Just try it! You might like it!
Egg flights, Dr Pepper S'mores, and the jalapeno popper of my dreams
Last week, we talked about how you don’t have time to eat healthy…if you think eating healthy is a very narrow range of foods. And I stand by that — you don’t have time. You might not have the money or inclination, either.
What you DO have is the time and money to eat healthier than you do now, using equipment you already have and foods you already like. You may not have the inclination, and if you don’t want to develop it, that’s okay with me. You’re in charge. But if you wish you had it, that’s what I’m here for. I talk to so many clients who feel so disconnected from food that their choices either have nothing to do with their preferences, or nothing to do with anything else; they’re either laboring to find or make the “perfect” salad or meal prep recipes without regard for what they like, just trying to force down what’s going to make them thinner or somehow a better person, or they’re so exhausted from that battle that they give up, and order a double double with fries and a shake every day. If that’s where you are, I have a different way of thinking of things for you. If there’s a critical health issue that has to be addressed through diet right now, you need to talk to your doctor first, and hopefully get referred to a registered dietitian like myself, but if you just need to get off the yo-yo diet train so that Future You doesn’t have to follow an emergency diet, the first step might be to make friends with food again.
To do that, for at least one bite a day, sit still. Take a breath, and as you exhale, set your intention to let go of judgment both of your food and yourself. Look at the bite before you put it in your mouth, and notice the colors and textures. Examine them closely, just for a few seconds. If a thought about those sensory notes occurs, just observe it, even if it’s a judgment. Then, taste it, and repeat that paying attention to what you taste and feel. If you can do that for a few more bites, great!
That’s the base experience of mindful eating. It’s just paying attention to eating. In time, you can gradually notice the causes and effects that brought you there, and what happened later. What was your emotional state when you chose this or that food, and how did you feel after eating it?
As you examine what you notice over time, think of which flavors and textures bring you the most joy? Which bring you the most energy? Those are your friends. They’re here to support you. They’re your ride or die.
I can practically hear some of you saying this can’t be true, because your favorite flavors are jalapeno popper and key lime pie! Yep, still true.
Now, sometimes you might just have a slice of key lime pie, and medical conditions permitting, that’s usually okay. But, if you think you’re eating more than is good for your body, you could think about those flavors and textures and how you could incorporate them into something that prioritizes your health as well as enjoyment. You could, for example, have a key lime Greek yogurt (in terms of cleaner ingredients and reasonable nutrition, I like Chobani’s) with a graham square crumbled on it. Even if you add a dollop of whipped cream and some chopped nuts to make it extra indulgent, it’s a nutritional bargain — compared to a standard frozen key lime pie slice, it’s about 100 calories fewer, and the change in nutrition is huge, with 15 g of protein, cool nutraceuticals like conjugated linoleic acid and B vitamins, more than 15% of the recommended calcium intake, and probiotics. As far as carbs go, they’re down to 30, from about 60 grams for the pie, and that’s a reasonable snack — even for diabetics, most RDs recommend 15-30 grams for a between-meal bite.
Once a client told me I changed his life with this approach, because he loved loved loved the Midwestern ode to vegetables, Snickers Salad. Vanilla Greek yogurt with half a Granny Smith and a chopped fun sized Snicker came close enough that it still made him happy, and after some time passed, he found the “real thing” too sweet for everyday. And it works on me, too — I love Black Forest Cake, so one of my tricks for myself is cherry yogurt with nuts or pumpkin seeds and 1 or 2 tsp of chocolate syrup.
What about the essential character of jalapeno poppers in a meal with actual nutrition? Take a look at some of the recipes for jalapeno popper pasta, for example. This one from the wonderful Dish by Rish isn’t bad, especially if you use Neufchatel or reduced fat cream cheese, but you could also use one of the lower fat jarred Alfredo sauces, and just add it to cooked pasta, sauteed jalapenos and garlic, and top with a little toasted panko and maybe even some crumbled bacon. I use that toasted panko trick all the time, not just to shave some calories but also because it’s so much easier than deep frying for Chicken Parm and the like. You can toast more than you need at one time and keep them in an air tight container. Looking to take it further? Try adding in some broccoli or bell peppers, or using a pasta that’s a bit healthier, like Barilla Protein Plus (almost everyone likes that one, and it actually has more going for it that whole wheat), or a chickpea or lentil pasta (not everyone likes these, but a lot of people do, and they’re super nutritious).
I make a similar Cajun-ish pasta, too, with sauteed broccoli, peppers, and onions, no-salt-added Tony Chachere’s and this awesome chicken sausage from Bilinski’s. Those last 2, along with angel-hair shredded cabbage and hidden cauliflower rice, are also my secret weapons for dietitian-approved red beans and rice.
I hope you feel a little bit inspired, but if you don’t, medical conditions allowing, maybe you should back up and not worry about health yet. Just try some new things, anything. Maybe a variegated pink lemon, or some inadvisable chips, or Creamsicle Milk…whatever floats your boat.
It might even be a s’more made out of a Dr Pepper Peep…but I wouldn’t recommend it.
I just wrote about egg flights on Today.com, shown at the top — a tasting assortment of yummy things you already have in the fridge on top of halved hard boiled eggs, and that’s another way to go at first. Don’t even challenge your palate — just grab some things you already have and love and try them in a row, on eggs, or crackers or toast. It can be just one thing added to just one other thing. Don’t worry about whether anyone else will like it. Don’t worry about Instagram. Just taste!
Be where you are now. Once you can do that, we might get somewhere.
RD notes: Want some tips on leveraging a dish you love for general health? Tag me on Instagram or Threads, or leave a comment here, and I’ll see what I can do!
The things I’m talking about here are largely for people who are well and hoping to stay that way. Some of them will also work for certain medical conditions, but you have to talk to your medical team to find out what’s right for you. Whether you have medical concerns now or not, if you find yourself wanting or needing to see an RD, there are tons of good ones available…including me! I work for Nourish, and you can check your insurance coverage here.
None of the products or sites listed are ads — I don’t have any deals and didn’t receive samples from anything shown.
Zen and the Science of Candy Corn is a reader-supported publication that brings me great joy. You can literally give me your 2 cents with the tip jar button below!
But if you decided to subscribe, free or paid? That would be even better than Creamsicle Milk (cringe)!
And please feel free to share this post with any Dr Pepper Peeps-loving psychopaths you may know.