These Are A Few Of My Favorite Foods

We all have to eat to live- it is essential to our survival. When we are younger we rely on our parents to provide the ingredients to sustain our lives. It is usually at this time when we discover some of our most favorite foods- you know the ones that even to this day when you sense them- an instant memory of happiness blossoms and you just have to find it and eat it. What I also find interesting though is that heir are new tastes we develop as we get older too. My example of this is tomatoes. I could never understand how anyone could enjoy the taste of a juicy tomato unless it was in a spaghetti sauce, ketchup or salsa- but now- Ah yes- heaven has more recently become a vine ripened ruby red sphere, and I can’t believe I never appreciated a tomatoes delicious flavor until later in my life. 

So what I would love to know is what are your absolute favorite foods. If you could have any food in the world what would you choose? One benefit to being an adult is we have the ability to eat whatever we want- or make what we want- and savor it to our hearts content. I am a self-proclaimed, foodie, food-a-holic, food lover- and I don’t plan on changing this status anytime soon. As I learn and prepare myself to become a Registered Dietitian I am curious to learn what other people love and take pleasure in eating. 

So please share with me and post your top ten most favorite foods or drinks-(yes I’ll let coffee count as food I guess) There are no rules to this thing and if you even have time to tell me why I would love to know that too. At the end of the list I think it would be fun to name the single food or drink that you think is disgusting, or maybe you tried it and know you can live without it. When you are done- if you want to post the note to other friends and learn about their favorites too then go for it. I know not everyone is as passionate about food as I am but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have favorites- and maybe we will discover some new favorite cuisine as we read each others list. 

Eat well and prosper my friends!

Here is my top ten - which only will scratch the surface of my favorites:
1. Sweet potatoes. They can be in any form and I am in love. Baked, oven fries, in bread, in soup, even sweet potato burgers. As a treat sometimes I can hardly resist ordering sweet potato fries at Firefly Restaurant- sooo yummy!

2. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I am not aloud to make them anymore because I will consume more batter than should ever be allowed. This is the only food that can strip me of all my willpower. (Don’t worry I make then eggless and they are AWESOME!)

3. Blueberries. My mom used to call me the Blueberry kid since my birthday is in August when blueberries are ripe for picking. I love to freeze blueberries and then eat them like candy!  And the health properties are endless which makes them even more awesome!

4. Smoothies. Frozen Fruit, vegetable, soy milk, the icier the better. I love to concoct new and exciting flavor combinations all the time. My newest favorite is a strawberry banana carrot smoothie, or peach, flax, vanilla and cinnamon. I put things like bok choy and kale in there too, the kids never notice and it is another great way to get your greens!

5. Celery with Peanutbutter. I could seriously eat this every day and be happy. Apples with peanutbutter is a close second in this category for sure. This would be my go to snack everytime.

6. Avocados are amazing and I love them. I just love them.

7. Ginger. Used to not be so fond of this flavor- or maybe I just didn’t understand it- Now I wish I could put ginger in everything- As a treat I love Ginger spice cookies!

8. Rice Pilaf. This is a family tradition and no one makes it better than my Mom. I love the smell of it cooking- I love it reheated with a little pepper on top. I love that my kids love it just as much as I did when I was their age.

9. Ice Cream. I used to work at Wares Brothers for anyone that didn’t know and loved being able to create my own mixtures of sundaes and flurries.  I don’t eat dairy anymore- so I have started to make my own great alternative ice cream at home with the ice cream maker that Tod and the kids got me for Christmas. It is a ton of fun and our favorite so far was a chocolate rice ice cream that was out of this world! I always challenge myself to come up with healthier versions of everything we eat and this category has been the most fun to experiment with.

10. I am sorry but for me ten is not enough so for this last one I am going to say this: If it is a green and growing, a sun loving plant that is safe to eat then I am most likely in love- In its fresh unprocessed whole form though- this includes especially peppers, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, swiss chard, kale, bok choy, zucchini, raspberries, blackberries, pears, cherries and then list goes on into infinity…..  Oh and Quinoa!!!!  I can't leave that one out because I just think it is the coolest grain ever and so healthy as an added bonus! 

The Food I could live without:
The one food that I can live without most obviously for anyone that knows me is any animal/animal byproduct.  The more I learn about being a compassionate eater, it only makes sense to me. I have lived more happily and healthily this past year since I made the choice to eliminate this source of what I don't even consider food anymore.  While I understand that this choice might not seem to be for everyone, I challenge people to take a deeper look at what animal food sources really are and where most of them come from.  Having such a deep love for animals as I have had my entire life, and then stripping away the desensitization of many years of just eating what I was taught was OK- well it comes down once again to how I cannot ignore what I know.  What I know is that my new truth says it seems completely unfair that someone should suffer for my own eating pleasure.  Just watch any wildlife show or right out your back window if you have a yard and you will see that animals have the same capacity as we humans do with a will to want to live.  In nature they only take what they need to survive, and they only produce as much as is needed to nurture their own babies.  I don't believe that God put animals on this earth for our own pleasure, other than the happiness they bring when witnessing their own curiosities and silly frolicking. I mean isn't that why we have pets, the simple joy that they bring to our families and lives?  Farm animals only exist because humans chose to put them there, and I think if they had a choice most of them would not choose the type of service they have been forced into doing or dying for.  Please understand that I have been on the other side of the coin and that I didn't always think this way.  There was a point  in my life when I would have proudly called myself a "meatatarian."  The thought makes me shutter just a little now, but that is OK because it is a part of who I am and what helps me understand why people make the choices that they do.  I am in no way perfect either, but I only try my best to live my truth and share my truth with anyone who asks.  

A Stellar life includes standing up for what you believe in and not being afraid to be a shining beacon of love and compassion.  Be Bold, Be strong, and smile- and in the words of Ghandi: Be the change you want to see in the world.

xoxo- Stephie

Deciding What Works Best for You, but Respecting The Choices of Others

Tod and I making Christmas Breakfast for Family

(I made vegan (egg and milkless) pancakes that everyone liked)

The following is a posting I did for a discussion in my Nutrition class. The question was related to what is a better choice: A Plant Based diet or an Animal- based diet, and would I ever choose a vegetarian diet. I held back a lot of my views about the treatment of animals, but tried to answer the question in a way that addressed a lot of the classmates who had posted before me. I was very frustrated in reading a lot of their responses, because they were very negative about vegetarians and so much of what they wrote to me seemed ignorant. Instead of getting upset though it taught me that we all need to be careful when we are making statements about topics we do not know a lot about. It can be so easy to form an opinion without having all the facts, but I think that it only limits us in our ability to explore and learn new things if we just always believe everything we are told. We should question where our information is coming from- could there be a better way to do what we have always just done? For some that might be a scary question to answer- it may just take us out of our comfort zone- but if it means a better way to live then why wouldn't we want to explore new options? So with all that being said, please know that I am in no way perfect when it comes to making the best choices for a balanced healthy diet- I have my days and binges just like everyone else- but I think it stands to be noted that I have not given up even when it does get a little bit tough. Do the best you can, that is all we ever need to really try to do.  

Stellar Nutrition starts with beautiful curiosity, a wanting that comes from within to do something good for yourself. Live, Learn, Discover and Enjoy your Life Deliciously!

I have a really hard time with putting myself or other people into a dietary label or category based on what we eat. There are so many ways to achieve a well-balanced diet and it is always going to be a personal opinion on what is the best way to survive nutritionally. As some of you have mentioned, the term flexitarian is probably an adjective that would most easily describe what most people strive for in regards to their diets. That being said, and to answer the discussion question: In my opinion a Plant- Centered diet is more healthful and compassionate than an animal-centered diet. The essential nutrients that we must consume in order to be healthy- this includes all amino acids can be obtained from a diet rich in plants, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.... The only reason I can imagine that anyone would believe that eating this way (vegetarian) would be harder is because we have been led to believe the only way we can get certain nutrients is by concentrating on certain products or choosing foods that have been enriched with vitamins and minerals, known as processed foods. Fresh meat is just as processed as a box of Mac and cheese, when you consider all that went into raising that animal- including antibiotics, and a regimented diet for that animal- enriched with nutrients in order to be passed on to the humans that eat it.

I can understand how it would seem impossible to eliminate certain staples like animal products and byproducts from your diet just to convert to a vegetarian lifestyle. When someone does not have the knowledge behind making a significant change- especially in their dietary intake- I think there is a lot more reason for concern and their health. Any time you make a change- your body, your cells are affected in a way that they must adjust to receiving new energy sources- it is much like riding a bike for the first time- where you are training your body to do something new and different. It is tough at first but after much practice it becomes second nature, easy, and in regard to choosing to eat a plant-based diet you are able to sustain yourself just the same without feeling like you are lacking or deficient. It is so important to have researched your new choice and know what will help you be successful though.

When it comes to nutritional information, please be weary of the source. It makes sense that the dairy and meat industry, even the United Soybean Board would be touting their products are the best way to get protein- its their business to sell their product. Who's best interests do you think they have in mind- as long as their product sells? Yes, everything in moderation is still the key here no matter what dietary label you assume to live under.

A whole foods, mostly raw vegetarian diet is the one that I choose, and I could go on for hours why I have made this choice, but mostly it comes down to the fact that I feel the healthiest and happiest in this type of lifestyle. I have also spent a lot of time researching, wading through all types of information, recipes and podcasts. I know that this isn't always ideal for everyone, and I believe that I am successful in this diet mostly because it is important to me to know the sources of my foods and to have a well balanced diet. I have a family to support nutritionally, and so I want to make sure I am giving them the best start possible. We are all thriving, and my kids love the fact that our fast food comes from the supermarket, or right off the tree- just as easily as going through a drive thru at Burger KIng. It just takes a little creativity and planning ahead sometimes, but our bodies are accustomed to this way of eating and we enjoy it!