My side consists of apples, cucumbers, fresh spinach, mushrooms, kale, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, Fage yogurt, coconut milk creamer, hummus (OMG, mouth watering just writing that word), salmon, Kashi cereal, almond milk, sweet potato fries, quinoa...you get the picture. I tried a couple times to buy almond butter and natural peanut butter but the fam wouldn't eat it, and I don't eat PB on a regular basis so bought them their Skippy Creamy PB.
The "other" side which belongs to the husband and 2 boys has baby carrots, bananas, blueberry muffin mix, "sugar" cereal, skim milk, sweet bread, tator tots, Activia yogurt, hapa rice, ground beef for burgers, brats, Coffemate Creamer...you get that picture. And they like Pop Tarts, yet I refuse. yes refuse. to put them in my cart.
The "middle" goes something like this: ground turkey, whole wheat pasta, chicken breasts, skim milk, pita chips, pop chips....and so forth.
The hubs, who has worn a size 31"since high school, and now wears a 30" has slowly converted to Fage, Kashi, and his famous Acai Bowls. DELISH! Except he would put in skim milk and apple juice as the base, where i preferred Almond Milk. But they are so yummy, that I don't complain.
Until a few weeks ago when he decided he was going to try a Plant Based diet. Not Vegan. Refuses to use that word. Do you know the meaning behind that word? There are many ultra runner athletes who get enough protein from eating plant based food, so he decided to give it a month to see how he felt.
I am in heaven. Like I am sure I have died. Or a strange creature has taken over what appears to be my husband. I am still eating my Fage and milk chocolate eggs. It's Easter time. He is not. He searches recipes online and uses more Kale than I ever have. Spinach. No longer turning his nose at spinach salads. Home aid avocado and lime dressing. Spends hours making veggie burgers made out of lentils, chia seeds, and whatever else they call for. My favorite is a cucumber, avocado, tomato, black bean, garbanzo bean, Kale, and cilantro salad. Chia coco pudding. Quinoa in abundance. I could go on. Oh ya, and natural peanut butter because "Can you believe the sugar that is in regular peanut butter?" Really?!?!
He is not struggling. Is a little obsessed with food. Think that's because it takes effort to make food that is actually good for you. He did go to Whole Foods today and get a "vegan" pizza. That's how they labeled it. They should say plant based.
I have tried for years to say that Pop Tarts are not a healthy breakfast. They're dessert. That less sugar is better. Brown is better than white. Fell on deaf ears. When you look good, it must be difficult to see what crap does to your body. I on the other hand, have to work my ass off (literally!) to stay in size 2 and 4's.
You can't force someone to believe what you believe. They have to live it. Experience it. And do it on their own time. For me, it was food. There are larger more heated issues than food. Use tolerance. I won't mind if he starts eating real cheese again and replaces the coconut milk yogurts for Fage Greek yogurt. He knows how good Kale and Spinach and less sugar make him feel. And if he stays Plant Based, then I have effectively bought my way out of grocery shopping. Who knows, maybe I'll try it. Right now, am not ready.
The teen kid's diet is starting to look more like Mom's. Figured out all the sugar cereal and skim milk gave have tummy issues while racing. He likes to run fast. Replaced school lunches with sandwiches on whole grain bread. Takes a banana to school. Bagels instead of pop tarts to fuel with. Soy milk instead of skim. Natural PB instead of sugar laced PB. Yet again, it didn't matter how much I "preached", he had to learn it on his own.
Our shopping cart looks much more in sync now, although I'm not there to view it because the hubs does most of the shopping now. Did I mention I feel like I'm in heaven? ;)
Day 25 and counting. A "little" less food obsessed than 2 weeks ago, but no plans to switch back.
ReplyDeleteWhy "plant-based" instead of "vegan"? First, veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products as well as an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals. I wear leather boots to work every day and don't plan on changing that any time soon.
Second, The American Vegan society links veganism to the Jain concept of ahimsa, the avoidance of violence against living things. I'm not one to pick a fight, but I'm not very quick to walk away from one either. Some people, groups, countries just need a good ass-kicking every once in awhile.