Friday, November 18, 2011

Epic fail. Revelation. Quandary.

For an unknown reason raw broccoli with ranch dressing started sounding really good to me yesterday afternoon.

Let me stop right here to tell you that I like broccoli a lot, but not raw. I also do not really love ranch dressing that much.

This is already leaning towards disaster.

I tried to put the broccoli out of my mind but I just couldn't fight the craving.

(No I am not pregnant. Just super susceptible to Hidden Valley Ranch's subliminal messaging apparently.)

So this morning I got !!!!!!!!!THE MOST!!!!!!!!! brilliant idea to spread garlic herb cream cheese on some bread and top with super tiny chopped up raw broccoli.

My brain is all "Awww so cute! Broccoli sprinkles! This is going to taste so delicious! I am so excited!"

And then I tasted it.

And it was sooooooooo not delicious.

Not even a little.

You know what it tasted like?

It tasted like raw broccoli.

Which...

Did I mention?

I don't like raw broccoli.

So, don't worry, you are not missing out.

Broccoli sandwiches are pretty much as unappetizing as they sound.

Unless you cook the broccoli. And smother it in cheese and butter. Probably that would be delicious.

But since I was too low on time to bust out the saturated fat I just threw away my epic fail of a sandwich and had a banana and sweet potato instead.

Much better.

Why this sudden foray into eating vegetables for breakfast?

A few days ago I was bored at my mom's house and I randomly picked "You! On a Diet" up off her book shelf and started reading.

It mostly explains all the different things going on "behind the scenes" with our bodies when we eat. It then attempts to use this science to give guidelines for how we should be eating. There's some things about their recommendations that I don't like, but then for some reason the most simplest aspect of it all was like a revelation to me.

It's kind of a big deal.

I lost 20 pounds by counting calories. I started to determine how "good" or "bad" food was by how calorie dense it was and whether or not I considered the cost "worth it". I think I was also slightly brain washed by all the low-carb shenanigans going on around me.

(Yes, that's what I'm blaming it on. The carb counting zombies ate my brain.)

Yet in this book, the diet they recommend is based loosely off a Mediterranean style of eating.

Mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil and nuts. And then some dairy. Seafood. Poultry. And then a tiny bit of meat, sweets, and saturated fats.



My brain suddenly clicked and instead of grouping peas, corn and white bread into the category of "bad carbs" it saw peas, corn, whole grains, fruit and legumes as "awesomely nutritious plant based foods" and white bread as "SUGARRRRR!!!!"

I think this could be life changing.

I've heard over and over and over again about how sugar is bad and how we should choose whole grains over white grains... but for some reason I just didn't get it. When I was eating a bowl of spaghetti I didn't understand that I was basically shoving spoonfuls of sugar into my face.

And a bowl of sugar? Just doesn't sound good.

But nutritious, whole, plant foods? Well that actually does sound good.

And all I have to do is stop vilifying certain fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains instead of white grains, and cut back on the sugar?

Sounds AWESOME!

So here I am trying to eat planty foods for breakfast instead of my typical meat, cheese and eggs.

Oatmeal with nuts and fruit could be a good option but frankly after seeing 600,000 versions of overnight oats, "OMG OIAJ!" (oats in a jar, in case you're new here), and oat bran I kind of want to punch oatmeal in the mouth.

Seriously? You are just oatmeal. Don't get all cocky.

But beyond that... I'm kind of stuck.

I might actually try eating a salad for breakfast tomorrow.

Which is just plain weird.

So help me! What's a good breakfast that's mostly comprised of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts or legumes?

And don't say broccoli sandwich.

7 comments:

  1. My favorite breakfast is an English muffin (whole grain or fortified with lots of fiber) a scrambled egg, a slice of low fat or fat free cheese, and a piece of canadian bacon (otherwise known as ham).

    I know that has nothing to do with fruits or veggies. Sorry. :( Look into some vegetarian/vegan recipes and see what they have. I'm a meat eater so I can't have any meal without meat lol

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  2. @He Took MY Last Name- That's pretty much EXACTLY what my breakfasts used to look like (Used to = three days ago). I'm still definitely eating meat and cheese but I'm just cutting it back a bit.

    The vegetarian and vegan idea is great! Thanks. :)

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  3. I hate raw broccoli too. How about green monster smoothies? Or omelettes with spinach/asparagus/tomatoes/butternut squash/ whatever other veggie you have? :)

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  4. @ Bianca- That sounds good! I'll have to investigate good fruit and vegetable smoothie combinations.

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  5. Hell yes to punching oats. I like oatmeal sometimes...maybe mixed with some cocoa powder. Not EVRYSINGLEMORNING.
    Can't agree on the broccoli thing though. Love me some broccoli.

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  6. OH congrats! Breakfast is my favorite meal so I have some tips :)

    I like whole grain toast with almond or natural pb, sliced banana and cinnamon. Strawberries and blueberries are also great here.

    You can blend all types of fruits and veggies to make a super smoothie. Add small portions of sweet veggies like carrots or something mild like cucumber if you are freaked out to go full blown kale like I was.

    I also LOVE avocado toast for breakfast (just smash avocado, salt, pepper and chili flakes on toast).

    Finally, an easy way to incorporate veggies before a mostly grain breakfast (like oatmeal) is to eat 3 or 4 carrot, celery or pepper slices before digging in.

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  7. @Katie- Let's form a gang that just goes around punching bowls of protein oats. And broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables but it must be cooked.

    @Pancakes- I ain't skurred of kale. My favorite smoothie combo is kale/cashew butter/banana. AMAZING. I mean it's not like warm glazed donut amazing... but for "health" food it's pretty delicious.

    I'm gonna have to give nut butter on toast another chance. I have hated it for over a decade but... I think it's time. Maybe with something moist like a banana on top I'll like it better.

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