I was reading the New York Times online this morning and came across the article, "The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating": http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/?em
Thanks to my part-time occupation as a restaurant reviewer, I am treated to some lavish meals with a diverse range of foods...which I always partake of moderately, of course. After all, I don't want a repeat of last spring, when I was first hitting my groove as a food writer, and found that because I was going out to meals several days a week that many of my pants no longer fit. It didn't take long to get back into fighting shape, but better to eat moderately and avoid the problem altogether.
Back to the article, though. I love the suggestions they list, especially beets, swiss chard, cinammon and sardines. Such easy foods to obtain, and so many health benefits, as you'll see from the article. I can find them all at the nearest Whole Foods.
The funny thing is, several of the foods listed, especially beets, sardines, prunes and pumpkin, are foods that I thought I hated until I started eating them fresh from farmer's markets and at nice restaurants. As my mother pointed out, it's only the old, canned beets that stain your teeth (and clothes if you're klutzy like me). Fresh beets are light, moist, slightly sweet and an excellent complement to salads and cheeses. The same with sardines if they're not oversalted and drowning in oil.
Eating farm-fresh food has revolutionized how I eat, and how I feel about eating. That's not to say I don't enjoy a processed food every now and again (I can't give up Goldfish, okay!?), but I like thinking that I am eating healthy by eating fresh foods that I enjoy. I hope the Times and other media outlets come up with more similar lists and recipes so we can all start making more conscious choices about what we eat.
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