The Family Table: Eating lighter, getting lighter
About a year ago, I stepped on my scale at home and wanted to cry.
The number shouldn’t have been a shock to me. I’d already needed to buy bigger pants, and the shirts that used to fit well had ceased to do so.
Yet the number made my jaw drop. I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself, and wondered how I could’ve let it happen.
Something had to give. No crash diets or quick fix plans — they’re great in the short term and lousy for the long term.
So I went about figuring out what would work for me in the confines of my generally busy life. Between a demanding job and three active kids, there wasn’t time to spend hours at a gym.
I started small, cutting back on pasta and bread, choosing salads with lean proteins, and fresh veggie snacks. As much as I could, I precooked meals for our family, erasing the temptation for a quick-fix trip through the drive-thru.
It’s amazing how having a meal ready not only gets dinner on the table faster, but also reduces stress. Sundays turned into cooking days for me. I make enough to carry us through Thursday, typically, and the pre-made meals are versatile enough that we aren’t eating the same thing four nights in a row.
I researched how to eat the things I love in a healthier way, and found it wasn’t that hard. Research likewise helped me find budget-friendly ways to eat well without breaking the bank.
I also took up yoga, thanks to Mike, who got me started with a thoughtful Christmas gift. That was a game changer for me. More than a decade of persistent back pain — so bad some mornings that it was difficult to get out of bed — vanished.
I’m sure the weight loss that came along the way helped the back pain, too. Carrying around unnecessary weight is bad for more reasons than having to buy a new wardrobe.
Today, I’m almost 50 pounds lighter.
Everyone in the household came along for the ride. I didn’t announce to the kiddos that our eating habits were going to change, but I don’t think that any of them noticed. We’re lucky to have three very good eaters between us. They’ll try anything from tempeh chili to zucchini pizzas.
One of the things I’ve found most useful is to make a lot of one protein and use things in different ways over a couple of days. A family favorite for us is the rice bowl. It’s a good way to use up little bits of vegetables you have on hand while creating a balanced meal in a bowl.
Instead of using rice, though, I’ve started using a lower calorie substitute: cauliflower.
All five in our household like it, the little ones so much so that they’ve requested cauliflower rice and beans in place of the soup they typically take for lunch.
The method is simple. I use my food processor to pulse the florets until they are broken down and resemble grains of rice.
Then, I spread the “grains” onto a rimmed sheet pan, and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper.
After about 15 minutes in a 425-degree oven, the cauliflower roasts up, and can be used in place of rice.
There are endless uses for it, but our favorite is in carnitas bowls with avocado, black beans, salsa and onions.
Once the cauliflower comes out of the oven, I season it with lime juice, a sprinkle of smoked sea salt and add in some fresh cilantro to make the base of the bowl.
It’s been almost a year in the making, but the payoff for eating better has been great. I’m more aware than ever about what exactly goes into our meals, and I’ve learned to make simple adjustments to keep everyone happy with dinner, while not sacrificing flavor. No one is complaining about my food experiments (thankfully), and I feel great knowing that those formerly embarrassing 50 extra pounds got me to a place where we can easily sustain good eating habits that will last us a lifetime.
Jennifer Harr is the 缅北禁地’s news editor. Contact her at jharr@heraldstandard.com or follow her on Twitter @HSJenHarr.