I think I'm getting the hang of building a healthy, balanced meal. I'm used to building "healthy" meals. I've always tried to eat things that I believe are good for me. But balanced? Not so much. You actually need fat in your diet. And carbs. Who would've thought!? I have been used to building meals that include mostly veggies, about a handful of protein, and at least a tablespoon of some kind of healthy fat. I know that if I won't be eating again for a while, I should try to use a little more fat and some carb heavy veggies like butternut squash or potatoes. Potatoes are difficult for me. For a good part of my life potatoes were the enemy because they are starchy and carby. I've been eating them on purpose quite often now to try to get out of that mindset. I shouldn't be labeling any whole, unprocessed food as "bad". I need the extra carbs now more than ever because of my focus on eating a plant-based diet. Potatoes are energy. That's my new mantra. Of course, I balance it out with nutrient-dense veggies like spinach, broccoli, and carrots. I've been making my own dressings and dips made from real ingredients from my garden (and a little olive oil and garlic). This is nice. This is good. I really want to keep this up forever but I know life gets in the way and that's just not realistic. I can practice though and I know it will get easier and easier to make healthy choices for me and my family.
I only have about 30 minutes left in this day to get this post in for it to count. Instead of starting this post earlier in the day, I cleaned the kitchen. Priorities. I also had a Granny Square Workshop where I got a lot of beautiful squares donated and I got to work on sewing a blanket together. The meal I made for lunch sustained me till dinnertime so I didn't feel the need to get food on my way home. I even went to the grocery store afterwards!
Now, I'll get to bed and hopefully plan my day a tad better tomorrow than I did today. I might even do some laundry but I won't hold me breath.