Eat More Produce (and drink more wine for less)

“An onion can make people cry but there’s never been a vegetable that can make people laugh.”

  - Will Rogers

Greetings!  I hope that these words find you well, happy and hopeful.  Your goal today is to make this a better day than the last.  But the slightest change can quickly become an enormous improvement.  Put a smile upon your face and carry on my friend.

My carnivorous past is but months in the past.  I clearly and visibly recall toting cart loads of white breads, greasy meats, processed food stuff and about everything in between as I exited my local grocery store or warehouse club.  In retrospect, I was pushing a cartload of embarrassment.  I was that oxymoron that entertained others about me, “Hey!  Look at that fat guy pushing that cart load of random slop.”

Okay.  Perhaps I exaggerate a little bit (a lot).  But ~ I can without reservation say that my cart was certainly not nutritionally conscious.  I’m proud to say that Tiffany converted me to a label-reader when I married her.  Until then I wasn’t even aware that a nutritional label existed.  Let alone what its purpose was.

Today?  It’s entirely different.  Much, much easier!  I can breeze by and totally ignore the meat counters, 90% of the breads (the processed white stuff), most bakery goods (laden with saturated and trans-fats), and aisle upon aisle of over-processed “convenience” foods. 

Today it’s simpler.  Raw fruits, raw vegetables, wines, raw food stuff, fresh food stuff, grains, legumes, and whole grains (faro, quinoa, barley, etc.) now fill my cart.  My choices are simpler too.  “Are there any saturated or trans-fats?”  “Is it vegetarian?”  “Do I know what every ingredient is in this stuff?”  “Can I make it myself using fresh foods instead?”

Mmm… wholesome foods from Eat More Produce.

Let’s eat!

Let’s move onto extreme value, okay?  How much would you pay for this bountiful booty in the picture above?  Would you believe that all of this costs ONLY $37.95?  I feel so absolutely fortunate to have Eat More Produce as part of my regular shopping venue.  It’s great food, friendly people, and tremendous value.  What else can a 4-foot plastic bubble headed doll ask for?

Okay, for you naysayers out there…  Yes, you see my reoccurring blog posts featuring pizza, French fries, pasta, and other potentially “evil” foods.  I sometime hesitate to include these posts but, in reality, Tiffany and I don’t consume these choices frequently.  We also generally take home the better portion of our dining-out selections and portion them throughout the week as left-overs.  An extra-large pizza from Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers can last as many as four or five meals each!  One slice each during our visit with our shared sub sandwich.  Tiffany and I consume another slice each the following day for lunch.  We enjoy another slice each for dinner with a side salad.

It has always been my firm belief that no weight loss regiment can be successful in the long run without the occasional “treat”.  These are items eaten in moderation, in small scale, and in conjunction with off-setting healthy items.  We select each “evil” dining choice in conjunction with the day’s overall menu, amount of exercise and a very conscious effort to fit it into the overall plan.  No food is consumed lightly without consideration for its repercussions.

Again ~ I am not after quick and immediate weight loss.  I am after a long-term attainable lifestyle that promotes healthy eating choices overall and keeps my weight in check.  It’s a slow methodical process that ultimately removes prescription medications from my cabinet and fills my blood test results with wonderful numbers.

Hi-dee hi-dee eating-healthy-does-not-equate-to-expensive-ho my friend.