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She Says: Food Rules & Confessions
Did you see Michael Pollan on Oprah today? He spoke about Food, Inc. (my review) and his book Food Rules. My dad got that book for Christmas and I read it. There are some funny rules in there. Two I specifically remember are:
- “Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.”
- “It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language.”
They are quick and funny rules to remind you to eat food, not things that resemble food. One thing I remember about the book was the rule to forget the rules sometimes. Things like that support me eating this delicious Triple Chocolate Cupcake from Mr. Cupcakes for no real reason!
Food Confession Time: I cooked chicken today (not ate, just cooked). For some reason, I feel like that is a confession. Perhaps I should answer today’s Ask Anything questions to elaborate.
Are you and Mark vegetarians?
I am a vegetarian. I do not eat any form of chicken, meat, or fish. In August 2008 we started this blog with a 30-day Meatless Month. I’ve eaten meat 3 or 4 times since then. I used to be hesitant to call myself a vegetarian because (1) I didn’t want to eat meat and “fail;” and (2) I didn’t want to have to explain myself. Now I am comfortable with the label and I actually love explaining myself. Also, I don’t think in terms of absolutes, so I don’t view eating something I want and enjoy as a failure anymore.
Mark is a … hmmm … quasitarian I guess. In the house, he does not eat meat because I normally do not cook it. He will voluntarily go days without eating meat and order vegetarian things out. I have no problem with him cooking meat, but he usually does not. He loves sushi and will eat chicken and meat when offered these items.
Heather, do you have any suggestions or ideas for how I could get my boyfriend to eat a little healthier?
In a lot of ways I am really lucky because Mark is interested in healthy eating and has a wonderful balanced mindset about food. I haven’t had to do much to “get” Mark to eat the way he does, but I would say cooking really delicious healthy meals and stocking the house with good, nutritious snacks is key.
Now, my chicken confession. As Mark set off on his first solo run today I felt like a mom dropping her child off at pre-school, and I knew chicken was on the menu for tonight. I chose organic free-range chicken to make him some post-run stir fry. In the mix: chicken, buckwheat noodles, Peanut Mustard Sauce, and vegetables.
This is Mark’s bowl. Mine was the same, but without the chicken. I didn’t miss it. I never do.
The Peanut Mustard Soy Sauce was really yummy:
- 2 T Peanut Butter
- 2 – 3 T of Honey Mustard
- Garlic
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce (a few teaspoons)
- Rice Wine Vinegar (a few teaspoons)
- A little bit of Hemp Oil that I got ages ago from Nutiva.
So there you have it. To summarize, I am a vegetarian, but I make Mark chicken occasionally (ie. 4 times a year). I am positive this makes me a failure, hypocrite and a person lacking in principles in the eyes of some, but I don’t agree. I choose what I will and will not eat, I make conscious decisions and that’s the best I can do.
Share your food confessions.
Oh, I have one more. After dinner I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios & Almond Milk. A big bowl.
My confession: If it’s mine, I’m a double dipper. I’m sure i’ve double dipped in every jar of nut butter or yogurt that I don’t expect others to eat from. I’ve also shamelessly scraped the mold off the same cream cheese 5 times before shoving it out.
That sauce sounds excellent!
Confession: I really want to give up fish but don’t have the willpower. It’s not that I DON’T care about fish (whether it’s bad fishing practices, morality of killing or chemicals) but I can’t care enough to give up eating something I love so much.
Same with me and milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs. Oh and ice cream.
i know a good reason for eating that cupcake… today is national chocolate cake day! love polan’s policies on food.
Why thank you.
My family is the furthest thing from vegan. Since I’m the only one who ‘cooks’, while I’m at home, I put pepperoni on their pizzas and butter in their cookies. Sorry, world.
I loved his concept that food should rot and the twinkie doesn’t.
I’ll be reading this book soon if the library has it.
My food confession today is that I’m still picking at food all night long even though I’m not really hungry. I’m just bored and sick. Normally I would go to the gym but tonight I’m hitting the kitchen.
My confession?? I eat EVERYTHING!! Too much chocolate everyday, sometimes in place of meals!
I was actually skimming through that book during lunch at work today, and I actually laughed out loud at “It’s not food if it arrives through your car window” (or something to that effect.) I’m definitely going to read through the whole Food Rules book in the near future.
My food confession: Despite knowing how horrible french fries are for you, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give them up…ever.
i feel like NOT being vegetarian or vegan can sometimes be a confession :/ I try to eat organic, grass-fed meat when I can, but I just like meat/chicken/fish and don’t really feel convicted to give it up…sorry world, but not really!
You are not a failure!
My confession is that I popped a bottle of cheap wine tonight because for some reason I really wanted to taste wine, but I feel guilty because it’s only Wednesday and I think drinking should be reserved for Thursday-Sunday activities. Is the stress of the job getting to me? I felt so, so I wanted to relax. It’s unlike me, and I wish I had tea. …I had 2 glasses.
Also, Mark’s dinner looks delish, including the chicken.
You are SO NOT a hypocrite and all those other things.
Confession: I ate two cupcakes today plus licked the spatula a few times (I washed it in between though at least I don’t have to confess that).
I don’t think making chicken a few times diminshes your efforts at all! I think it is respectable on any level, vegetarian, flexitarian, or whatever, to reduce their meat consumption a little bit. Every little bit helps! Someone else posted something similar today… I’ll try to go find it. But basically, it’s like if you don’t recycle EVERYTHING should you do nothing? Of course not!
I eat meat. Lots of it. All kinds. And, (confession part) while i LIKE to buy organic/grass fed, being on one teacher income and unemployment in our house, its not at all realistic. So I buy cheap. I’m not a vegetarian, nor have I ever been, though a long time went by where I didn’t eat red meat (age 12-21). In the blog world, eating meat seems fairly frowned upon, as does eating what we can afford instead of what’s politically correct. SO i confess: I eat for the cheap.
My confession is that I would call myself fairly healthy in terms of everyday diet DESPITE the fact that I eat junk food all the time. I have several friends who refuse to agree with me but I’m stickin to my guns!
This isn’t a confession; I sympathize with you. Maybe it’s a confession because I’m a degree “worse” than you.
I have been a vegetarian for six years. I make my family of five two meals a day and they all contain meat. I love carving turkeys because it feels like a greasy craft project. Don’t feel bad! I hope you don’t! Rules are silly!
There are many vegetarians and vegans out there that cook meat for their loved ones!!!
My food confession? I really like Diet Cherry Coke even though it’s poison in a can.
Food confession: I don’t like rice. And I housed a large bag of Valentine’s day M&Ms in about 48 hours.
Food guilt is the WORST, so I try my hardest not to have any. I’ve found that it becomes a lot easier when you give yourself permission to not feel guilty.
Honey Nut Cheerios + Almond Milk = Best combination ever! I can never just eat one bowl!
Hi Heather! I’ve been a vegetarian for about 7 years, but I’ve definitely had meat on a handful of occasions. It’s hard to avoid eating meat when you’re abroad, first of all. But here at home … I’ve cooked free-range meat a couple times and had some. I’ve had fish on a handful of occasions. I’ve tried being vegan but I fail miserably
But I believe if you are vegetarian MOST of the time, you can call yourself that. I’m not going to judge!
bahahaha rolling about your bowl of cheerios!!! Just the way that you said it…and then “A big bowl.” Like, heck yah I did. Love it!! Could totally go for a bowl..mmm
You are too funny! I too have cooked meat once or twice for my husband. Other than the fact that it grosses me out, I don’t feel guilty at all. I would rather not ever cook an animal at all, but it helps keep my marriage in balance. On another note I did dream last night that I ate some shrimp and woke up feeling extremely guilty and like I had been living a big vegetarian lie. Luckily it was only a dream. =)
My confession is that if I go more than one day without some form of ice cream I consider it a success!
Jess: Exactly, I think giving Mark some chicken every once in awhile is a nice thing to do for him.
I love ketchup on everything. Esp. cold day old pizza for brekky.
I loved yesterday’s Oprah!
My food confession: Even when I fill a wine glass as large as my head almost to the top I still consider it 1 glass of wine:)
that cupcake looks divine! you definitely do not need an excuse to indulge in something as yummy as that
I hate that I missed yesterday’s Oprah..it’s all over the blog world!
haha I like that rule about fuel for your car and fuel for your body…good point. And I also agree that rules should be forgotten from time to time. It’s no way to live!
Girl why would that make you a hypocrite? If people say that, they are dolts. Plain and simple.
Food confession: I love kielbasa. I’m Polish and it’s required by law that we eat it at least once a month or our license gets revoked. Whatever, what I eat doesn’t make someone else shiz, so I don’t really give a flip if someone is bothered by it.
oh I wish I knew he was going to be on Oprah, I would’ve loved to watch it!
Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog from who knows where:) I really like it, though, and I’m excited to come back and read more.
I had to comment on this post because I’m a vegan, but I fix my husband meat and eggs often. Honestly, I don’t enjoy touching it or cooking it or looking at it for that matter, but I love him and it’s his decision to eat meat or not eat meat. I do it for him, not for me. So, you shouldn’t feel bad AT ALL in my opinion. I don’t think we should stop cooking meals for the people we love, just because our preferences are different than theirs…and I definitely don’t think we should feel bad about it!
Great post:)
That cupcake looks delicious!
Love your food confession! I am trying to get my husband to eat less meat – I try to eat vegetarian with the occasional fish meal.
I do buy him meat and sometimes I will eat a meal with beans and he will eat chicken. He also buys deli meat and I don’t stop him. I don’t feel its fair to force your eating styles on anyone else – my husband just eats his meat when we go out or for lunch.
My food confession: I eat chocolate after pretty much every meal! What can I say – I have quite the sweet tooth!
Food confession: I once ate a box of Pepperidge Farm cookies in one sitting :d
So bad, but sooooo good.
Yum, that dinner looks delicious!
You’re such a great girlfriend for cooking him something you don’t even eat! I also cook for my boyfriend, who would eat junk food all day if he could! I just experiment with different healthy dishes with lots of flavor. He is now eating better because I love cooking and make dinner every night, instead of going out or ordering in =) Confession: I hate blueberries. With a passion. I wish I liked them, and try them once a year, but every time they still disgust me.
Dinner looks and sounds delicious! I think it’s awesome that you eat what you want and that you’re OK with Mark doing the same. The Huz was all worried the other night that I was going to “become a vegetarian and leave him” and I had to explain that I’ll never judge him for what he eats and I’ll never complain about not eating meat. If I want it, I’ll eat it. It just happens that I dont want it all that much anymore! Do I still make it for him occasionally? Of course! Do I pine for it as I would if I forbid myself from having it? Not at all!
I have been a vegetarian for close to 15 years (no meat or fish), but I still will cook chicken or make my husband a sandwich with lunch meat. Normally I am fine with doing it, but sometimes my stomach may be too weak to deal with touching raw meat. I would like to raise vegetarian children, but my husband isn’t up for the idea. I just feel happy/lucky that my husband eats and enjoys mostly vegetarian meals, because I would hate always eating a different meal from him!
I think you are definitely a vegetarian and not a failure for cooking chicken. People that would judge you for it are too closed-minded. You are already choosing not to eat meat, but that doesn’t mean that you need to prevent others from doing it. It’s everyone’s choice to eat or not eat what they want. You can share your knowledge on the subject but that should be it.
Heather, YOU ARE AWESOME.
Making The Mark chicken is fine, at least in my book. I actually think it speaks great volumes about your openness, that just because you do not want to eat it, you do not expect others to never want to. That, my friend, is great!!!
I really enjoyed Oprah today and hope this creates more discussion on our food system, for more people.
I don’t eat meat, but I cook it for my husband. He does eatt meat and he does not cook. (He’s trying to learn how to do more now.) I want him to eat healthy food and I also want him to be more aware of where his food comes from and why it is important to make educated decisions when shopping. I don’t feel like cooking meat for my husband makes me a hypocrite and nor does your cooking chicken for Mark.
Just reading this post–seems like MP is all over the place lately, eh? I haven’t even seen Food Inc yet! Honestly, I know it’s LAME but I am afraid to see it. Ignorance is bliss, and I know it will be scary. But after reading his book I know I need to see the movie to really get the message in my head.
I know you’re going to think I’m nuts but I deleted your fb comment…I’m paranoid about certain peeps finding out about my blog so any reference to it on there freaks me out. But I love that you read my post
My food confession is I am 99% vegan but 100% vegetarian but I feed my dog food that contains turkey or chicken. Sometimes I can’t decide which animal I need to choose between. I hate the fact that I am feeding him this but he is just a dog and needs to eat it.
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