eating realistically

I figure I'll start my first real entry about my food perspective. Let me be clear, I love to eat. I have a big appetite and will try pretty much anything. And I'll probably like it. In fact, eating is one of the reasons I pursue an active lifestyle- the more active I am, the more tasty foods I can enjoy. But more on that later.

I would call my "food perspective" a work in progress, which is one reason I am starting this blog. As a nurse, I am comfortable with knowing how food can help and harm my body. I have read plenty of magazine articles, books, and blogs about eating and nutrition. So, with all this knowledge and with the awareness of how I personally like to eat, I have started an endeavor to change my eating habits for life.

My latest venture comes in two parts and is what the food part of my blog will focus on: increasing my intake of organic food and decreasing my intake of processed foods. To me, this means cooking more and devoting more time to meal planning and preparation. It also means fighting the nagging voice in my head that says organic is a rip-off! While I know on paper it is worth it to eat organic, I am also the oldest of five kids. I also happen to only have brothers-  large, teenage brothers- four of them.  Not surprisingly, getting the biggest bank for the buck has been instilled in me. Its going to be hard to fight my instincts but now that I have my own paycheck I figure I should ease my way into buying local and organic foods as much as possible.

To make it simple: I want to enjoy each bite I take by keeping it healthy, delicious, and realistic.

So with that said, this week I went to Whole Foods and bought all organic produce to make a salad that would get me through three night shifts at work. I have to say, tonight will be my third night at work and I am still excited to eat my salad when "lunchtime" rolls around at 2 am. I also have a serving of jalepeno chips from Food Should Taste Good with the salad. Love my salty snacks.  Here's the mix, all veggies are organic:

Spring Red Leaf Salad

Red leaf lettuce- 1/3 head

Black beans- 2/3 cup

Blanched green beans- 1/4 cup

English cucumber- 1/4 cup

Mango- 1/4 cup

Chopped carrots- 1/4 cup

Thawed, frozen corn- 1/4 cup

Cooked wheatberries- 3 tsp

Raw pumpkin seeds- 1 tbsp

Tart Vinaigrette Dressing

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Organic, fresh, filling, and lots to chew on- this salad makes it feel like springtime even if the weather will not cooperate. If only I had a digital camera, I could show you just how tasty it is. I will have to work on that!

Off to take care of the kiddies at work. Then two nights off after three nights on... very needed! Hopefully tomorrow I can get back on the exercise train. Working three shifts in a row leaves little time to be active :(