Food Philosophy
It took me a long time to figure out who I am. Of course, as time does not stop, I do not stop changing either. Who I am is intricately weaved in with what I believe. What I eat. Who I spend my time with. What I do every day.
I really struggle with the one component of who I am: What I eat.
(Photo from Foodbuzz Festival 2009, in front of the Frog Hollow Farm stand.
I wish we had their produce available to us every day!)
Food is beautiful. We are so lucky to have these delicious meals we can make to nourish our bodies and our souls. A meal is not just about feeding our bodies the right nutrients; it is an experience to be cherished and valued. It is a way to bring people together. My favorite posts to write here on this little site are my menus. I really value my menus and I spend a lot of time thinking about what to serve when we entertain. Both my husband and I absolutely love entertaining, and I feel so happy and warm inside when we bring people together to break bread over smiles, laughs, and of course, a RhodeyGirl Tests’ approved meal. I try to match all tastes while staying true to my heritage. I try to make the meal balanced and tasty, yet fun and different.
So where do I struggle? I feel like my food dollar can be more of a political statement than anything else I do in my life. Who do I support? Who is right to support? How do I balance supporting what I believe while still nourishing my body and soul the right way? In my ideal world, my husband and I would live on a farm and eat fresh eggs in the morning and freshly picked berries at night. We would bake our own bread. Everything we eat would come off of our farm, and we would make our entertaining menus based on what our farm was producing at the time. In a more practical world, we would join a local CSA and supplement our weekly basket of goodies with small trips to the local market. We would go to the baker to buy a loaf of bread that he created early that morning in his kitchen.
In Florence we did that. Every day we would buy our loaf of bread from the bakery, our fruits from the fruit man, our nuts and raisins from our favorite nut guy, our vegetables from the old vegetable lady. We do not have that here.
That option does not satisfy our reality. We travel almost every weekend. I work 1 full time job and 3 part time jobs. My husband is an attorney with little free time. We don’t live in California where beautiful produce is available locally year round. Those options are simply not feasible.
Our solution.
I shop at Whole Foods every week in the winter, and Wegmans every few weeks or so. I support products made in the USA over any other country. I support small food producers. When the farmer’s market opens, I will support all of the stands again. We only buy organic meat, poultry and eggs, and when the local stand comes back, we will buy local organic meat, poultry and eggs- whether it is certified organic or not (certification is a lengthy and expensive process for a small farm). We eat lots and lots of vegetables and whole grains, and don’t mind spending the extra money for the occasional piece of organic, local filet mignon or chicken breast. We can eat healthy food on a budget because we make the choice to eat a mostly vegetarian natural diet in the home. However, I still buy packaged whole wheat english muffins. Bottled creamy salad dressings for PB- with ingredients I can pronounce. Canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Coffee. Avocados. Bananas. The list goes on. My goal is to spend our food money wisely- both in terms of supporting our beliefs as well as satisfying our desire for health and taste. There is no absolute. There is only balance.
Many of you know that I was once significantly heavier for my frame- 25 lbs to be exact (weight loss story here). The weight loss process was a very lengthy one for me, but I have seen such great progress in how I approach food. I love to eat. I always have and I always will. I am not afraid to use real butter, but I will make an effort to use a little bit of butter instead of a lot. I no longer diet when my jeans get a little tight, but rather try to embrace what my body needs and what my body wants. When we try a new restaurant, I order exactly what my body wants. I trust my body and know that I will stop eating when I am no longer hungry. I try to support local producers, but I know I can’t give up my beloved avocados, bananas, and more. I am ok with that. I have found the balance I need in my life.
To me, food is life.
I feel healthy and strong, and very happy every day. I am proud of how I spend my food dollar, and I am proud of what I put into my body every day, whether it be a local apple one day, or a delicious piece of chocolate the next.
What about you? What is your food philosophy? We already talked about local vs. seasonal vs. organic, but I want to know more…..
This makes me want to look back to what I said on my “about me” page on my blog, haha.
I guess food is nourishment, and it feeds the soul. When it comes to what food we eat, that’s huge to me. I don’t know where the line is drawn between “food philosophy” and “environmental ethics” since they’re intertwined for me. I won’t eat animals that weren’t raised natural or wild, and that I’m firm about. Anything plant based I’m not as strict about organic or not. Obviously, I’d like to support the small local farmer, but that doesn’t always happen. And so long as there isn’t unnatural ingredients in my processed food, I’m happy
@Evan Thomas, How do you handle that when you go out to eat? Do you shy away from dishes that contain animal products, or do you ask the server?
i would say that it’s pretty basic – everything in moderation – but all the while being truly thankful for the blessing of being able to eat amazing food. i think that’s something that we all take for granted, and my hope is that I would never do that. Food is what brings me a lot joy and pleasure, and is certainly a passion. I love it!
@Heather (Heather’s Dish), We do all take it for granted, and we are so lucky and blessed to be able to eat amazing food! Thank you for your comment!
I feel the same warm and fuzzy emotions when we entertain in our home – it has to be from growing up that way. I look forward to it and take so much pride in it. I could never give up any foods that I love. Food brings me pleasure AND nourishment – I am as happy as I can be with how I spend, being that I live in the same climate you do. I can’t imagine living somewhere that has fresh markets out on the streets, but that would be great!
@Jessica @ How Sweet, If I could entertain every single weekend, I would. I bet you feel the same way!
You said it so well! Food is SO personal. I choose to go with what my body craves all of the time, making the healthiest possible choice. I’ve currently reading ‘The Kind Diet’ by Alicia Silverstone, which is opening my food philosophy…it’s currently in a learning state: learning about vegetarianiam and veganism and what they might mean for me in in the future. Food drives my creativity. I love learning about unnoticed veggies and how to cook them. Food is my inspiration for life.
@Kendall @ Whisk Her Away, Food is my inspiration too! Thanks for your comment!
Very interesting, of course! I feel the same way. I go through phases when I really want only organic things and then in the summer I am more about local things.
I don’t eat meat because I am grossed out by factory farming. Telling people that I will eat meat they made for me if it passes my standards seems very rude. I don’t want others to feel badly about their choices (not to say I wouldn’t talk about it if asked), which is why I just do not eat meat. I don’t miss it and I feel like I am making a good choice for me.
Just a little note – at the CSA near my house there is an option to split with others. I know I worried about wasting food when I was looking into it.
@Hangry Pants, I am grossed out by factory farming as well. How do you feel about yogurt and cheese and such? Do you buy organic or just try not to think about it?
I just finished reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma and have really been thinking of my own answer to these questions myself. Like you said, some farm fresh food would be great but it’s not practical for my life. I found myself nodding in agreement with just about everything you said.. especially for meat. I make exceptions of course (maybe too many) when I go out to eat or to other peoples homes to be polite. It’s good to see more restaurants embracing the use of local and seasonal products. I’ve really been looking at everything I pick up and the ingredients or where it is from. Sorry this is ramble-y to say that I agree with you pretty much to a T! π
@Katie, I am posting later this week about the books that helped me form my food philosophy- The Omnivore’s Dilemma is one of them!!!
@RhodeyGirlTests, I’ve been typing quotes that really stood out to me into a post on the book and trying to make my thoughts coherent! It will eventually go up.
@Katie, When it does please let me know and I will let my readers know about it!
I LOVE this entry. In theory I would love, love to join a local CSA or do MUCH more shopping at the local farmers markets on the weekend, however working full time, being in school part time and having my fiance work full time as a very busy attorney doesn’t make this practical at all. Like you, I try to make the best of what I have to work with. I’ve been trying to be better about really checking where the produce and fish and meat I’m buying in the store come from and buying more bulk grains, etc.
That being said I think my favorite part of this was LISTENING to your body. This week has been a big chocolate week for me. Rare, normally I don’t crave sweets at all. But I’ve been listening and indulging – in moderation – and am trying to learn to trust my body and believe that by doing so everything balances out. As someone who formerly struggled a lot with portions and food control, this is a HARD concept but it feels really good once you get the hang of it!
@Christine, Thank you for your post!!! I was surprised to see that 90% of the fish options at our local market last week came from ECUADOR! It pays to spend a minute just looking, don’t you think?
I adore this post. Adore. My food philosophy is basically the same as yours π Though I have a few lbs to shed I am not willing to do that at the expensive of my love for eating, and it is a slow process mainly achieved through healthy eating of WHOLE foods π
Sara
@Sara, Whole food taste better too! Thank you for your comment!!!!!!
First off- how adorable are you in that picture? Love it. My philosophy on food has DEFINITELY shifted over time. My focus now is on getting in LOTS of fruits and vegetables, less processed foods and enough protein. As I told you before, I do try to go organic when I can, but sometimes (due to cost) its just not practical to buy everything organic. I also have eliminated meat from my life. Since that time (knock on wood)- my stomach issues have gone away. Amazing. I do want to start shopping more at WFs, but I do my weekly trips to Publix. They actually have a great organic generic line there!
I love that you talked about how important your menus and entertaining are to you! You can definitely see that- your menus are INCREDIBLE. I bet your guests always feel so honored to be there! I love entertaining as well π
Hope you are having a great week pretty lady!! How are the boot camp classes going??
@Erica, Thanks Erica! Apparently I love wine as much as I love fresh veggies! Bootcamp is going really well! We already added a 3rd afternoon class! I forgot how much fun teaching was. Thanks for your help!
i really loved reading this post, sabrina. you have a great take on food and grocery shopping. and most important, it makes you happy!
@janetha, It does make me happy π
this was an absolutely amazing post. you are wise beyond words and have such a great platform for who you are and what you believe in. Love it, and love YOU
@Ashley, Thank you Ashley!
Thanks so much for linking to me here. You are a fount of wisdom and balance — so much more than you know — and a wonderful voice of reason in the blog world!
@Gena, Thank you Gena. I really loved that post of yours but hadn’t had a chance to link to it yet.
Fantastic post Sabrina. I think it’s tough for every family in our country to afford to eat organically and locally. Not only financially, but time wise. It isn’t easy for a mother of four to run to the farmer’s market for groceries or afford to shop at Whole Foods. I think if more single people (like myself) shop locally and buy organically, it can help balance out those who can’t afford to do so. Hopefully, one day everyone can afford a cart full of organic fruits and vegetables over a cart of cheap, processed junk.
@MelissaNibbles, I never thought about it that way, but you are absolutely right. Hopefully we WILL balance it out and eventually everyone WILL be able to buy the way we do.
Honestly, I struggle with my food philosophy every single day. I eat the least amount of meat as possible. I do drink milk and eat yogurt.
I still live at home with my my parents supporting me so I do not really have a say what kind of meat they chose to buy. I do not eat read meat ever (health and ethical reasons). I will eat chicken and turkey occasionally if that is what my mom cooks for dinner. When I am financially stable once I am out of school I will only buy organic, grass-fed meat. I think it’s more ethical to eat a wild-caught Alaskan salmon than to drink milk or eat yogurt. However, I don’t think I am personally ready to give up milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream. It really is a never-ending struggle for me the more I read and educate myself on the food system.
@jessica, I actually agree with you completely. I don’t think I will ever give up milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, but I hope that eventually we find a local farm to buy it, where we know how the animals are treated and what they feed them and such. Thank you for your comment.
@RhodeyGirlTests, Thank you for your insightful post! I think we are doing the best we can, and that’s what counts.
I am all about a balanced diet. I can eat a salad with all unprocessed foods one minute, but for my next meal I could eat complete junk! I go for what my body craves:)
@Jenny, I eat junk sometimes too and don’t feel guilty about it (most of the time), but I am still trying hard to make every food dollar count π
That’s my philosophy too =D
Lucky for me I do have access to Frog Hollow. I’m spoiled!
@Chelsea, JEALOUS. You know I am.
I enjoyed this post as well as the comments. My food philosophy is to do the best I can in any situation. When I am shopping for my household of two, I make sure that we purchase organic eggs, milk and meat and try to avoid hormones in animal products whenever possible.
I recognize that I am lucky to live in California with a lot of access to fresh produce year round. I try to buy mostly California produce and support my local farmers markets when possible.
Sustainability is something that my husband and I strongly believe in and we are preparing for our second season of growing our own tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers in our small backyard. We each grew up in Europe and were fed fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables as children and that’s something we hope to pass on to our kids some day.
@One Healthy Apple, I try to do the best as well. Sometimes the best really isn’t good at all, but in the middle of winter I can’t help but buy some California produce π You are lucky you live there!
Food has always been very important in my life, my Mom passed on her love of cooking and entertaining down to me. I can’t think of many nights when our meal wasn’t home cooked. My Mom instilled in us the importance of whole foods from the time we were very young.
Now that I have kids it’s important to me to buy organic, whole foods. I love to create our meals and I am in the kitchen from morning until evening. It is a lot of work but I love knowing exactly what is going into our mouths. I will not bring anything into my home I would not feel comfortable feeding my children. It is amazing how much that cleaned up my diet. Of course there are times of indulgence, and everything isn’t always 100% whole, organic. I think I have found a good balance though.
@Midgetkeeper, I love this comment. I remember we ALWAYS had a home cooked meal too. My husband and I try to do the same now. We have gotten take out one time since we got married (last July)
Our philosophies are very similar. I love real food but sometimes reality calls for me to make less than ideal choices.
Great post, Sabrina!!
@jenn, Thank you Jenn!
This is a great post — love your thoughts and the comments. A food philosophy is a funny thing for me, as what works for me the majority of the time is not what I’m dealing with right now. In college, I lost about 30 pounds and kept it off for a couple years, until I started law school and slowly stopped paying attention to what I was eating and just ate what was convenient. (I’m not talking fast food, by the way, I’m talking about existing on tons of grilled cheese sandwiches made with 40 cal-per-slice Arnold’s bread and fat free american cheese.) When I had an event to go to and could not find ANYTHING that fit, I knew I needed to get my ass in gear, and so I went “back on” the South Beach Diet. I lost the 15lbs I’d gained within a few months, and kept that off for 5 more years without effort…until this year, where I once again slowly stopped monitoring my food and focusing on convenience. Not surprisingly, I’m back in the same boat again, and hoping that I’ve finally learned my lesson. It’s no fun having to restrict, but I’m up against a time crunch — none of my summer suits fit me! It will be nice to get back where I belong.
Wonderful post…it made my day: ) I agree it is about balance. We too support locals when we can, but do love our avocados and other things that do not grow here. You have a way with words…love it! I love entertaining too and love planning menus, it gives me such joy. I guess that is why I am a chef!
Food is our life! We love to eat and bake ; )
I am behind you 1000%! This post was amazing, and expressed my own ideals so well! You are inspiring.
I really think that a lot of it comes down to money. I think the idea of buying organic, local food is amazing. However, you won’t see me doing it because I barely have enough cash in my pocket to buy the food that I already have as an unpaid intern this year. Times are tough π Ideals are ideals, though, and I commend you for purchasing groceries this way since you can!
girl, i love your blog!
i can’t believe i’ve never stumbled across it before.
no more! π
google reader = +1!
– rebekah
@rebekah (clarity in creation.), Thank you so much!!!!!!