Food Philosophy: Plants!

I put myself out there as someone who loves to eat well and loves to help others eat well too. I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is my passion and I am so grateful to be living it. This blog post is sponsored by my friends at Cece’s Veggie Noodle Co. A brand that makes eating vegetables fun, accessible and available for everyone! I am so honored to work with brands that are aligned with my values and share the same passion for health and nutrition. I hope you enjoy! Here we go!

People ask me a lot of questions. Like a lot a lot. No complaints – I love it and I try to get back to every single person that reaches out. One question I recieve the most is “what foods should I NOT EAT?“. This is a tricky one for me for a few reasons. It is not that I find it hard to list foods I think we should avoid – BUT I try really hard to keep food in a positive light for people (especially my clients). So often we put food into categories like – GOOD, BAD, FATTENING, DANGEROUS etc. And yes, there are some hard yes’s and hard no’s when it comes to food, but it should not be the focus. The question we should all be asking is “what foods SHOULD I eat?” – this way the perspective becomes positive and changes the conversation.  Now, we can talk about the food we can put into your body that is going to fuel us, nourish us and make us feel good from the inside out! Do you see the difference? I think this shift is key to remember. This is especially the case for those who struggle with an emotionally charged relationship with food. And to be honest – we all do on some level.

SO to answer the question “what SHOULD I eat?”. A million things come to mind, but today I am going to focus on one. Try to EAT MORE PLANTS. Plain and simple people – start with that. Begin by bringing more vegetables, fruits, and greens into your life. This doesn’t mean you need to be vegan or vegetarian – but rather learning how important plants are for our nutrition and overall health.

Here is why I love plants — it helps us eat REAL FOOD. Food that we eat in the original way it was intended to. Food that is rich in nutrients and is not mixed with an array of chemicals, synthetic ingredients, or harmful additives. Food that boosts and supports our immune system and fights inflammation with powerful antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals. Plants are  FUNCTIONAL FOODS. They work hard for our bodies and support our bodies. They help us maintain overall health, manage our weight, clear our skin, energize us etc… The list goes on.

 

When I look at my plate – I try to aim for 50% plants. Obviously – quality protein (I love eggs, fish) and complex carbohydrates are wonderful and vital – but make sure to add your plants. The problem is so many people see plants as boring, bland and hard to prepare. Foods like zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower have a “bad rep” of being gross foods that your parents used to make you eat when you were little and you secretly gave to the dog under the table. No seriously, so many of us grew up like this. You do not need to eat steamed broccoli with no flavor! So to me, it is all about changing your perspective on plants and know that you can make eating them SIMPLE, DELICIOUS and FUN. This is why I love Cece’s Veggie Noodle Co. I add the zucchini noodles “zoodles” to my pasta with roasted vegetables a spicy tomato sauce and grilled shrimp! I use their cauliflower rice to make a stirfry with tofu, vegetables, and a delicious healthy homemade peanut sauce. I use the beet spirals to make a hearty salad or a delicious brunch plate. There are so many options and recipes that we can enjoy. Check out some more recipe ideas here!

 

I believe that when we incorporate more nutritious plant foods in our diet, we feel better mentally and physically. Personally, this has been my experience and that is why I love getting creative with healthy food. I strive to find ways to make healthy eating accessible and delicious. In my training, we constantly talked about the term “crowding out”.  If we add more quality, healthy foods to our diet – the less room there is for food that doesn’t serve us or makes us feel good. Living and eating healthy is not a linear process. It is not realistic or sustainable to say you will never eat pizza again or avoid going for ice cream this summer. It is not a black and white experience and it is NOT linear. We will have great weeks and we will have not so great weeks. That is okay. I encourage you to embrace your individual process of finding health and do so with lots of self-love, compassion and of course, plants!

Thank you for reading!

Sari