Eating
I'm in a good mood today. I've finally done one of the things I've been considering (and putting off) for months. I've signed up for an organic veggie box! I've been looking into it for what seems like an age, but kept on stalling because I was about to go on holiday, or some other reason. Before Christmas I pretty much made up my mind to do it once I got back from Spain, so today I sorted all the details out, handed over my front door key, paid for the first week and crossed my fingers. I won't actually get a delivery until next week (Thursday I think), but it's on its way.
The main motivation is a continuation of last year's "eat more fruit and veg" theme. I do eat a lot of fruit and veg, but quite a lot of the time it's the same stuff, in different combinations. I want to break out of that a bit and force myself to try something a bit different from time to time. Of course, I can feel smug about it being organic and local and whatnot, but it's the variety that's the real selling point as far as I'm concerned.
I did draw the line at mushrooms though, and put them on my exclusion list. However, I didn't exclude anything else meaning that I might force myself to eat brocolli or cabbage one day. (Actually, I've started on cabbage recently, although I haven't cooked it in anything yet). I'll see how it goes for a while before deciding whether to switch to a different box, or different frequency, but at least now it's all set up I have something to try to see whether it actually does what I want it to do.
So, if that's one new years resolution vaguely sorted out, what are the others? Nothing too exciting, mainly a continuation of what I've already been doing. Carry on eating well, running, try to do more active hobbies, that sort of thing. Nothing worth listing in a huge amount of detail.
However, there's one interesting idea I've been pondering recently. This is a real case of deja vu, as I said something very similar last year and then it got sidetracked by the great vegetarianism experiment.
Fish.
Last year I said I wanted to try to start eating it. Within 6 weeks I'd gone veggie "temporarily" and put it to the back of my mind. Where it has stayed. But when I was in Spain over christmas I really started to consider eating it. For the first time in my life it actually occasionally seemed appealing. Yes, I was in shock too. I pondered a little, and came to the view that it might not actually be inconsistent with what I'm doing. My reasons for going veggie were primarily to increase the range of things I ate, and to take away the "easy" options I'd sometimes choose to eat. If there's only one veggie dish on a menu, I'd have to eat it whether I'd tried those veg before or not. I've always been clear that it's not because I have any strong feelings about the rearing and killing of animals. I've come to prefer a diet rich in fresh veg and grain and pulses, but I don't have an ethical objection to meat. Or fish for that matter.
But in GC it can be very hard to find a decent vegetarian option on some of the menus. Witness my scambled eggs with surprise ham. And moreover, where my parents live is right on the coast, and a lot of the restaurants specialise in fish. Lots and lots of fish dishes to choose from on the menu together with the meaty dishes. I'd considered relaxing the no meat rule when I'm over there, but I don't like being inconsistent. If I allow myself to eat meat in Spain, why don't I allow myself to eat it when I go to see my grandparents in the UK? Or at christmas? Or at a breakfast meeting if there are bacon sandwiches on hand? It's the old slippery slope argument rearing its ugly head. No, selective meat eating and the way my brain works aren't compatible. I even considered giving up the no meat rule, on the basis that I've achieved what I set out to achieve and it has served its purpose, but I don't think I want to do that just yet. One day I probably will, but not yet.
But fish. Fish has never been an easy option for me, so it's not something that I'd dive into with gay abandon. It's also not something that I'd cook for myself, or that I'd choose to eat if there is a decent veggie alternative. But it could fill the gap in Spain and give me a bit more choice, while also ticking the "try new foods" box. The slippery slope argument is lessened considerably, fish is meant to be good for you, and I get a bit more choice when I need it most. The advantage of this resolution is that it's not something I need to work on straight away. I'll be in Catalonia briefly next month (but so briefly I wouldn't get bored of tortilla), but might not be in GC until June so there's plenty of time for me to build up to working out what I want to do. But it's a thought, so it might be worth watching this space.
What else was there? I can't remember. Just the usual stuff like running marathons, I guess...
The main motivation is a continuation of last year's "eat more fruit and veg" theme. I do eat a lot of fruit and veg, but quite a lot of the time it's the same stuff, in different combinations. I want to break out of that a bit and force myself to try something a bit different from time to time. Of course, I can feel smug about it being organic and local and whatnot, but it's the variety that's the real selling point as far as I'm concerned.
I did draw the line at mushrooms though, and put them on my exclusion list. However, I didn't exclude anything else meaning that I might force myself to eat brocolli or cabbage one day. (Actually, I've started on cabbage recently, although I haven't cooked it in anything yet). I'll see how it goes for a while before deciding whether to switch to a different box, or different frequency, but at least now it's all set up I have something to try to see whether it actually does what I want it to do.
So, if that's one new years resolution vaguely sorted out, what are the others? Nothing too exciting, mainly a continuation of what I've already been doing. Carry on eating well, running, try to do more active hobbies, that sort of thing. Nothing worth listing in a huge amount of detail.
However, there's one interesting idea I've been pondering recently. This is a real case of deja vu, as I said something very similar last year and then it got sidetracked by the great vegetarianism experiment.
Fish.
Last year I said I wanted to try to start eating it. Within 6 weeks I'd gone veggie "temporarily" and put it to the back of my mind. Where it has stayed. But when I was in Spain over christmas I really started to consider eating it. For the first time in my life it actually occasionally seemed appealing. Yes, I was in shock too. I pondered a little, and came to the view that it might not actually be inconsistent with what I'm doing. My reasons for going veggie were primarily to increase the range of things I ate, and to take away the "easy" options I'd sometimes choose to eat. If there's only one veggie dish on a menu, I'd have to eat it whether I'd tried those veg before or not. I've always been clear that it's not because I have any strong feelings about the rearing and killing of animals. I've come to prefer a diet rich in fresh veg and grain and pulses, but I don't have an ethical objection to meat. Or fish for that matter.
But in GC it can be very hard to find a decent vegetarian option on some of the menus. Witness my scambled eggs with surprise ham. And moreover, where my parents live is right on the coast, and a lot of the restaurants specialise in fish. Lots and lots of fish dishes to choose from on the menu together with the meaty dishes. I'd considered relaxing the no meat rule when I'm over there, but I don't like being inconsistent. If I allow myself to eat meat in Spain, why don't I allow myself to eat it when I go to see my grandparents in the UK? Or at christmas? Or at a breakfast meeting if there are bacon sandwiches on hand? It's the old slippery slope argument rearing its ugly head. No, selective meat eating and the way my brain works aren't compatible. I even considered giving up the no meat rule, on the basis that I've achieved what I set out to achieve and it has served its purpose, but I don't think I want to do that just yet. One day I probably will, but not yet.
But fish. Fish has never been an easy option for me, so it's not something that I'd dive into with gay abandon. It's also not something that I'd cook for myself, or that I'd choose to eat if there is a decent veggie alternative. But it could fill the gap in Spain and give me a bit more choice, while also ticking the "try new foods" box. The slippery slope argument is lessened considerably, fish is meant to be good for you, and I get a bit more choice when I need it most. The advantage of this resolution is that it's not something I need to work on straight away. I'll be in Catalonia briefly next month (but so briefly I wouldn't get bored of tortilla), but might not be in GC until June so there's plenty of time for me to build up to working out what I want to do. But it's a thought, so it might be worth watching this space.
What else was there? I can't remember. Just the usual stuff like running marathons, I guess...
posted by YP at 9:52 PM
4 Comments:
The veggie box sounds like a terrific idea - we may have to consider that. I know there's a farm near here that does this. I am really enjoying your blog, and find your progress to health inspiring!
Fish is a great choice nutritionally, if you don't have ethical objections to it. I'm not a vegetarian, but whenever I have been a healthy eater in the past, and again now, I eat much less meat and a lot more fish by comparison. I don't like preparing fish at home because of the smell - salmon's not too bad, though. I have tried, and like, the Tesco Steam Fish range. Decent size portion, nice flavor, and not too pricey, esp. on sale. It's a good way to try a different kind of fish easily as well!
Running marathons is 'usual stuff'? Wish I had your energy, my friend!
Oooh... Interested in hearing about the veg box, I live in Leeds (just off Millenium Square) and have been dithering about whether to order one for a while now...
Org Organics on Great George Street is just around the corner from me - that's not where you're getting yours from is it?
Sarah - it is indeed because it's nice and close to work for me to go in and sort it out.
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