The meals in between

I, along with millions of Americans have developed a lot of unhealthy eating habits, and these habits have created what I believe to be addictions. I spend a lot of mental energy thinking about what I eat, not just as a chef but as someone who is trying to figure out how to be healthy. Through research and school I've learned an extraordinary amount of nutrition information and I believe that it's very important knowledge, but that's only the beginning.

With my parents visiting in town and living in such a gourmet city, it's hard not to indulge for each and every meal. I had a nice thought tonight that popped in my head, "It's okay, as long as you eat well for the meals in between". This is an interesting concept if you really think about how much eating goes on BETWEEN events and special occasions. I love getting nachos and hotdogs at a baseball game, and I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life thinking I would never do that again. What about birthday parties and going away parties and baby showers and vacation and checking out the new restaurant in town or anniversaries or dinner parties?

It's hard to imagine packing some raw veggies and a turkey sandwich to take with me to a wedding reception. Would that be insulting to the bride and groom?

I believe there are so many more eating experiences throughout our lives that are not connected to any type of social event or celebration, and if in those moments we do not waiver and we eat with the sole purpose of fueling our bodies with exactly what they need, we would be a lot better off. It's the lunch we choose 5 times a week that affects our bodies more than the birthday cake at the party or the family get together at the rib joint. I work dinner shifts at a restaurant and have the option to eat just about anything you could imagine for dinner. I have the advantage over most people that I get five meals a week where I can choose from unlimited types of produce and meats to assemble a meal and I don't even have to pay for it, not only that, I get to prepare it in a pan that someone else washes for me on a stove that resembles a jet engine and eat it out of a bowl that someone else also gets to wash for me. That's a pretty convenient meal option right there. The flip side of this scenario is the temptation to eat too much of the wrong foods and to do that every day. If one week has 21 meals in it, and fifteen of those are really healthy and modest, who cares if you want to have your neighbors over to inhale some pizza. It's meals (and snacks) in between that really count, don't worry about the ones you actually really enjoy. It's the "All or nothing" dieting that always ends in failure, so try to find a lifestyle that works, and hopefully includes a generous amount of ice cream.