DID YOU EAT YOUR VEGGIES TODAY?

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On most days, I find myself looking for sugar more often than I’d like to admit (every 10 minutes on average). Sometimes I justify those cravings with a cucumber or a cup of orange juice (by cucumber I mean tiny pickle, and by cup I mean a shot glass). Sometimes I don’t even bother myself with that arrangement. I’m nice like that.

When I was in school way back when, we learned about the food pyramid which illustrates how many servings a day we need of each of the five food groups. You probably learnt that too. Do you follow those guidelines? Is it just me or has that triangle been left in the classroom together with the math triangle (remember sine, cosine and tangent? It’s ok, nor do I).

But here’s the thing: I get really jealous of people who love eating fruits and vegetables and manage through the day drinking gallons of water. When I see someone eating an apple, I start thinking- wow, this person is way cool. I wish I could be like that. And then that somehow turns into a bit of resentment. 

Now you’re probably thinking, why don’t I just get myself an apple and parade around while I eat it- right? Well, it’s because I don’t love apples- I just love the way it looks to be eating one. And I have a hard time faking my way through things.

So I’ve discovered that there are other ways to get some of that healthy stuff into our bodies. Have you noticed that smoothies are all the rage right now? I don’t mean banana strawberry smoothies. I’m talking about the wheatgrass, chia seeds, fennel, kale, spinach and avocado smoothie. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I know! How will I ever drink that thick green matter?!! The reality is that the very same health gurus who are recommending these smoothies, tell you that you can (ie. may need to) add a sweet fruit to the mix to mask the vegetable flavors so you’ll barely taste them! Well that’s very motivating.

So then I think back to the food pyramid and the 3-4 vegetable servings I should be having each day and I feel defeated. I really do. I open the refrigerator but the cucumber is giving me a look. The red pepper is frowning. The carrots are just mean. I get depressed looking at these guys. I shut the fridge door and go back to the pantry for the umpteenth time and break off another square of chocolate. And then the guilt sends me back on the Internet to look up where to buy the best blender -- because that might be the only way I'll end up 'eating' those vegetables!

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