Kim (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
grammarwoman) wrote2007-06-13 03:55 pm
grammarwoman) wrote2007-06-13 03:55 pm
Food for thought
Unraveling my thoughts about food has taken me down a long and twisty path. At the heart of it all, I blame the Great Depression.
My parents were both raised in households of children of the Depression. Their parents saved everything, knew the value of a dollar, and never wasted food. Waste, in general, was a sin. (German Protestant upbringing, can you tell?) Between that, and the damned Clean Plate Club, (thanks for nothing, Truman!), I have some weird, ingrained ideas about food.
For one, if I put something on my plate, I need to eat it, or at least save it for later. I’ve been known to get doggie-bags for ridiculously small portions. If I can’t save it, then I’ll finish it, even if I’m well past satisfied and into overstuffed, because, again, wasting food is Bad, Sinful or even Evil. Plus, what if I’m famished again later, either between meals or dinner and bedtime? If I eat it all now, then I’ll put off being hungry that much longer.
Even more bizarrely, this also applies to things left on the husband or kid’s plate, or even in the serving dish. If it’s something less than a portion, I find myself compelled to finish it. A portion or more will wind up in the fridge for a later lunch (most of the time, at least). It’s practically a psychosis that, if I dump some piece of consumable food in the garbage, I’ll get in trouble somehow. I need to convince myself that I’m not doing myself any favors by being a human vacuum cleaner, and that I’m not going to Hell for throwing away food.
It doesn’t help that I exhibit all the symptoms of being a carbohydrate addict. If I gave into my urgings, I could eat an entire bowl of plain pasta, straight from the pot, and be hungrier when I finished than when I started. I’ve had moderate success in the past with following a low-carb diet, but it’s both hard and expensive to base all my meals around protein and fiber with minimum amounts of carbs. Add to that that the Emperor and my husband prefer starchy meals, and I’m looking at a lot of work to find one meal that we can all enjoy.
It seems so damned simple, to pay attention to my fullness level and not to childhood conditioning. I wonder if the current obesity crisis is linked in some part from other people having the same background. How many others are compelled to clean their plates? Do they have edicts like “There’s children starving in [foreign country X], so finish your food!” running in the back of their heads?
My goal is to take smaller portions, and not clean up the other plates after dinner. Maybe I’ll even talk myself into throwing away the leftover bits. It’s going to be hard. *sigh*
My parents were both raised in households of children of the Depression. Their parents saved everything, knew the value of a dollar, and never wasted food. Waste, in general, was a sin. (German Protestant upbringing, can you tell?) Between that, and the damned Clean Plate Club, (thanks for nothing, Truman!), I have some weird, ingrained ideas about food.
For one, if I put something on my plate, I need to eat it, or at least save it for later. I’ve been known to get doggie-bags for ridiculously small portions. If I can’t save it, then I’ll finish it, even if I’m well past satisfied and into overstuffed, because, again, wasting food is Bad, Sinful or even Evil. Plus, what if I’m famished again later, either between meals or dinner and bedtime? If I eat it all now, then I’ll put off being hungry that much longer.
Even more bizarrely, this also applies to things left on the husband or kid’s plate, or even in the serving dish. If it’s something less than a portion, I find myself compelled to finish it. A portion or more will wind up in the fridge for a later lunch (most of the time, at least). It’s practically a psychosis that, if I dump some piece of consumable food in the garbage, I’ll get in trouble somehow. I need to convince myself that I’m not doing myself any favors by being a human vacuum cleaner, and that I’m not going to Hell for throwing away food.
It doesn’t help that I exhibit all the symptoms of being a carbohydrate addict. If I gave into my urgings, I could eat an entire bowl of plain pasta, straight from the pot, and be hungrier when I finished than when I started. I’ve had moderate success in the past with following a low-carb diet, but it’s both hard and expensive to base all my meals around protein and fiber with minimum amounts of carbs. Add to that that the Emperor and my husband prefer starchy meals, and I’m looking at a lot of work to find one meal that we can all enjoy.
It seems so damned simple, to pay attention to my fullness level and not to childhood conditioning. I wonder if the current obesity crisis is linked in some part from other people having the same background. How many others are compelled to clean their plates? Do they have edicts like “There’s children starving in [foreign country X], so finish your food!” running in the back of their heads?
My goal is to take smaller portions, and not clean up the other plates after dinner. Maybe I’ll even talk myself into throwing away the leftover bits. It’s going to be hard. *sigh*
no subject
Think about when you developed your carb cravings. Think if you have not had that issue.
Yeah, so maybe even if hubby and Emperor *prefer* starchy meals, it wouldn't be a bad idea as a family to move into the fiber/protein realm as a family?
Also--Yes, it is expensive to eat right. And Americans have gotten used to cheap food. But it is also expensive to have a TiVo and the vast tubes of the Internets and a car and a home.
But not having any of the above will not cause heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Having a poor diet *will*. My mother drives me nuts because she says eating well is "too expensive", to which I respond, "It's hella more expensive to get sick."
When I was a Starving College Student, I made the decision to make good, fresh food a financial priority. I have not always succeeded (I've had my share of Ramen Days), but I think that, given the level of stress I've often operated under, I would be FAR less healthy if I didn't do that. It's just a phase-shift. But you'll be very happy you make the priority change.
no subject
But yes, you make several very good points.
no subject
Keep some greens around for salad, have lots of fruit and sliced veggies on hand, make some stuff like healthy bean dips, hummus, or baba ghanouj to have on hand. It stores well, and is a good quick meal.
I worked until ten tonight, and didn't get home until almost midnight. I had a homemade frozen burrito (organic chicken, whole-wheat tortilla, fat-free refried beans, steamed spinach, grilled onions and grilled peppers with a teensy bit of cheddar) topped with hummus.
I've never had the time-suck that being Mommy is, but I did work and go to school, or work two jobs, and this is how I managed to eat *fairly* well. Yeah, I had my "Fuck it, it's pizza" nights, but I am terrible at planning and forethought and still managed to do okay.
Also, invest in a rice cooker--you can make rice and lentils so quickly. Dump in the ingredients, press a button, come back in forty minutes to dinner. And, you can make it any style you like: Curry, Spanish, Mexican, Italian....Rice and lentils might sound like Damn Hippy food, but with a little variation even picky eaters will like it.