I came to this union as a non-cook. I started our married life with two meals. One was Shake-n-Bake chicken, corn, and Stove Top Stuffing. I can't remember what the other one was... probably take-out... or I switched out the stuffing for instant mashed potatoes. I gradually learned to add other meals. Very gradually. The basics. Spaghetti, roast beef, pork chops. And I added green beans to the vegetable list. Very sad menus.
When we had kids I tried to feed healthy foods. Whole wheat bread, fruits, nuts, a few more vegetables. And an attempt was made to eliminate sugar. It didn't stick. I'd try it every now and then as the kids got older. Lead balloon. Back to meat, starch, and a vegetable in relatively equal portions. Okay, a little light on the vegetables, heavy on the meat for Scott, heavy on the starch for me. Sigh. I am pleasantly suprised, though, that some of the knowledge about healthy foods has stuck with my kids now that they are grown.
At some point, usually at Scott's request, we started again to improve our diet in different ways. It wouldn't usually last long. Sometimes only a week. Sometimes a month or two. But we always end up going back to not so healthy foods. By now I'd learned to make more than the meat, starch, and veggie plate... Pasta Primavera, Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff, etc... yum, but not especially healthy.
This winter we watch
Forks Over Knives. It got us thinking. Then we watched
Vegucated. And Scott did some research on diets that are helpful for MSers. In February he said he wanted to stop eating meat. While it didn't mean I had to, since I was fixing meals for him, it was easier to just eat what he was eating. I never was real big on meat anyway. Not opposed to it, but remember, heavy on the starch. Both documentaries got me thinking that I'd like to be eating more unprocessed food. We cut out the meat and most starches and we've been trying lots of new vegetables... more green ones, and different squashes. Most we like; one or two might be an acquired taste.
Now it's July and we're still eating vegetables, fruits, whole grain bread (but not so much of it 'cause there are no meat sandwiches), nuts, seeds, and occassionally fish.
And I'm loving it. Who would've thought?! I'll still order meat occassionally when we go out. More often chicken. So I'm not a vegetarian, but close. Scott sticks to it more that I do... he's only had chicken once and a burger once. And he has quit dairy. That I can't do. No how. No way.
Here I am set for a few meals. Hiding under all that lettuce (iceberg and romaine) and the tomatoes are carrots, celery, and peppers (orange, red and yellow).
Fill a large dinner plate then add dressing, apples, cheese, and sunflowers seeds and it's ready. Yum. Lunch and dinner for the next two days.
Vegetarian? Me? Close to it!
Oh, and I'm losing weight :)
