Becoming a Healthy Foodie in 2010

One of things on my "I WILL" list is to become a healthy foodie.

This is a tall order for a girl like me, who seriously had to Google how to boil water.

Yep. Seriously.

I always thought that healthy food would taste like cardboard. And it does when you buy "healthy" food from a box in the store. For my whole life, I thought that buying items that were labeled as "low-fat", "no fat", "25% fewer calories", etc. were SAFE foods. And I guess they are in a pinch, but I think the key to a true, lasting, healthy lifestyle change is:

WHOLE, HEALTHY, HOMEMADE food.

That means I gotta cook.

My kitchen adventures are small victories for some, but epic {and delicious!} wins for me.

This week I made:

• guacamole {fresh is SO good!}
  
• restaurant-style salsa {with tons of cilantro!}
  
• steel-cut oatmeal {in bulk for brekkies!}
• roasted eggplant
• roasted garlic
• bran-flax-banana-pear-carob chip mini-muffins
• quinoa
• pita pizzas {all fresh ingredients}
• mango-chocolate quinoa for breakfast

Just getting comfortable in the kitchen inspires such confidence. I'm learning how to use a knife. I'm learning how to chop vegetables. I've used my food processor for the 1st time since our wedding in 2005. I'm picking up tools and tricks to make my kitchen prep faster and easier. I also discovering food and herbs I've never tried before. Mmmhmmm....CILANTRO!

Cooking for myself and my family has shown me how delicious REAL food is. Store-bought food or fast-food doesn't make me feel good. Making WHOLE, REAL food is fun and easier than I thought. Becoming a healthy foodie is going to be a slow process, but again, this is a LIFESTYLE change - not just for short-term gain.