BETTER THAN THAT
The way I did it.
I removed or replaced one ingredient in every recipe for a week.
Lately, I’ve been down on myself for being ten pounds heavier than I used to be. And I’m not talking about pre-baby weight, either. It almost sounds funny to say that—my kids are old enough to have their own kids! Somehow during the last five years or so, it just crept up on me. Well-intentioned friends pointed to my diet, which immediately made me feel defensive. But then I had to admit that I could do better.
I started with the first meal of the day. I’ve told you about my love of flavored coffee creamer and the struggle to stop using it because it’s full of sugar. I love my morning coffee—but not black. First, I replaced the creamer with honey … but didn’t love it. When I added a little cinnamon, that small change made all the difference. I’ve also discovered that flavored coffee is very good with a little honey. My favorite is French roast with hazelnut flavoring.
Next, I removed the cheese from my omelet. I love eggs for breakfast. In fact, I love an egg breakfast for dinner, too. Especially a three-cheese omelet with ooey, gooey melted cheddar, Gouda, and Swiss. I made Julia Child’s iconic French omelet instead—two well-beaten eggs cooked in a hot sauté pan with one tablespoon melted butter. It cooks in about twenty-seconds, and it’s heavenly. Season it with a little salt and pepper, and top it all off with fresh chives or parsley if you have some on hand.
I generally pack my lunch for work, and it’s almost always a salad. Two of my favorites are Greek salad and romaine, with a salmon patty and half an avocado. The ingredient that needed replacement was the salad dressing. I didn’t realize it, but most salad dressings are made with seed oils, which have been linked to inflammation. This cancels the benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids in the fish and the avocado. It was easy to make my own dressing with ingredients I already had … olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning blend, and salt and pepper. I learned a secret ingredient in my Greek cooking class—olive juice! The olive juice makes the dressing taste so fresh. I love it!
The most difficult thing for me was snack time. The recommendation is NO SNACKS. I just can’t seem to do it, at least not every day. My favorite snacks are tortilla chips. I love them with fresh cilantro lime salsa. I love them with fresh hummus, laced with cumin and parsley. I love them right out of the bag! This week, I made fresh hummus, so when I got home from work, I cut some carrots, celery, and cucumbers to dip into it instead of the chips. It was okay and tided me over while I made dinner. I confess that I missed the chips.
Dinner was going to be easy, I thought. The problem is that I’m still stuck on what my grandma taught me: “Dinner should have a protein, a starch, and a veg.” I almost always make potatoes, pasta. or rice with dinner. I say this is because my husband likes it, but I usually eat a little too. I suppose that if it’s not good for me, it’s not good for him. I experimented with two replacements: sweet potatoes rather than russets … or if I’m being honest, in place of instant mashed! I don’t know who invented instant mashed potatoes, but what a genius! They are so easy, and it says on the bag that it’s 100% real potatoes. I also tried zucchini rather than pasta. Years ago, I bought a Spiralizer, a gadget that cuts a zucchini into thin, noodle-like strips. I blanched the “noodles” in boiling salted water and topped them with shrimp sautéed in olive oil and fresh basil. We ate sweet potatoes that had been peeled, cubed, and roasted with grilled salmon. I liked both replacements and figured I saved about 200 calories in each meal. My husband claimed he was hungry an hour after dinner.
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear suggests that making 1% improvements over time can lead to lasting change. I think I can do that. Rather than trying to completely overhaul my diet, I’ll keep going with one ingredient at a time.
The way I did it. Better than that.
This is part of what I’m calling Expeditionvision—my quest to find what a meaningful life looks like. One experiment per week: Possible strategies for a happier life. Trying things on purpose and paying attention to what happens. I’m not offering advice or giving instructions. I’m just sharing the way I did it. If there’s something that you’ve been wanting to try—but haven’t—I’d love to hear about it. I’m open to reader suggestions for future experiments.
Field Notes: For Paid Subscribers
Paid subscribers, I’ve added a short field notes section below with what surprised me the most, what I didn’t expect, what I might do next time, plus things I’m still working on.