I’m not big on lists of foods to eat and not eat. I think I’ve already told you that people call my office asking for just that. Healthy eating isn’t a matter of just avoiding foods and eating certain foods. I think of healthy eating as a balance: you have to balance healthy foods and unhealthy foods (to keep your sanity). You have to learn to eat foods in moderation. There is no diet out there that allows you to eat all you want of a list of foods. If only it were that simple… But wouldn’t that be boring?
That said, I wanted to let you know some of my all time favorite foods. I think you should try them if you haven’t already. They are delicious.
Avocado. I know an almost-one-year old named Ava who eats lots of avocados. My 68-year-old Dad just discovered the joy of avocados. As you can see they are loved at any age. Avocados are wonderful sliced up on their own, in a salad, mashed up to make a guacamole, or on a sandwich. If I can quote Ava, “Mmmmmmmm.”
Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans. You know about Hummus right? Hummus is made from the wonderful, delectable chickpea. Mashed up and blended with some olive oil and garlic…there is nothing better to dip your veggies or pita chips in. I love chickpeas on a salad and score salad bars with chickpeas higher (like the salad bar at Arthur’s Garden Deli).
Eggplant. My kids will totally disagree with me here. Noah went so far as to tell his Kindergarten teacher that the only food he hates is eggplant. His classmates thought this was hilarious because…what is eggplant? First I think eggplant is beautiful. Have you ever purchased one from the store? They are shiny purple. We like to put them right on the grill and have grilled eggplant. We don’t make the kids eat it, but I believe someday Noah will like eggplant. Grilled eggplant on a sandwich is divine.
Blueberries. You’ve heard the hype about blueberries, right? Super food with phytochemicals galore. I love blueberries in oatmeal, pancakes, yogurt, and plain in a bowl. Fresh blueberries are hard to beat…like popping candy in your mouth. Blueberries are also so yummy in a smoothie. In the winter we rely heavily on frozen blueberries.
Kiwifruit. When I was in high school I used to bring a bag of kiwifruit to parties. I’m sure I was well loved. Kiwifruit is high in vitamin C and just beautiful added to a fruit salad. I enjoy buying lots of different colored fruits and making a big fruit salad…my kids even enjoy cutting the fruit up with me. Kiwifruit looks cool when cut in slices and even the kids will eat it. Kiwifruit is also known as Chinese gooseberry if you want cool trivia at your next get-together.
Next time you’re in the produce section, pick up a fruit or vegetable that you haven’t tried before. You might find something that you like. When I was a little girl my Dad used to take me to the produce section and we would pick out exotic fruits and take them home to try. Trying new foods can be a fun event for the whole family. Of course you’ll be obliged to sing, “Fruit salad…yummy yummy!”