Simple eating is a way to crumble the thoughts around how to eat daily from three meals and two snacks daily to two to three meals or the like.
Besides whole foods and chewing well, simple eating looks at eating in a different light. To do this, let’s table how people ate centuries ago.
Fork and Spoon
The fork like instrument may have been poking around for over a 1,000 years in some shape or form. In Europe, it was only coming into day at the table from the 16th century onwards. So no fork at the table?! The spoon was a versatile utensil scooping up soups and stews – all hands in when needed, turkey leg anyone? Would you like some freshly baked bread with your soup? Bread would have extended the belly with some filling nourishment.
Back in 1998, I toured the east coast of Canada, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia plus Maine. Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) is home of the Fortress of Louisbourg, a French fort established in 1713 (over 300 years ago). While spending the day there, I dined in the dining hall (if you want to call it that, log cabin with smallish windows) where we were informed that there were no forks. May I mention, the napkins were the size of small tablecloths and only spoons and bowls in which to enjoy your meal. Soups and stews! Perhaps porridge and gruel.
Simple Eating
Historical writings of the foods consumed were the simple eating of grains, corn, beans, fish, garden greens, potatoes, peas, dairy, eggs, salt pork, puddings and pies, and meats. It varied from class to class as to what was on the menu with meat served in the courts. 16th century seemed to be the introduction of courses in the courts. Either way, simple eating changed course. Exotic fruits and desserts dropped in the laps of the elite. Tasty, sweet and different!
As hundreds of years ago, the appreciative servings were as above. The Great Depression circled back to simple eating, beans, stews, corn, cornbread, dairy, potatoes, puddings, mac and cheese, dandelion salad, pork, pancakes, pasta, fish, goulash, sausage, eggs, and beef. Sounds familiar? Eat the whole of the whole, the whole beef head and all (headcheese). Nothing goes to waste and stretching what you do have to savour, was a necessity unlike most today.
From listening to clients, it does seem that on a budget does mean eating cheaper basic foods and those items that really aren’t foods at all, like pop and potato chips. Cereal today is nothing like the hot cereals of the days past. And many do not eat fruit and vegetables whether that is because they cost too much or their taste buds are developed for the processed cheap foods – salty, sweet, tasty, looks perfect (artificial flavours, preservatives, colours, fillers, vegetable oils – a source of cheap refined omegas).
You would have to pay me a million dollars to cook and bake with vegetable oils or seed oils, such as, canola, sunflower and the like.
Meals Today
Simple eating is about identifying the want for gourmet restaurant meals. It wasn’t a thing in the past and never a thing if on a budget, however, the food companies/people do their best to appeal to selling you what they processed. Just think of TV dinners. Think of grabbing take-out, a whole chicken meal, a pizza with pop, Chinese food, Japanese miso soup, seaweed salad and tempura meal, and so on. Meals today are too much of everything, appetizer(s), main course, dessert, drinks, rolls and butter. It gets more complicated at special events with several finger foods, a buffet, punch, cold drinks, alcohol drinks, and a dessert table. Let’s jump in with All You Can Eat Buffets.
Looked at the labels lately. You may just find there is more in your rice milk than just rice. Vegetable and seeds oils are the lubricant of the food industry and it can be your starting point to eating healthier.
Simple eating just jumped into the kitchen for good!!
Caught by the seat of its plate, simple eating is making a come back (so I dream it to be!)
Two Meals a Day
Who thought of three meals a day? A desk job all day as in not a farmer. Over time, the business money making people would have been delighted to have more opportunities to serve up their delights and recipes many more times during the day. Three meals became three meals plus two snacks. Holy moly. Food coming out of our ears and less activity to boot.
Simple eating takes us down a different path than the one that is in play for many.
Part of the journey to simple eating is recognizing a stressful life and a busy day causes us to eat. Comfort foods anyone? Stress eating?! Bored? There are many reasons to eat – grab a coffee with friends so add on a muffin, get caught up with a friend over lunch, make business deals over beers and dinner, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, serve up at baby and wedding showers, and so on. Trick or Treat give me something sweet to eat. Food sure has a place in many cultures. We can question how food culture came to be…back to simple eating.
Simple Foods
An apple with sprinkled cinnamon.
Apple sauce with coconut and raisins.
A green salad with some corn, beans and onions drizzled with cold pressed olive oil and lemon juice.
An hamburger paddy topped with tomato, lettuce, onion and mustard.
Some tuna fish on chopped onions, tomato, sprouts.
A bowl of soup, stew or hot cereal.
One teaspoon of honey with three walnuts.
A carrot.
Celery sticks.
Handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries out of the garden.
A large glass of raw milk.
A lazy butter tart, spoonful of butter, maple syrup, a few raisins or walnuts.
A couple of eggs and lamb bacon.
Roast veggies, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnip, peppers, sweet potato, potatoes, etc., drizzle with butter, tallow, olive oil, spice up with seasonings, some salt.
A bowl of salad, pick your favourite!
Roast chicken and carrots.
Mono fruit.
Fish and lemon.
And the list would go on and on and on.
Two Meals That’s the Deal
Two meals a day, no snacks today! Chew well. Drink pure water and the amounts will vary depending on the fitness level, the temperature, the consumption of water rich foods like soups.
What is different? Less food in the cupboards. Less condiments in the fridge.
Finish what you got then shop at the farmer’s markets or walk into your garden, however small or large it is.
Practice and patience. Discipline and decisions.
Simple eating begins with a desire and willingness to do so. It happens in your good time and for some it may just be adding a fresh fruit rather than a blueberry muffin (cake). Take your time and observe your eating habits and behaviours.
All good.
Eat well . Sleep well . Move well . Think well . Be well
and here to help you or others you love.
Cheryl Millett
Champion for your better health…
Before the age of 20, it never dawned on me that what I chose to put in my mouth would have such a dramatic effect on my well being.
On my path of discovery, I learned that our eating choices directly affected how much energy we have first thing in the morning or that it would build our immune system strength during flu season. Part of it was coming to understand how gentle nutritional cleansing directly helped overcome my health challenges. People keep telling me how beautiful my skin is or how I look younger.
As my studies continued, it became obvious that there is an intrinsic connection between the mind, body, and spirit which directly affects our health and happiness. Omegas are another critical piece of the wellness puzzle. The Auum omegas alone turned on some switches in my brain in just one day.
I have developed a deep appreciation for the wonderful miracle workers our bodies are in the recovery process. Our bodies have natural intelligence. I am passionate to share the connection between nutrition and wellness in my practice and my presentations.
Book All Guts All Glory 2020 on Amazon
