I remember a quote from a food critic who was told that he was going to have to change his diet for health reasons, and he thought, "oh God, I can't do that. I love food too much." Then, once he did make the change, he realized, as he put it, "I didn't love food enough".
At the time I thought it was a nice little intellectual judo, but after two weeks of a changed diet, I now see it for what it is--a very surprising truth. I feel like I have been eating far better, in the pleasurable sense, that I did before making the shift. Anyone following Jen's recipes might know why, but it's really been better tasting food.
I have been a die-hard carnivore, but since moving to more of a balanced menu, I have to say that my palette has been livened up dramatically. Meats (especially in the fast food form) are all about the mouthfeel of fat and salt. Removing some of this from my diet and replacing it with a pasta primevera with some buffalo mozzarella and cracked red pepper or a beans and rice dish infused with some tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapeno, has really awakened my taste buds. I can taste the fruit in the yogurt or jelly. I eat smaller meals more frequently (as they always advise) because I'm not constantly trying to plate a "star protein". I have a far more varied and interesting diet.
Also there are a heckuva lot of restaurants who are attempting to supply local, organic, sustainable menus--Cakes and Ale in Decatur, Parish in Atlanta, Ted's Montana Grill (sustainability focused), and even a fast feeder like Chipotle is making an effort. None are perfect, but all are pointed in the right direction. We had a couple of restaurant meals this week, and I tried the bison burgers from Ted's and had an organic beef cheeseburger and fries. So I'm not missing the All American meal. For fast food, we did salads and veg burritos from Moe's, which were both typical of a fast food place.
When we've been shopping, a funny thing has been happening, what appears to be an inconvenience (reducing options) is actually making the whole experience, easier, more enjoyable and nets out around the same cost. First, since we're interested in products with a certain profile, the super market, with it's 47,000 items, becomes a quite manageable couple of aisles. The fruits and vegetables are local and in season, which again, makes it easier to build with. What meat we are buying is from Whole Foods from their Step scale system, which dictates the menus a bit. For example, we had Step Four pork chops and bacon, and no chicken or beef because they were below Step Four. So instead of relying on mood or staring blankly at the thousands of options, we're trying to see what's in season, what looks good and building around that.
Our grocery bill hasn't spiked because there are things that off set the higher cost of some organic products. A meatless meal is usually far cheaper. So you have an off set for something else. Then when you buy in season and aren't paying the air freight for the Argentine tomato, the costs are kept lower there too. If you choose to not drink a single soda, you have the money to offset the price of organic eggs vs. conventional eggs, which is eggs for a week. Plus, new choices are cheaper than old conveniences. For example, instead of getting a McDonald's breakfast biscuit meal (#2 BEC would be my classic), I grab a bagel and cream cheese or a banana and a yogurt. Just as filling, all taste good and the new options are cheaper than the "value" menu.
Physically, I would say that I'm still adjusting. I get more of a late afternoon lull, and really needed to bolster that time period with more food, like a granola bar or apple and peanut butter. A little caffeine helps too--either tea or a half-caff coffee. I've lost a little weight, and seem to be filling up a lot faster.
It takes 18 days for anything new to become a habit. So one more week before the concrete is hardened.
MD
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