My Foodie Philosophy

I am all of those things, and I am none of those things. 

That is how I would summarize my eating style. Over the past several months on this blog, I have posted recipes that satisfy a wide range of dietary preferences. I’ve gone Paleo with Pad Thai, Gluten-Free with Oatmeal Cookie Bars, Vegan with Buffalo Dip and have simply shared foods that I love, without tailoring towards a specific audience (i.e.: Mac and Cheese). 

I first became interested in nutrition when I was a senior in college. I remember perusing StumbleUpon one night and coming across Alicia Silverstone’s Website, The Kind Life. Being the crazy Clueless fan I am, I immediately started clicking all over the site, and decided to read her book The Kind Diet. I can honestly say my life changed from that point forward. While the book didn’t cause me to become a strict vegan goddess, it sparked an interest in nutrition, understanding where my food came from and how the types of food I ate truly made me feel. 

Since that point, my eating preferences have been all over the map. I’ve been a vegetarian, pescatarian, crazy juice girl, done the Whole 30, religiously counted macros, avoided gluten and dairy like the plague and done everything else in between. 

Currently, I am all of those things, and I am none of those things.

I like incorporating numerous styles of eating into my food. I don’t follow any certain restrictions, labels or ideals. Instead I strive for maintaining balance between feeling healthy and sane. I look and feel my absolute best when I go by my own set of foodie philosophies:

• Vegetables are king, and are prioritized in my daily meals. 
• Lean protein is important, but it’s not necessary to go crazy. I am not a body builder – I don’t need to eat like one. 
• Carbs are not the enemy. 
• Healthy fats are essential. This isn’t the 90’s. 
• Supplements are a garnish, not the main course. Long gone are the days I would have several servings of protein powder + a packaged protein bar and consider it a “meal.” 
• Eating is not a numbers game. For this reason, I don’t typically include calorie count on my recipes.
• Food and guilt don’t go together. Indulging is not being “bad” or “cheating” and eating clean is not being “good.” 
• If I can’t pronounce it, chances are I won’t eat it.

The list above purely outlines my preferences, and I think there is absolutely  nothing wrong with having specific dietary needs whether it be for medical reasons or by choice. 

Do you have any specific dietary needs or preferences?

What are your foodie philosophies?