenerative way is a very different tomato from the one grown under an artificial light in a heated greenhouse in winter. Tomatoes are not supposed to be grown and be available in winter in our (West/North European) latitudes.
Apart from obvious nutrients related benefits, there is a beauty of anticipation in eating local and seasonal. Every season comes with something special. In autumn, you will be looking forward first pumpkins, because it will be 9 months since you have eaten one. In July and August (depends on your location, of course), you will be looking forward juicy full of taste tomatoes, because you have not eaten them since last September. Winter is full of other amazing vegetables, which will not be there in summer. It becomes exciting. Way more exciting than having access to any fruit and vegetable every day, whole year, your whole life.
How
There are two rather easy tools to make sure your food serves your best interests. One of them is a food pyramid or food ‘circle’ — a nice and easy to use tool to understand how healthy eating habits look like. The pyramid will vary depending on your geographical location and season, but the message in general is the same. Plenty of vegetables, pulses, less fish & meat, and minimum amount of energy-full-nutrients-poor food (chips, sugary drinks, sweets, fast and processed food).
Another tool is a simple food plan or menu for a week — a list of what you or your family will be eating next week(s) and when. It removes the frustration of thinking about what to eat daily, prevents the impulse purchases and hunger driven grocery shopping. It helps you to make sure your diet is balanced, reduces food waste and saves you money.
While making your meal plan, have food pyramid close by and use it as a guide for your dishes. Plan 6 vegetables and pulse-based dinners and have 1 dinner with animal protein, for example. Plan your breakfasts and lunches too. Even your desserts!
One quite effective way to stick to the food pyramid is to follow ‘less but better’ principle. To resist the temptation of unhealthy snacks during a week, agree with yourself that you will ‘reward’ your patience with a nice dessert from your local pâtissier on Sunday. Instead of having questionable sausage every day, decide to have something celebration worthy from your local butcher/fisherman/farmer on Saturday. Make an event out of it, look forward to it.
Contradictory as it may sound, life becomes way more exciting when you introduce limitations into it.
When food shopping, be critical of the ingredients in the processed foods. Most of the time, what you do not understand you do not want in your body. Often, these ingredients are there to make life of the producer easier, not yours healthier.
Actions:
1. Make creating weekly menu (based on the food pyramid and the season you are in) a habit. Try linking it to something you already do or, if it seems too mundane, make it pleasant by having music play or do it while drinking coffee in your favorite café in the morning.
2. Whenever grocery shopping, pay attention to ingredients and origin. Choose local. Research local producers and farmers.
3. Think how you can implement ‘less but better’ principle and try it for 30 days.
