Let’s Talk About Food!

My mother-in-law recently made a comment about how restrictive my her son and I are with our diets. It gave me pause, as our meals no longer seem restrictive. I may not be able to eat beef, shellfish, dairy, gluten, or avocado, but I still have access to thousands of options. I don’t feel limited at all!

I’m lazy efficient, so I tend to eat the same thing on repeat until I grow sick of it. This is my current meal rotation.

Weekday lunch:

• Kale and brussel sprout salad with mustard dressing. We sometimes add nuts (walnuts or pecans) and fruit (diced apples or dried cranberries). I like this recipe, but this one is good too. It holds up for several days, so I often make a double-batch.
• Marinated tofu. Soak pressed tofu in a mustard marinate, bake, and plop on top of the salad. I often mix it up with shredded roasted chicken.
• Seconal berries. Right now, it’s a bowl of huckleberries and pomegranate arils. Sometimes it’s blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a blend.

Snack:

• Macadamia nuts. I’m that snob that will only eat Royal Hawaiian. I’m still mad at Costco for discontinuing them.
• Sugar snap peas. Fresh from my mom’s garden or the farmer’s market.
• Apple. Right now, I’m partial to the Cosmic Crisp variety. They are perfect balance of sweet, tart, and crunchy. I often pair it with nuts or nut butter to mediate the sugar crash.
• Dark chocolate: I like Endangered Species 88% dark. However, a recent study reveled high levels of lead and cadmium and chocolate is also correlated with pesky meibomianitis, so I probably need to restrain myself.
• Jackson’s sweet potato chips: On the weekends, we share a bowl of chips. These taste good, without tons of crazy additives.
• Nelly’s coconut candy bar: A few times per year, I pick up one of these as a treat. They’re like Mounds candy, but less sweet. Yum!

Weekday dinner:

• Potato leek soup. There is something so comforting about boring soup this time of year. This dairy-free version is an easy go-to. Add a half-teaspoon of Selina Celtic grey sea salt and it’s heaven in a bowl. I also like this Moroccan lentil and vegetable soup and this red lentil butternut squash curry.
• Apple or pear. Fruit = dessert.

Weekend breakfast or lunch:

• Streamed broccoli: Fresh from the market, cut and left to sit for 30 minutes to allow for increased release of sulforaphane.
• Roasted Peruvian purple potato: Papa púrpura! A root veggie loaded with bright antioxidants. More Celtic sea salt.
• Protein: Baked chicken breast for me, poached eggs for me better half.
• Coconut
• Seconal berries. Right now, it’s a bowl of huckleberries and pomegranate arils. Sometimes it’s blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a blend.

What about you?

I’m curious. What is your all time favorite meal? Do you have any easy, weekly go-to? Have your dietary preferences changed over the years?