Written by Leo Babauta
I’ve been hooked on healthy eating for the past few decades and have changed my diet in some fundamental ways.
I eat less junk food than I used to. I really like natural, nutritious food. I’m vegan (for ethical reasons). I don’t eat much to comfort myself (I do eat it sometimes). When you eat comfort food, you’re no longer so hard on yourself.
These were big changes for me and changed the way I think about health and wellness.
At 51 years old, I feel incredibly healthy. I would like to share my thoughts on healthy eating. It may be helpful. That doesn’t mean I think I’m perfect or better than anyone else. But I always appreciate learning from how others approach healthy eating, and I hope you can appreciate my approach as well.
my thoughts on healthy eating
I used to think of healthy eating as a necessary sacrifice to be “good,” whatever that meant. For example, if I was eating unhealthy food, I was doing something embarrassing to myself.
As you can imagine, this isn’t very helpful. Society sends us the message that it’s shameful to eat junk food (it’s even in the name) when all we’re really trying to do is enjoy something delicious or comfort ourselves. gives us. These are nothing to be ashamed of!
That being said, I believe there are foods that nourish my body and help it grow into something strong, vibrant, and ready to handle life’s challenges.
So I’m no longer ashamed to eat sweets, fried foods, snacks… I enjoy them! But I’ve also found an approach to eating that makes my life feel great. That’s what I try to do most of the time.
what I think is important
The most important thing for me is to eat whole plant foods most of the time.
They include:
All types of vegetables (especially green ones) Beans and lentils Whole grains (including brown rice, oats, etc.) Different types of potatoes All types of fruit! nuts and seeds
I feel incredible when my diet is almost entirely plant-based. These foods are very good for my body.
Now, I don’t think animal foods are necessarily bad for you. You don’t have to be vegan to be healthy. If I were to eat animal products, I’d probably eat mainly fish and some chicken, but I don’t think it’s necessary for my health to do so, and I don’t eat other living things unless it’s absolutely necessary. prefers to do no harm.
I thrive on these foods and am in good health (I get all the tests done every year).
my favorite meals and foods
So what does your diet look like if you eat mostly plant-based foods? Well, there are a lot of great recipes out there, but I find them pretty boring. I eat about the same meals every day because it’s easier to prepare large portions and I don’t have to think about it.
Some of my favorites:
Lentils and Steamed Kale — Serve a platter of cooked green/brown lentils and kale and season with soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne powder, and nutritional yeast (recipe from my friend Jesse) Lentil Soup —Sauté onions, mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli in the Instant Pot, then add lentils, kale, tofu cubes, and spiced vegetable broth. (rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaf, black pepper). Press on high for 10 minutes and season with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar Serve oats with berries or bananas and seeds and cinnamon Veggie-filled tofu scramble Baked sweet potatoes with hummus and avocado! Banana and peanut butter are my snacks. If I do weight training, a protein shake with pea protein and soy milk.
I also love vegan chili, veggie burgers, pasta, lasagna, and Thai curry. However, the above meal is my favorite.
How I like these foods
To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of vegetables, lentils, quinoa, tofu, etc. I am a meat eater and loved fast food and snacks.
The way I learned to love food as I described above is…slowly.
First, I made a slightly healthier version of my favorite dish. I diced the carrots and vegetables and added them to the spaghetti sauce and chili sauce. I had a small side salad with my dish and seasoned it with something crunchy.
Then I ate it with hummus, salad dressing, and whatever else makes vegetables delicious. Eat sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon.
Eventually, I really started eating more vegetables, had huge salads for lunch, and had steamed and raw vegetables making up the majority of my meals.
Eventually, I slowly started cutting back on sugar from many of my meals, cutting back on fried foods, and cutting out most fatty foods. And I’ve been searching for more delicious and healthy food.
continue on the path
To be honest, I’m going through stretches where I don’t eat the healthiest things… I’ll probably have a bunch of visitors for a few weeks and just eat what I’ve made for them, or I’ll eat out more. When you’re on vacation or traveling, you tend to eat less healthy food. Everything is fine!
I learned not to beat myself up and just enjoy the food. Would you like to enjoy life?
But then I learned to get back on track. Every day is a new start and you get to decide what best nourishes your body. And more and more, we are choosing parts of life that are delicious, nutritious, and that we love.
