Proper Eating

I am not a believer in proper eating as its currently defined. I subscribe totally to the French ideal of eating which is to sit down and respect your food which should be good.

I'm not sure how I got to that point except that my mother was a nutritional nazi who endlessly pointed out that carrots were good for your eyes -- clearly not mine -- and fish was brain food -- jury still out on that -- eggplant had potassium, wheat was toxic...you get the point. And of course she didn't really give a damn about food. Her favorite meal as I remember it from my far off youth was two boiled eggs on white rice.

So I was determined not to make dinner a power struggle with Kate and also determined not to have those conversations, like eat your strawberries because they are good for you. I positively exploded at some of our friends once when they said that to Kate and I asked why they didn't talk about the color of the strawberries, the aroma and the taste.

But recently, although I am still hanging on to my principles which include food is love and food is pleasure, I have taken on a new eating plan which includes egg white omlettes, protein powder shakes and time and measured infusions of protein. It's working I think. I am slimmer but certainly not happier...

This morning after I dropped Kate at school I strolled through the Farmers Market looking for Mache but what I found was far more fabulous. Three kinds of radishes, lettuces and fabulous whole wheat bread.

More from this semi reformed eater later...