“Food" - With A Side Of Plastic?

The best advice I can give someone who asks me about my healthy eating habits is: if you cannot pronounce the ingredients on the back of the package, don’t eat it. Actually, most food should not come in a “package.” The picture below is of sweet potato, carrot and onion peels. Looks a bit gross maybe, but this is what your trashcan should look like when you cook, not full of plastic wrappers.

Kris Carr (famous wellness activist and cancer survivor) once said:”If it's made in a lab, it takes a lab to digest”. Think about it. Why would you want to eat stuff that your body is not equipped to handle?

Two things in ordinary American grocery stores I simply cannot stand are the rectangular pieces made up by sugar that you pop in the toaster for breakfast (yes I know what they are called, but I rather not be sued). Pure sugar in the morning?! And those little boxes with cheese squares looking like plastic with crackers, so you can “build” your own pizza etc? (Again, totally know the name, but won’t say it). That is not food! While being a nanny I was rather strict with my beloved triplets and they could only have those “food” items on special occasions. I think sometimes they were not too happy with their Swedish nanny refusing to let them have these “foods” as often as they wished. However, they still love me so I am happy I fought that battle. 

Fruit pieces in a cup with syrup?! Eat a real apple! Vegetables coated with cheese? Well, just eat the cheese then. Don’t fool yourself thinking you are eating healthy. Okay, so that was more than two things I could not stand. I think I can write a list as long as Santa Claus’ list over naughty and nice children if I kept naming “food products” I have an issue with. We may very well have stuff like this in Europe too. I am really not trying to bash the US here. 

So what can I stand? I believe in eating food as close to their natural state as possible. Boil potatoes, bake fish in the oven…Experiment! I am not in any way a good cook…yet…but I try. I had a go with a head of cauliflower the other day and I totally lost. It turned into complete mash, but was edible anyway. Luckily I was cooking for myself and did not expect company. 

When you eat, think of what you are eating, what you are doing. Be mindful and present. Savor all the different tastes. And yes, experiment with spices! And experiment with eating styles from different countries: chopsticks are a great way to eat slower unless you are a talented ninja. Make sure your plate has color to it – bright orange sweet potatoes, intense green veggies etc. 

My point is what you put into your body makes a whole lot of difference. You may be very careful of changing oil in your car and putting clean fuel into it, why not taking care of your own vehicle, your body? Speaking of fuel, when you can, eat food that is produced locally. And I get this is hard. I enjoy mangoes and papayas too, but they are not exactly local to Sweden (or Missouri). However, eating locally grown produce is better for the environment and you, in terms of nutritional values. 

Alright, as much as I try to eat healthy, anyone who has seen me with a jar of NUTELLA knows I have my limits, I am definitely not perfect. Also, if there were no bananas in the world or if pasta never was invented I would not be here. No really. As a small child I kind of only ate those two things. My sister, the angel she was, ate all her veggies. Me, the rebel child, not so much. If I ever have kids I pray they are more like my sister! How I grew to become this amazon, I don’t know. Sorry mom and dad for being a picky eater, I am making up for it now!

I feel rather sad this blog post has such a negative vibe to it, but I am passionate about this! And I am not a licensed nutritionist so these are just my two cents. 

“The problem is we are not eating food anymore, we are eating food like products.” – Dr Alejandro Junger (from the film “Hungry For Change”). This quote resonated with me so much. I will leave you with that and hope it resonates with you too.