Food
This is the spot for talking food!
My eating lifestyle is mostly healthy, with the occasional indulgance tossed in.
Because life is too short to forgo pastry.
Healthy?
I do try to be healthy. It’s a promise I made my mom and husband, and I do my best to stick with it. But being healthy, in my worldview, means taking life with a grain of salt, and not being a nutcase about calories and portion sizes ALL the time. A few pastries never hurt anyone, know what I mean? And I do love pastry. And bread. And cheese. And chips. And on…
But. I will try to keep those indulgances limited to the background on this blog and in my life. My plan is to focus on the healthier end of the spectrum, by eating foods that are good for me.
What does that mean (to me)?
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
I’ve learned heaps from this guy. Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Omivore’s Dilemma are staples in my house for good reason. Both books taught me a LOT about what it means to be conscious of what and how I eat. We (Americans) tend to eat too much fat, too much meat, and too many bad carbs. Duh. We know that. But Pollan breaks it down in easy-to-relate-to verbage. And he provides genuine insight into the atrocities of factory farming. If I can plead for just one thing, it’s that everyone try to go off the factory farming grid. It’s horrendous on so many levels (animal welfare, social justice, environmental impact). Find a local family farmer. Most of them operate on a small scale, which enables them to provide humane conditions for their farm animals, of which many are free range. Feed and pasture are often organic, and processing (slaughter) is often certified as humane.
My philosophy (if I dare to use that word) is to eat as close to a food’s source as possible. Within reason. And because I’m not nutty about life, and choose to follow the premise of moderation being a good thing, I do eat foods that come from boxes. I do eat animal products. I even eat M&Ms.
I’d guess that 90% of the food in our pantry and fridge is good for us and little to zero processed. And all of our meat is organic or free range or comes from local sources. The majority of our meat meets (heh) all three of those labels. Here in the Soprano State we get our meat from Applegate Farms, from local farmers markets, or we frequent Simply Grazin or Cherry Grove Farms for local, organic, free range meat. If you want to find your local farmer, go to Local Harvest and find your nearest family farm.
In the past, I’ve supported a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm by purchasing a CSA farm share. We’d get organic farm fresh produce delivered to our town 1x per week. You can also use Local Harvest to find your neighborhood CSA. I hope to again next year, once the economy is a bit stronger (cuz CSAs ain’t cheap).
On My Plate
When I use a plate, I try to fill up half with veggies & fruits, and then fill up 1/4 with a protein and 1/4 with a grain. Now, I do this often, but not all the time. I try to follow the French, who eat for pleasure. They eat fat, chocolate, and wine in small amounts, and delight in good food being part of their culture. I embrace this approach.
I wish you all happy eats (including pastry)!
Erin
