Eating well-ish

I try to eat well. I'm not sure how well I go, to be honest. My diet seems to be better than others, but also not as great as some people seem to eat, sometimes. I feel like I don't eat enough legumes or greens, but then I don't eat a lot of artificial stuff or processed stuff, so it probably all balances out in the end.

Our tv is full of reality shows that aren't reality. The shortest time the Biggest Loser contestants go between "weekly" weigh ins is 10 days- it's normally about two weeks, and they duct tape the loose skin up because of course they do, if you loose lots of weight that skin doesn't magically spring back most of the time. Home reno shows? Hah. Isn't it amazing how families who are picked to have their house done never seem to have a problem with going somewhere for a week? They never seem to have other commitments, like a big football match, or assignments due, important doctor's appointments or work commitments? They just pack up and go? Isn't it amazing that contestants suddenly know how to tile like a professional, and never botch their paint jobs? Isn't it amazing that you don't see them hobbling around the house, barely able to walk, after unpacking and what not?

Yeah.

I think the worst thing about moving was the food. We ate a lot of junk food, whatever was available, and cheap. Hot was good, since it was freezing. I do not do grease very well. I don't think any of us were doing very well- once we started eating a bit better, the toilet would often be, err, occupied.

Anyways, I thought I would share this poster I have, which I find super helpful as a guide to eating kind of well.

Bonus: It hides the heavily oil stained wall slightly!

I got this from a health food store in Darwin, but many health food stores seem to stock them. I have three charts from Liz Cooke, and they're really quite charming, don't you think? This one- the nurtirtion chart- is hands down my favourite.

I find it helps keep things in perspective for me- and it's easy to let my eyes drift over the chart, and see what I might be lacking in. I try to keep avocados (both fresh, and the tubed ones) around, as well as bananas- these cover my need for good fats, B group vitamins, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Selenium, phosphorus and potassium. In the panty I keep dried organic black apricots (these are far superior to the bright orange ones you see in store- so much juicier and tastier!) as well as Vegemite, dried seaweed, almonds, oats (cooked with various dried or fresh fruit makes a delicious breakfast) and chickpeas (which I can roast, or turn into hummus)- these help cover most of my other dietary needs. We also tend to have carrots in the fridge (excellent with hummus!) and I'll often make a cabbage and potato soup- which sounds boring, but it's really quite delicious with pickled cabbage and lots of pepper. I try to keep orange juice or mandarins around to snack on- I like to mix with orange juice with a green supplement (it's not quite that one, it's a mix of four different green things).

I miss summer. I feel like it's easier to eat well in summer, when you can snack all day on healthy snacks- carrot sticks with hummus, fruit- especially since a lot of fruits are in season then- and you naturally want lighter meals. That said, I'm not quite fed up of soup involving ham bone yet (ham bone and cabbage, ham bone and split peas, ham bone and potato) but I am getting rather annoyed at my lack of large pots... I wonder if it's worth getting a large stock pot now? Even if I only use it for a month until next winter? It would certainly be easier than boiling everything in two small pots, or freezing half of a super concentrated stock....