Tag: Food relationship

Well, this was bound to happen.

What do vegetarians have the morning after a night of drinking? Chilli soup? Curry? Before this journey, hot wings would have been the order of the day. Please send help.

Have I restricted food today?

Yes. Firstly, in accordance with my challenge over the next three months, I have restricted my diet to exclude meat. Second, I restrict my meals by portion size while still eating my fill.

Today I had potato fries at midday, and creamed spinach in the evening.

– Lele M

Convenience. That is all I ask.

Okay, okay. I’ll admit it. Sometimes my meal preparation is delayed because I cannot bring myself to risk a chipped or scratch on the veneer of my cherished nails. Grating, chopping, and peeling are known enemies of decent nail aesthetics. These activities have terrorized my efforts to keep presentable nails.

The challenge is that my most nutritious and delicious meals depend solely on vegetables and their glorious variety. My way around this is to capitalize on those small conveniences which could lead to significant change in my experience of preparing healthy meals. So it seems my nails may find an unlikely ally in pre-cut and frozen or canned vegetables.

Were the meals I had today satiating? Was I full when I finished my meals?

Yes. The meals I had today were satiating. Thankfully, they usually are. Although I find that I don’t quite enjoy the feeling of being full. If anything, I find it to be a tad uncomfortable.

Today I had cereal and a banana in the morning, and two slices of swiss roll at midday.

– Lele M

What’s exercise got to do with it?

I’m beginning to wonder if my journey to adjust my eating habits would be helped and complemented by a regular physical activity routine. Beyond the value of exercise in assisting to regulate the metabolism, regular physical activity would regulate my appetite and moderate my energy levels. Though I suppose it is the details of the particular changes I would make to my routine(s) which will decide whether I foster a healthy dynamic between food and exercise.

If I had a perfectly healthy day, what would that look like?

Well, poignant question after the day I had. A healthy day would begin with an early morning, up before dawn. Followed by a glass of water and the gentle order of a morning routine. I’d have three delectable, fresh, nutritious meals and a snack at regular intervals, and loads of water.

Today, though, I had malva pudding in the morning, naartjies at midday, and cookies in the afternoon.

– Lele M

We may be undergoing a routine makeover.

I’m switching up my daily routine. I wake up by 06h00 daily so I find that 14h00 to 17h00 are my most unproductive hours of the day. The sun is at its highest, my energy is at its lowest. That has changed as of today. Which will inevitably affect my mealtimes. Though I will be up and productive mostly through the night, I hope to keep the same eating pattern over the different hours. So hopefully, this change won’t prove to be disruptive.

What am I thinking right now about embarking on a fresh start?

I am thinking of the change that lies ahead. I am optimistic about the journey on which I am embarking. I am looking forward to exploring a new chapter of my relationship with food – and indeed my life.

Today was tricky because I was adopting a new schedule. I had a banana in the afternoon and a few slices of marguerita pizza in the evening.

– Lele M

Okay, the cracks may be starting to appear.

I’m really craving the meat eating experience. Chicken wings, in particular. The tender kind that makes my toes dance. Not the actual taste but the meal experience. I think I may be coming to understand why things like the vegetarian burger or vegan ice cream exist. It is to say the meal is more than its meat or dairy content. It can be reproduced and enjoyed without meat or dairy. But unsurprisingly, I’m coming to a place where eating meat is simply not an option. Especially considering the wealth of food options I still have.

What emotions do I feel when I think about food?

Is aversion an emotion? I suppose I feel indifferent. Agitated even, by the mountain of vegetables waiting to be peeled, cubed, or grated. Unless of course I’m thinking of my favourite meal or the Mr Delivery order making its way to me, then I feel more excited than anything else. Truth is, I have a fluctuating and volatile emotional relationship with food. My behaviour and attitude to food, particularly its utility, shifts every few weeks. Notably, these shifts usually coincide with fluctuating stress levels. So maybe anxious ambivalence? Is that an emotion?

Today I had dark chocolate in the morning, vegetable soup at midday, and popcorn and a banana in the afternoon.

– Lele M

I suspect I may be cruising too breezily through this challenge.

Perhaps I haven’t moved beyond my comfort zone. I should take time out tomorrow to look for delicious meat substitutes. I want to be intentional about exploring food in ways I haven’t before. I want to still be able to enjoy warm, hearty winter meals on a vegetarian lifestyle. I love my stews, curries, and roasts.

Also I think I may also begin a food journal in this series. I will put together reflective questions as journal prompts for consideration in each entry. Today, I had a tomato soup in the morning, banana bread at midday, and granola in the afternoon.

– Lele M

Another day of no hiccups.

I think I’ve been doing meal-prep wrong because it simply isn’t working for me, and I’m convinced it should be. As a chronic planner, I enjoy the idea that I can prepare a variety of meals to be kept for up to five days, and I’m determined to make it work.

In response to this, I’ve been researching effective meal-prep techniques. Some helpful tips are; store different food stuffs separately. Rather than storing your rice, gravy and spinach as a meal in the same container, store each food in a separate container. This will help with the preservation and freshness of the food.

Also, give yourself options. Don’t be so hard on yourself that you suffocate under the rigidity of the same meal three nights a row. Prepare a few containers of the food you enjoy, paying particular attention to variety and compatibility.

For this week, I’ve outperformed all my previous attempts at meal-prep but still have tons to learn. Today, I had a vegetable soup in the morning, a banana at midday, and an energy bar in the afternoon.

– Lele M

I spent a lot of today thinking about snacking sustainably.

The thing about me is, when I find something I like I hold on to it. Perhaps my taste buds are as simple as they are particular. It doesn’t take complexity to please me. I’m satisfied with cream cheese and carrot sticks, or cucumber and humus on rice cake. But also with a crisp granny-smith apple, or amakip-kip (coloured popcorn).

The thing that has always tripped me up is trying to moderate my snack-meal ratio because I prefer lighter meals overall. The line between ‘light meal’ and ‘snack’ tends to blur. I could probably find a way around this by incorporating my snack into a routine activity or time of day. Though I’m concerned about setting too many restrictions. For the most part, I’m just depending on God’s grace to see me through to day 90 with a bag of lessons in tow.

I’ll admit I didn’t eat much today. In my defense, it was a busy day. I had a roasted vegetable salad, a bar of dark chocolate and caramel popcorn.

PS: I think I may be falling in love with kombucha.

– Lele M

I’ve wanted a healthier ‘relationship with food’ for a while. This is me finally doing something about it.

Firstly, I suppose a part of me is writing this as a means to keep myself accountable at every step of this journey – which bodes well, surely. As of today, I am setting out to live the next 90-days on a vegetarian diet. Honestly, I’m not expecting this to be too drastic a change as I don’t consume much meat as it is. Though I do have chicken or sausage at least once a month, which I hope to change over the next three months.

More than that, I hope to learn. I am challenging myself to engage meaningfully in changing my relationship and attitude towards food. I hope to do this by more than just paying attention to which food stuffs I ought to eliminate from my diet. I plan to meditate on the progress of my 90-day vegetarian journey in a brief daily blog entry. During this time, I expect to contemplate questions like; what is a relationship with food, how can an unhealthy one be repaired, what is the influence of poverty on the relationship that poor South Africans have with food?

This is the first entry of this series – an introduction. I’m going to set the tone of the blog series by keeping this entry brief. Here’s to changing unsustainable eating habits and cultivating a healthier attitude towards food!

– Lele M