Embracing – and loving – wholesome foods, like whoa.

One of my biggest priorities in my budget spreadsheet (yes, spreadsheet…something my sister brilliantly concocted and it has truly gotten me back on track, she should patent it!) is food. And not ‘eating out’ food, but my weekly grocery shopping trip. M always teases me about the fact that I must go to the store each and every week and spend a fair chunk of money in the process. He calls me a stockpiler (I take pride in that! hehe!). My cart is chock full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lots of Chobani, cottage cheese, Laughing Cow, Baby Bell Light and lean meats and seafood. Rarely do I buy processed foods (if I get crackers, it’s for when we have company and I usually go for Kashi or another whole grain brand), or if I do, it’s for M (Doritos!) or a box of cake mix to make lowfat cupcakes (made with 1 can of pumpkin and nothing else…so tasty!)

And I don’t say this because I am bragging about how ‘good’ I eat. I say this because eating wholesome foods is so damn delicious. This IS my splurge. I look forward to my huge bowl of oatmeal in the morning (obsessed, as you know), and to concocting the perfect ‘loaded’ salad or testing out a new recipe from a fabulous blog friend or two. I feel satisfied, I feel nourished and I actually do feel like I am splurging. If you’ve ever melted some peanut butter and dipped fruit in it? Holy cow, that is GOOD.

For me, it goes back to something Tanya at barre n9ne has said – make peace with food. Enjoy it. Attach a memory to it. Enjoy the atmosphere around you, and don’t focus solely on the food itself. That makes a good meal or food choice or a splurge (a homemade chocolate chip cookie, for example), completely worth it. To eat them daily, it loses its ‘aura’ in a sense, but to go for it when you are REALLLLLLY craving it? Absolutely warranted.

I am probably rambling, but I just feel so strongly about this, because I am finding myself getting to that place where I may not feel as compelled to log my food daily. And to use ‘log-less’ days not as days to go overboard, but to test myself and what I’ve learned in the past 10 months. I feel content with what I eat. I feel happy with a good meal that is tasty and filling.

And when I wake up in the morning and get this excited for food? I call that embracing – and loving – wholesome foods like whoa. This is what I wrote on my Facebook page and I meant every word 😉

I am ridiculously excited for all of my meals today. Weird? Perhaps. But oatmeal goodness for breakfast (drool…), loaded beet salad for lunch and more of the absolutely delish warm lentil salad with goat cheese I made last night for dinner? Bliss. And yes, I just recapped my planned meals for the day. What of it?

I mean, check out these concoctions! Damn good. I am literally so excited for my meals today. And I know they will fuel me for my day, tonight’s barre fusion class (and maybe a run…still debating that one as we speak) and will even give me a little mental boost as well.

Beets, walnuts, goat cheese, tons of greens - pure lunch deliciousness!

Warm Lentil Salad over greens (adapted from Heather/Where's the Beach), with quinoa and butternut squash and a dash of goat cheese. Absolutely one of the best things I've eaten in awhile!!

So that’s my ramble for this fine Wednesday (though I swear it should be Thursday by now!)…good eats make me happy. Who knew?!