I think, personally, one of the biggest barriers to healthy eating, is that it is marketed as just that--healthy eating.
Food marketers have done a great job of twisting our food ideas so that we automatically assume if it's tasty it has to be bad for us, and if it's healthy, it can't possibly have any flavor.
We also assume that if it's healthy, it's probably time-intensive and high-maintenance, and likely full of ingredients we'll only use once and pitch once we've made the healthy, untasty recipe and decided the junk in the processed food section of the store is easier and more attractive.
Here's a thought: What if healthy food could be low maintenance AND tasty?
Here's an answer: It's been there, all along, right under your nose, and you just didn't realize it.
I pulled out my November Sunset Magazine issue last night and was thrilled to find that not only did they have some great recipes for Thanksgiving, but it was full of tips for the beginner Thanksgiving dinner cook. The recipes all include calorie and carbohydrate counts, if you want them. But I can tell you that the reason I've stuck with this magazine for years and years, is because the recipes are doable, and they're yummy!
One of my favorite rituals each month is to pull out the recipe section from the magazine that I then recycle. All of my Sunset recipes are filed by month, so that when I sit down to do my menu and shopping planning, I simply pull out the stack for the corresponding month. I can remake old favorites, try some new things, knowing I'm also taking advantage of foods in season, which Sunset is good about coordinating.
Here are some of the recipes from the November issue…doesn't it just make you want to be a tasty (code word: healthy) cook? Honestly, the best foods to eat for your health will never be anything you see recommended here. They will be the foods you seek out and eat on a regular basis, because you like them. With a partner like Sunset…it's actually kind of fun!
Cauliflower panko pakoras
Northwest bounty bruschettas (which, by the way, use omega-3 friendly hazelnuts)
Pearl couscous with fall vegetables and caramelized onions
Zinfandel risotto with roasted beets and walnuts
For more information, visit www.sunset.com