What are you doing to enjoy your food today

[jrnyback2life]

Okay, i was reading another thread and someone mentioned that people should see their food as fuel, not treats or rewards. While this is true, i don't believe many people really know how to enjoy food and tastes, and textures that sets off the pleasure sensors in us. I think many of us don't really know how to enjoy our food anymore, i think many of use tend to barely taste our food and therefore we eat more of it, instead of enjoying it and having it within the concept of quality instead of quantity.

So hopefully this thread will make sense:

What are you doing today to enjoy your food?

I am using more flavorful lettuce in my salads instead of iceberg to get different tastes and textures in every mouthful. I stopping to see if i can identify these tastes as i eat and allow myself to savor the flavors and textures.

[ValidRouge]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

I select fresh vegetables based on how they look. I try to buy really nice, blemish free, crisp and colorful vegetables. The yellow, orange, red peppers are some of my favorites. Really colorful and textured fresh vegetables make me a very happy woman. If I could grow fresh herbs, I'd do that too...

My meats are fresh too and seasoned with spices I like to eat. Flavor is what it's all about.

[jrnyback2life]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

Ohh good one Joy, colors and appearance tend to help people enjoy food more. Yes, i agree flavour, i don't think many people really know what good flavor is anymore. Hopefully some of these tricks will help.

[Elizellen]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

A key element of savouring the taste of food is taking the time to really taste it. So when eating I consciously slow down and let my tastebuds work.

When I started Atkineering I noticed that I tended to take large mouthfuls and while chewing I was already loading up the fork with the next mouthful! So I made an effort to make sure that I laid down my utensils between mouthfuls and didnt pick them up till I had savoured and swallowed.

[sadie147]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

eating at a table, and never in front of the television makes a big difference for me as to whether or not i really enjoy my food, though i'm guilty of not always doing it....

[UrbanShaman]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

This is my third day and I can't tell you how good the food tastes! I listened to Dr. Atkins and gave up Diet Coke . Without that taste at every meal, suddenly I can taste the egg, the chicken, the lettuce, without the sweet carbonation getting in the way. It's a real eye-opener for me. Next, I'm going to try slowing down when I eat because I am a serious shoveler. One step at a time....

[kate58]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

I just love food, I absolutely love cooking and I enjoy food for it's flavour, I could NEVER just eat to live, and kind of feel sorry for people who look on it that way - they are missing so much, food is for me one of the great pleasures of life.

I cook a really nice dinner every evening and take a good deal of time over it, usually at least an hour. I never get fed up of doing this as for me enjoying the cooking adds to the enjoyment of the food. I've always done this, even before Atkins, and one of the reasons I love this WOE is the ingredients I can use - butter, olive oil, flavoured oils, cheeses, fattier and more flavoursome cuts of meat - all things that can transform an ordinary dish into something special. I really do try to make our dinner special every day.

As well as using good fresh veg and good quality meat, I am big on herbs and spices judiciously used and love to experiment with them. I grow a lot of herbs and have just about every spice available on my shelves at all times. I also have a vast collection of flavoured or different nut oils, at least 14-15 kinds.

Another thing that I think matters is the way the food is presented on the plate. I like it to be a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. And I agree with Jen about sitting at the table - we always have dinner together as a family at the table and with no television in the room. Always did, always will. Breakfast and lunch can be more rushed or not everyone is around, though I prefer to sit at the table even if I'm on my own - conversation compliments food and being together at the table fosters conversation.

[APanthesilia]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

I select fresh vegetables based on how they look. I try to buy really nice, blemish free, crisp and colorful vegetables. The yellow, orange, red peppers are some of my favorites.

I agree! My mom always says that you eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth!

Pre-atkins I found myself just eating and eating and not even really thinking about what the food tasted like- sometimes not even enjoying it but still eating! I am working on learning to really think about what goes into my mouth and enjoying food in a quality over quantity way is really helpful! Thanks for posting this!

[jrnyback2life]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

Wow, some really great responses. I can commiserate with the before the TV eating, i live alone and don't really have a "table" to eat on, so i usually make dinner while having it basically on my lap, watching TV and then plop down in front of it all haphazard and watch TV while eating, browsing the puter and yes also usually having some music on during all of this, i also usually throw it in plastic containers i can just toss in the garbage when i am done or paper plates. (I hate cleaning up lol). I need to spend more time making it pretty and concentrating on enjoying the tastes and not 28109382913492892 billion other things around me.

[UrbanShaman]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

My family always ate in absolute silence, without tv going or radio or anything. It's a habit I still have today and a lot of people think it's strange but there you go.

[not2late]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

I live by myself, but I always eat at the table and set my place too. Sometimes I pull out a wine glass and use it for my water or if I'm having club soda I use a champagne flute---just to shake things up a bit.

[spazzyhilo]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

I love color in my foods. I'm also a huge fan of red, orange, and yellow peppers because of this. Onions too. Red ones sting a lot in the eyes but they look good on a plate!

I'm guilty of dinner in front of the tv... Sometimes my bf and I will sit at the table and have a conversation but mostly we will pop in a movie and watch that with our dinner. We like it because after we eat we get to cuddle while watching the movie

[Mirya]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

tring new recipes from here and new spices. Next week i try pumpkin stuff ooooo I can have pumpkin pie for breakfast WOOHOO

[Bettestress]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

Making really tasty things I've never made before..

Spinach Quiche is awesome!!

[jrnyback2life]

Re: What are you doing to enjoy your food today

Hi all,

Hi Bette, I think that trying "new" things is VERY important in making this "diet" into a way of eating, the more "good" variety you have the less you feel caged in to eating only certain things and the more variety you have the more enjoyment you will have for different flavors, tastes etc.

Based on the average american diet, i don't think many people stray from what they know, and this shows on many levels the unhealthly hold food has emotionally on many people. I know we had a try a new veggie thread on here once, i think that is awesome and am planning on finding it so I can see what new veggies people tried and how they made them etc.

With all the food and combinations of food in this world, you could easily go probably a year without ever having the same thing twice!

Who knows, your favorites may be replaced with favorites you don't even know exist!