I was seriously craving comfort food last night, and after a few days of a busy schedule + haphazard eating (read: bowl of cereal for dinner) I needed VEGETABLES! So I had some.
comfort food at its finest
I massaged 1 bunch of kale with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice, and tossed it with sunflower seeds. On the side, sweet potato fries (microwaved for 5 minutes — I wanted them NOW!) with ketchup, and steamed yucca (which I love — it has such a unique mellow flavor).
The non-comforting part of the meal, however, surfaced when I finished the above plate and was still hungry.
I had no problem finishing off the sweet potato fries, but noticed myself avoiding eating the rest of the kale.
And it hit me: I have a fear of oil! It’s such a nutritious, harmless substance, does not cause your blood sugar to spike or encourage overeating, and helps satisfy hunger. But, perhaps as a holdover of my weight-watcher days, I am scared of it. Even when it’s incorporated into a meal that’s not calorie-dense at all, such as this one.
I’ve reached the point where I notice silly tendencies like this and can conquer them, but they still bother me! I hope someday I will reach the point where, if I’m hungry for more kale salad, I’ll just eat some more kale salad, rather than subconsciously telling myself I “shouldn’t” because it has an oil-based dressing. It will not make me gain weight. It will satisfy my hunger and prevent snacking after dinner. In the long run, eating more healthy food when I need it is good for me. (I will repeat this to myself until I’ve internalized it! ) In the end, I ate the rest of the head of kale, felt perfectly satisfied, and did not snack after dinner. Mission accomplished.
Do you ever have trouble taking seconds when you need them?
I was seriously craving comfort food last night, and after a few days of a busy schedule + haphazard eating (read: bowl of cereal for dinner) I needed VEGETABLES! So I had some.
I massaged 1 bunch of kale with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice, and tossed it with sunflower seeds. On the side, sweet potato fries (microwaved for 5 minutes — I wanted them NOW!) with ketchup, and steamed yucca (which I love — it has such a unique mellow flavor).
The non-comforting part of the meal, however, surfaced when I finished the above plate and was still hungry.
I had no problem finishing off the sweet potato fries, but noticed myself avoiding eating the rest of the kale.
And it hit me: I have a fear of oil! It’s such a nutritious, harmless substance, does not cause your blood sugar to spike or encourage overeating, and helps satisfy hunger. But, perhaps as a holdover of my weight-watcher days, I am scared of it. Even when it’s incorporated into a meal that’s not calorie-dense at all, such as this one.
I’ve reached the point where I notice silly tendencies like this and can conquer them, but they still bother me! I hope someday I will reach the point where, if I’m hungry for more kale salad, I’ll just eat some more kale salad, rather than subconsciously telling myself I “shouldn’t” because it has an oil-based dressing. It will not make me gain weight. It will satisfy my hunger and prevent snacking after dinner. In the long run, eating more healthy food when I need it is good for me. (I will repeat this to myself until I’ve internalized it!
) In the end, I ate the rest of the head of kale, felt perfectly satisfied, and did not snack after dinner. Mission accomplished.
Do you ever have trouble taking seconds when you need them?