Dietary changes
May. 11th, 2013 11:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
novapsycheLately I've undergone some changes in my diet. Not because I am imposing a diet upon myself, but rather I have had hankerings for items & I have adapted accordingly.
I'm eating more vegetables.
It's rather noticeable. Even my mom made a remark.
The shift began some months ago, so it's hard to call it seismic, even though that's what it feels like. Zucchini was the first to capture my attention. I wanted to find a way to have pizza without so many calories, so I devised a way to have pizza zucchini (very simply, sliced zucchini tossed in olive oil & salt & pepper, covered with pizza sauce & topped with mozzarella). I know that pizza is still not entirely healthy, with all of that cheese, but at least I'm ingesting plant material instead of bread.
It progressed to Brussels sprouts. I discovered that Brussels sprouts go well with cranberries & cranberries go well with pine nuts. This is quite tasty. (Of course, sometimes I need to add crumbled bacon pieces, because the smoky unctuousness of bacon does tie the dish together. This can be a bit daunting, however, to those who may not be used to sweet, salty & savory all in the same dish, as I found out when I brought the side to a potluck.)
Recently, it's been all about asparagus. I've liked asparagus since I first tasted it (helped almost certainly by the fact that I was an adult when that occurred). It has such a tender sweetness. My first instinct is to steam it, but I discovered a nice complement to asparagus, at least when you saute it, is red bell pepper. So that is what I have been craving for the last three weeks or so.
The asparagus craving is dangerous only to my pocketbook, because $2.99/lb starts to really make itself known. Today I spent nearly $12 on the stuff. At least I know it won't go bad, because I will have eaten it within two or three days.
I'm also trying to convert my protein intake from meat to lentils. I've found I love black beans & so have been eating them about once a week. I flavor them with salt, pepper, cumin & coriander; often, I toss in sweet bell pepper & sweet onions/shallots as well. However, I must admit that much of my protein comes from dairy--I can't seem to get away from it. I consume a lot of cheese, but I also have found a yogurt I really like (Muller [with an umlaut]) & frozen yogurt is the one sweet I keep on hand.
Of the flesh proteins I have been eating, I've restricted myself mainly to chicken (boneless, skinless breast) & shrimp. I have ground beef & lamb shoulder in my freezer, but they have been there for a while, for when the mood takes me (chili or my lamb rice dish). I also would be eating more fish, but the type of fish I like is rather expensive (salmon, steelhead) & I only buy it when it's on sale.
So, I guess at this point I'm a flexitarian? I don't feel the need to have a protein at my end-of-the-day meal. The proteins I am consuming are usually not of the red meat variety. I feel good about this change, especially as it has been gradual & organic, not imposed as a weight-loss routine.
Now that I have finished my asparagus & peppers, I will sign off. :)
I'm eating more vegetables.
It's rather noticeable. Even my mom made a remark.
The shift began some months ago, so it's hard to call it seismic, even though that's what it feels like. Zucchini was the first to capture my attention. I wanted to find a way to have pizza without so many calories, so I devised a way to have pizza zucchini (very simply, sliced zucchini tossed in olive oil & salt & pepper, covered with pizza sauce & topped with mozzarella). I know that pizza is still not entirely healthy, with all of that cheese, but at least I'm ingesting plant material instead of bread.
It progressed to Brussels sprouts. I discovered that Brussels sprouts go well with cranberries & cranberries go well with pine nuts. This is quite tasty. (Of course, sometimes I need to add crumbled bacon pieces, because the smoky unctuousness of bacon does tie the dish together. This can be a bit daunting, however, to those who may not be used to sweet, salty & savory all in the same dish, as I found out when I brought the side to a potluck.)
Recently, it's been all about asparagus. I've liked asparagus since I first tasted it (helped almost certainly by the fact that I was an adult when that occurred). It has such a tender sweetness. My first instinct is to steam it, but I discovered a nice complement to asparagus, at least when you saute it, is red bell pepper. So that is what I have been craving for the last three weeks or so.
The asparagus craving is dangerous only to my pocketbook, because $2.99/lb starts to really make itself known. Today I spent nearly $12 on the stuff. At least I know it won't go bad, because I will have eaten it within two or three days.
I'm also trying to convert my protein intake from meat to lentils. I've found I love black beans & so have been eating them about once a week. I flavor them with salt, pepper, cumin & coriander; often, I toss in sweet bell pepper & sweet onions/shallots as well. However, I must admit that much of my protein comes from dairy--I can't seem to get away from it. I consume a lot of cheese, but I also have found a yogurt I really like (Muller [with an umlaut]) & frozen yogurt is the one sweet I keep on hand.
Of the flesh proteins I have been eating, I've restricted myself mainly to chicken (boneless, skinless breast) & shrimp. I have ground beef & lamb shoulder in my freezer, but they have been there for a while, for when the mood takes me (chili or my lamb rice dish). I also would be eating more fish, but the type of fish I like is rather expensive (salmon, steelhead) & I only buy it when it's on sale.
So, I guess at this point I'm a flexitarian? I don't feel the need to have a protein at my end-of-the-day meal. The proteins I am consuming are usually not of the red meat variety. I feel good about this change, especially as it has been gradual & organic, not imposed as a weight-loss routine.
Now that I have finished my asparagus & peppers, I will sign off. :)