My Food Story

I had to write my food story for a class at school and I thought it might be interesting enough to share as it really got me thinking about why I eat the way I eat and how much I've improved my eating habits recently. I'm also happy to say that although I grew up on convenience foods, my parents, who help take care of my baby niece three days a week, have also improved the way they eat over the years and my niece rarely eats anything unhealthy at their house. It's all pretty much organic veggies and fruit, and occasional mac and cheese (but with like a whole cup of added noodles to cut down on the massive amount of cheese that comes with the package). It also makes me think about how I will one day be a role model to her and I look forward to cooking together and showing her that healthy food can be tasty and satisfying.  Habits start when you're young and they can change over time, but the older you get, the harder it is to break the bad ones.

I hope you enjoy this and then take a second to think about how your food story has changed over the years and if what you're eating fuels your body and soul in a positive way.

"Growing up, I did not eat healthy at all. The meals I remember eating consisted mostly of macaroni and cheese or ramen, followed by a dessert of candy bars or ice cream treats washed down with Diet Pepsi. I believe this is mainly because both of my parents worked and we relied a lot on convenience foods. When my parents cooked, we’d eat healthier but I still remember a lot of canned veggies and instant potatoes in my diet. As I got older, I graduated from Diet Pepsi to Coke and continued living off of convenience foods through most of college. I recall a brief time in college when a Snicker’s bar seemed like a satisfactory lunch to me.

It was when I moved out on my own, and started to fall in love with cooking that I began to eat healthier. But even then, I would eat out a lot and I had an obsession with McDonald’s for most of my twenties, eating there at least once a week. As I reached my late twenties and started working desk jobs, I began to gain weight. The first thing I tried in order to lose weight was to cut out sodas and eat out less. This was not an easy task for someone used to drinking soda on a daily basis. To this day, if I get super stressed out, the first thing I crave is a coke. It was my stress treat for a long time and that’s a hard habit to break. I’m happy to report that these days I have pretty much cut out soda completely, and when I do allow myself this indulgence, I can rarely finish a can.

In the past year or two, I have become much healthier. I believe it might have had something to do with a car accident I was in a few years ago. It gave me a new appreciation for my body, and how important it is to have it functioning at the highest level for my happiness. It was also around that time that I got into yoga, which only deepened the respect I have for my body. And now, being in massage school has made me focus even more on what I eat and how it makes me feel.

My meals are more balanced with fruit and veggies and I try to buy organic whenever I can. I still eat meat, but I have cut red meat down to once a week at most and even have a few days a week where I eat vegetarian. This would shock most of the people who know me as I have always been a bit of an overzealous carnivore. I still rely on Lean Cuisines when I don’t have time to cook and I indulge whenever I’m at a party or on vacation.  I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth but I do love to bake so I try to bake healthier and only when I can share the baked goods afterwards. But, most of the time I enjoy cooking for myself and I try to make smart choices when I shop so I won’t be tempted later.

I’m still trying to sort out exactly what my ideal diet may be, but I feel like I’m well on my way to figuring it out and getting healthier every day. The Living Foods classes have already introduced me to a lot of foods I hadn’t tried before and I look forward to discovering more new foods as I continue on my path to a healthier mind, body and spirit."