Time To Get Healthy: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lemon Basil Pesto is a favorite amongst scurvy-prone pirates with discriminating palates.

Remember when you were a tot, sitting in your high chair, and your mom was choo-choo-chooing away at you, fork raised and headed towards you like a four-pronged train?  Sometimes we have to be seduced into healthy behaviors.  Mom knew this.  She sweetened our initial disdain of peas and carrots by some creative selling with sound effects.  As adults, we really aren’t so far off.  We’re much more likely to do something if it seems fun.  That’s why when you hear people say they want to get healthier, they want to workout, they want to eat better, without a creative plan days become weeks become months.  When it’s always tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, when are you going to be healthy today?  And what is too bad is that I doubt people realize what exactly they are putting off.  If they knew the energy and vitality, they’d wonder why they put that off in exchange for what are essentially habits.  That’s the thing, before we can leave our old habits behind, we have to create new ones.  It is for this reason that I offer up this idea—plan to incorporate new healthy habits as if you’re on a treasure hunt.  Make a map, make it fun, and pillage your treasure.

First step, finding your treasure map.  Attend to those stacks of vegan cookbooks that you bought with good intentions and start perusing them.  See which dishes look the most inviting and exciting.  When you start salivating, you’ve found it.  Attach post-its at the top of the pages until you’ve gathered a few recipes to start.  Have empty shelves where your cookbooks should be?  Search vegan recipes online.

Next step, create an action plan for attaining your booty.  Make a list.  First of all, you want to include easy sides that go well with any meal:  collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc.  You’ll also want loads of produce to make tempting salads:  spinach, micro greens, radishes, carrots, celery, beans, dried fruit, nuts, avocadoes…  These are items you’ll be procuring every week.  Finally, grab your recipes and mark down the ingredients you’ll need to buy.  Note which items go to which dishes.  That will help you for two reasons.  One, if the grocery store doesn’t have all of the ingredients you need for a specific recipe you’ll know which other ingredients you don’t need to buy this time around.  Two, when you get back with your groceries you won’t be stuck wondering, “Now what was I going to make with this?”

Beware of Stowaways!

Think ahead.  You’re going to need some bags to carry your treasure home.  Not everyone loves going to the grocery store, and so do what you can to make it a fun experience.  See what totes you might already have around the house.  Closets bare?  You can buy reusable bags at the grocery store, or you can pick up an eye-popping and compliment-inducing bag at Herbivore Clothing.  I have a generous selection of bags, and some of my favorites were actually sewn for me by friends.  They used cute fabrics that they knew I’d like or fabric from my favorite hometown team.  For more ideas and patterns to make your own bags, visit morsbags.com.  Reusable bags are easy to carry over the shoulder, unlike paper bags with handles that rip under pressure or plastic bags that dig into your hands.  Of course, the environmental aspect of using your own instead of clogging landfills or killing sea life with plastic is a no brainer.  As an added bonus, stores across the country are also giving a kickback to people who bring their own bags from home.  Target and Whole Foods give customers a nickel back for each bag they use, and Trader Joe’s enters them into a regular drawing for a $10 gift card.

With bags in hand, it’s time to set sail to the store.  You have your list, use it.  But here’s one more word of advice, find something in the produce section that intrigues you, something you’ve never tried before, and buy a small amount.  Don’t know what to do with nopales?  Confused by persimmons?  Befuddled by jicama?  Buy a small amount, and when you get home, Google!  Fruits are especially fun to try and generally fool-proof.  Remember, cooking is an adventure.  It’s a chance for discovery.  I’ve found some of my favorites by trying something unusual and unknown like rambutan or lychee.  You could be in for a delicious surprise!

After you’ve purchased everything on your list and you’ve landed back in your kitchen, don’t just throw your veggies into the refrigerator.  You don’t want to bury your own treasure.  If you’ve purchased leafy greens that are still wet, throw a napkin or paper towel into the bag with them before putting them away.  Take the tops off of carrots and radishes.  Put them into glass containers, so that you don’t forget about them.  Chop celery, bell pepper slices, and broccoli spears for easy eating.  Think both like a kid and like a parent.  If you want to eat your veggies, make them accessible and easy.

Now, here comes the best part, putting your creation together.  The most important aspect of elevating cooking from a mundane necessity to a culinary pleasure is immersing yourself in the ritual.  Play the kind of music that inspires you, the kind of music you’d play if you were putting together a masterpiece.  Brew a pot of tea or pour yourself a glass of wine.  Slow down and enjoy the experience.  Have kids?  Include them in the fun.  Think of it as a group project and a chance to come together and create.  If it’s just you, cooking can be meditative.  If it’s a group event, it’s a celebration.

Plate your meals and come together.  Enjoy the flavors and reconnect, talk about your day, feel revived and happy to be together again.  If we hurry through the grocery store, and hurry through the chopping, and hurry through the eating, when do we get to enjoy the quite literal fruits of our labors?  Why miss out on an opportunity?  Why miss out on one of the greatest and simplest joys?  To my mind, feeding ourselves and our families is sacred and it’s joyful.  It’s a chance to discover the artist within us and to express to our loved ones that we care.  It’s not just nourishment for our bodies, it’s nourishment for our souls.  So put your play clothes on and let’s have some fun.

Tags: eating healthy, grocery shopping, grocery store, herbivore clothing, morsbags, pirates, reusable bags, vegan, veganism