We Eat So Well

…and I want to talk about it.

After three or four days of consuming whatever the heck we fancied in Crested Butte—including an assortment of things we don’t usually eat, like ice cream and a bucket of fried chicken—it’s been nice to return to our whole foods-centric lifestyle.

One of my favorite things (there are many) about Nick is his passion for making delicious meals from whole, organic, and nutritious ingredients. He’s really made a believer out of me.

 

The man loves to thumb through vegetable-heavy cookbooks. Lately it’s been Simple Green Suppers (you might remember the kale salad and those roasted butternut squash + black bean quesadillas). We’re also huge fans of Thug Kitchen and anything written by Ottolenghi.

When he gets excited about certain recipes, my gut reaction (ha) is Wait, there’s no block of cheese or pound of pasta in that! Old habits die hard. (Also, we still eat plenty of cheese and pasta.)

But I’ve learned from experience to trust whichever recipe he’s interested in, because it always ends up being out-of-this-world delicious. I am still constantly surprised at how satisfying this food can be.

I could talk about the energy it gives me to grind through my workday, work out, and then go to rehearsals. Or I could mention that it’s helped me maintain my 30-pound weight loss for a year and a half now (and I did talk about that in depth, in this blog post). Or I could talk about how it’s such a great way to show my body and mind that I care about myself.

But I think the most exciting thing about this lifestyle is that is tastes. so. good.

Savor

One of my favorite words to describe my overall outlook on this short little life we’re given on Earth is savor.

I want to savor each moment the best that I can, even the not-so-great moments. When I surrender to the moment in front of me and give my full attention to my experience, I feel more vital and alive—and paradoxically more in control, even though I’m no longer trying to manipulate my future outcomes. (I’ve seen this paradox most drastically with my running.) This concept seems to propel me forward in the next healthy and self-aware direction—like stepping stones.

Note: When I say that I savor the not-so-great moments, what I mean is that I usually just own them and let them wash over me. Most often I become a puddle of emotion, talk it out with Nick (poor guy), and then do the next best-feeling thing that comes to mind—which might be a run, somethings I curl up on the couch and skip a workout, or order Cosmo’s, or take a nap, or watch a funny show).

Anyway, food is important to me, because it fuels my life, my ambitions, my mental and physical health. And I refuse to sacrifice taste! So many people assume that eating healthy and mostly plant-based is bland, boring, and doesn’t have the same dopamine rush as, say, a cheeseburger and fries. But I beg to differ! (And I also think that, sometimes, you should definitely eat a cheeseburger and fries. But make sure you savor it!)

The photo above was today’s breakfast. A loaf of Seed-sational bread from Sprouts, butter, and scrambled eggs topped with avocado, tomatoes , cilantro, and sautéed mushrooms and spinach. (We top it with Cholula, of course). Everything is organic. Everything is so freakin’ scrumptious. You should hear the sounds I make when I eat breakfast. It’s obscene. Ha!

One of the Simple Green Suppers recipes Nick whipped up this week was the Spiced Cauliflower Sauté. This stuff is the bomb.

The cookbook incorporates the spicy cauliflower into a burrito with chickpeas, brown rice, and arugula. We topped it with avocado slices and a spicy Greek yogurt sauce.

This was literally better than a Chipotle burrito smothered in sour cream. I’m serious, folks. When you start to realize that eating well is this delicious… it’s like seeing the world in color for the first time!

Feeling healthy and strong from the foods I eat helps me to savor other things in life, like running, relationships, performing, working, and other day-to-day things that are so easy to dismiss.

All this to say that, even after a year and a half of eating this way 99% of the time, I’m still taken back by how well one can eat and how delicious it can taste (and how much better I feel when I do).

I had been looking forward to “vacation eating” in Crested Butte, and it was divine (I mean, we eat a giant plate of chicken wings, chased by an entire pizza.) But I also was excited to return to this lifestyle, because it, too, feels indulgent and decadent. Pinch me, I’m dreaming!

How do you savor your lifestyle?