I consider myself to be healthy, but then I realized that my definition of healthy is probably very different from yours.

At the dinner table growing up we never talked about fats, or any foods being fattening. I learned that some foods were more nutritious than others, but most of the time we learned the food on our table that whole foods are the best foods for us to eat.

My mom never measured olive oil, and didn’t hesitated to make a decadent sauce now and again. But everything she cooked was real. Pasta with broccoli, pine nuts, and chicken. Pan fried sole with spinach. Breaded chicken served with ravioli in a cream sauce. Salad after every meal. I never had a single packaged frozen meal growing up. In fact, the closest my mom ever came to using processed foods for our dinners was the occasional prepared pizza dough in the roll. Yes, we had potato chips and Kit Kats and Froot Loops in the house, but none of those foods ever saw the dinner table. Every dinner was a delicious, fresh, whole food meal, lovingly prepared.

My senior year of high school I went through a bit of a phase. My mom had just gotten sick again and I needed a way to deal with it. I decided to be as healthy as I could be. At that time I thought it meant forgoing olive oil completely and refusing to eat any full fat cheeses or white pasta. I have a specific memory of seeing my family’s beautiful dinner on the table and being so mad that my mom used olive oil to cook the chicken- I had to go and cook my own separate piece with a sad spray of Pam. For a first try in healthy eating, it wasn’t awful. I learned about a lot of vegetables my mom had never cooked (sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, etc), and I learned what type of diet gives me the most energy. Luckily, though, I also learned that a life without olive oil, and more importantly, moderation, is not the life I wanted to live.

I’ve come so far away from that philosophy… in fact, I’ve come full circle. It seems like every day I become more like my mom.

I never think about the fat in real food. I never think about whether it is really high in calories or not. I use olive oil, light cream, cheese, nuts, etc. all the time and don’t think about it.

And I am just realizing that a lot of people do think about it.

I guess that my current philosophy is that no one ever became unhealthy by eating bananas or using olive oil. They are natural foods that serve a purpose.

Food is a serious passion of mine. During breakfast I’m thinking about lunch, and during lunch I’m thinking about dinner. I have always been that way and I always will. I love creating beautiful and healthy meals. Like my mom, every night I make a salad for us to enjoy after dinner.

I believe that we should eat foods as close to nature as possible, but that we should also enjoy them with gusto.

I am proud of my choices, and I am healthy, strong, and happy.

What do you believe?

Other Related Posts:
Portion Control
Food Philosophy
FUN POST FROM 2008!!!!! Nonna’s Diet Tips

I will be featuring a few guest bloggers over the next week as I vacation in Jordan with family & friends. Today I feature Jenn of Girl Heroes, a beautiful, healthy woman with a healthy outlook. Read more about her journey and lifestyle below, and then head over to her site to read more! Thanks, Jenn!

Hello RhodeyGirl Tests readers.  My name is Jenn and I blog over at Girl Heroes about my neurosis quest for health. I found Sabrina’s blog a few months ago and was quickly drawn in by her simple and healthy approach to food and by her genuine love for life.  When she asked me to write a guest post I immediately felt completely intimidated honored.  Thank you, Sabrina.

For many years my quest for a healthy lifestyle felt like a labyrinth, a maze , a complex branching puzzle with many choices of paths and directions.  I would try one “diet” until I read about the next healthy diet.  In a search of the perfect plan, I went from a 5 year stint eating macaroni and Fruit Loops as a vegetarian (I didn’t know better), through many detoxes and raw foods for a brief time to plowing my way through plates of beef and broccoli on Atkins.  Each new philosophy held the hope that the perfect plan and a perfect body was only a meal or 1000 away. It was both exciting and exhausting.  Freeing and frustrating with more frustration than freedom.

Through the many twists and turns of the maze I learned valuable lessons and information.  I learned what works for me.   What works for my body.  What fits my personal convictions and my personal limitations.  I learned there are foods that make me feel great and foods that I cannot eat in moderation to save my life…(refined sugar products…cough cough).  I learned that I would also never entirely give up Cheetos no matter how much I wanted too.  I learned that I feel and perform better with adequate, for me, amounts of protein.  I learned that eating locally grown foods were  not only satisfying to the palate but satisfying to the heart.  I also learned that every once in a while I may drive through a drive thru and I no longer feel criminal.

Sometimes I feel like a paradox.  Once I remember picking up my veggies from my CSA and then feeling the crunch of time I drove thru Taco Bell.  True story. Sometimes, I feel inadequate.  I read blogs where people are making their own cheeses and breads from freshly sprouted hand ground grain and I wonder why can’t I do that?  Then I remember I am me and I do the best I can.

Over the course of time, I have come to believe that freedom and health is much more than a plan, than a perfect combination of nutrients, than food groups.  Freedom is also forgiveness. Forgiving myself for the ridiculously high standards I had set for myself and for my imperfections.  Today my quest for heath is simple, I do what I can.   I eat real whole food.  Well most of the time.

Thanks again, Sabrina.

Hugs and High Fives,

Jenn

Related posts:
Food Philosophy
Eating Seasonally

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 presents Battle Local Foods:

Even with the best of intentions, buying locally is not easy. Some local farmers’ markets carry out of season produce from Mexico, and the gourmet super market has bread from 300 miles away. Battle local foods highlights the difficulty of buying all local foods in Philadelphia but also shares  a local, seasonal, meal that is delicious and fun. Buying local foods just requires asking a few questions and learning where to go.

Two teams of friends create an appetizer, entrée, and dessert using only items that are either locally grown or locally produced. It was up to the diners to decide who would win the battle! Now let’s get local in RhodeyGirl’s kitchen, with special guests Heather of Hangry Pants and local food lovers Gina & Jake!

This fall I went to my local grocery store to get some apples, and I was appalled when I saw they were from Washington state. Pennylsvania has hundreds of apple orchards, yet our market was stocking apples from literally thousands of miles away. That experience made me become passionate about supporting local farms as well as local producers. Why go to Washington state for apples when less than an hour away we have Terhune Orchards? It doesn’t make sense.

While I still buy bananas & avocados (let’s face it- life would not be the same without peanut butter banana oatmeal and fresh guacamole), I try to buy as much local, seasonal produce as I can. When I learn about a small local company making chocolates or pretzels or whatever it is, I also try to support them.

Some items have been traded for thousands of years or are truly special, gourmet items that I don’t mind purchasing from all over the world. These include some brands of tuna packed in olive oil, Nutella straight from Italy (the U.S. version is just not the same), marcona almonds from Spain, olive oil from Greece, Italy, and Frog Hollow Farms in California, and every kitchen’s basic items like sugar, kosher salt, spices and flour.

I began the search for my items for our menu on Thursday of this week by stopping at a few super markets to see what local items they had to offer. For the first time I really paid attention to the recently mandated country of origin labels. I found shrimp from India, pine nuts from China, and lots of produce from Mexico and California. I was surprised that even the asparagus, which I know can be sourced locally, came from California.

On Saturday morning I continued my search by stopping at a few local markets. My favorite one was the Rittenhouse Square farmers’ market. Every vendor there carries locally grown or produced items.

I have been to markets before that actually buy their produce from places like Costco and then place them in small baskets to give that farm feel. I only know this because one day I asked, and the gentleman shared that knowledge with me. Luckily, Rittenhouse market has all local items, and I confirmed just to be sure. I also visited the Reading Terminal Market, The Pretzel Factory, Whole Foods, DiBruno’s and a grocery store.

The other team visited Suburban Square market, Lancaster County, and a grocery store. For a list of all Philadelphia’s Farmers’ Markets you can visit the farm to city website. Many of them will be opening in the next two weeks, including my local one, the Fairmount Farmers’ Market!

In this challenge we were allowed to use items that have been traded or imported for a long time such as spices, olive oil, salt, etc. Everything else, however, had to be locally grown or locally produced. Diners were given ballots to judge each dish based on taste, presentation, originality, and adherence to the challenge.

The two teams were both really excited to take on the challenge, as all four of us are passionate about local foods in some way. On one team we had Gina & Jake, a husband and wife couple that planned their strategy for over a week. Gina typically only buys organic meats and tries to buy organic produce when possible.

On the other team we had Heather of Hangry Pants and yours truly. I buy mostly organic dairy (with the exception of specialty cheeses for PB), organic meats, and try to support local farms when possible, as I mentioned above. You all probably know Heather by now, but if you don’t head on over to HangryPants.com to read more about her. Heather & Mark came to Philadelphia just for this fun battle. So exciting!

Here is the Battle Local Foods menu:

Appetizer
*Asparagus and fresh mozzarella bruschetta

(Photo courtesy of hangrypants.com)

*Simple salad: spring greens & baby spinach with roasted asparagus, a tomato & cucumber skewer, finished with a balsamic dressing and a hint of fresh mint

Entrée
*Baked breaded chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms, spinach and fresh mozzarella served over a bed of fresh spinach and mushrooms

(Photo courtesy of hangrypants.com)

*Whole wheat fettuccini in a fresh basil cream sauce with roasted grape tomatoes
(Photo courtesy of hangrypants.com)

Dessert
*Rhubarb crumb cake with fresh vanilla ice cream

*Philly soft pretzel chocolate bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

Note from the teams: While over 90% of each item on the menu was sourced locally, both teams used a few items against challenge rules. Gina & Jake used fresh lime, and Heather and I used a bit of parmigiano reggiano and some mustard. We also put out an assortment of cheeses & cracker trays (not part of the challenge- but containing a few local cheeses)  for everyone to enjoy.

The diners/voters really got into the battle and left interesting and funny notes about the foods.

Here are some of them:

Bruschetta:
-O.K. (sorry, not a fan of bruschetta)
-Needs salt
-needs salt, yummy!
-danger: toothpick. Bread needs more toasting. I like the oil. Cheese needs more bite: provolone maybe?
-I liked this a lot!! Very fresh & very delicious! A fun dish- good for parties. I would eat this at a wedding.
-not enough flavor

Salad:
-O.K.
-love the mint!
-a little too much balsamic
-danger: possibly has (unintelligible word); needs cheese like bruschetta. I don’t like vinegar.
-Just a lil’ more kick would have been good. I could have used some local cheese- but that would have given me gas.
-Like the mint! Actually, love the mint!

Chicken:
-Looks and tastes good. Not great, but good.
-needs salt + spinach needs more cooking and flavor
-chicken little dry. Broccoli rabe taste (writer’s note: it was spinach!). stuffing was confusing
-This was good, but I didn’t get the local flavor. Still, very delicious!
-would prefer seasoned bread crumbs. Needs more seasoning
-Nice taste!!

Pasta:
-Just very blah! Sorry.
-needs more salt + flavor. Too much basil
-not too cheesy, perfectly cooked pasta. Tomatoes surprisingly pleasant
-liked the tomatoes, would like more. Needs more seasoning.
-This was good. A little heavy for my liking. I think this might give me gas, but that is not your fault- it’s my problem.
-very nice! With what was faced with (local foods)

Rhubarb Crumb Cake:
-Sorry, really does not taste good. I can’t eat it, and that’s saying something.
-MMM!
-sad face. This dish confused me. But I do appreciate the originality of the use of the rhubarb.
-I like the cake better than the crumbs

Philly Pretzel Bread Pudding:
-Loved it!
-MMM!
-A pleasant surprise in my mouth- needs more chocolate sauce drizzled
-Awesome! I want this every night. If this is Sabrina, make this more. If this is Jake/Gina, please come over soon. YUM!
-Wish the pretzels were more moist/soft- more pudding like…

The final menu was such a hit we just had to share a few of the recipes!
Whole Wheat Fettuccini with basil cream sauce and roasted tomatoes
Philly Pretzel Bread Pudding
Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Which team made which dish? Who won full bragging rights until our next challenge? You’ll have to watch the video to find out!

*This video was taken by a FlipCam given to me by Meghann of graduatemeghann.com.

A few surprises:
-I was shocked to learn that the pine nuts at our market come from China. Where can one find local nuts?
-Our guests did not like rhubarb! This was surprising because I found it to be absolutely delicious. I wonder if my taste buds have changed?
-Everyone was as excited about the battle as we were!

Preparing a meal from start to finish using only locally grown and locally produced foods was a challenge, but both teams did so successfully and we put together a great dinner. Head out to your local grocery store or farmers’ market, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the source.

Buy local foods!

Thank you for this great opportunity Foodbuzz!

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…..