From “Good” foods to Good Food
I used to think eggs were “bad” for me.
Cholesterol. Fat. Bad things.
And then I heard egg whites were a better alternative. No cholesterol. No fat. Less calories. You know, “healthy”.
So in college, during my hard-core calorie counting days, I started eating egg whites.
And when I say I started eating egg whites, I mean I started eating cartons of 100% liquid egg whites, that I microwaved in a mug with a tiny chunk of fat free cheese. Mmm, is that making your mouth water?
Yes it was a lot of protein and not a lot of calories, but it tasted like eating a shoe.
When I came to the realization that I could actually eat foods I enjoy, not just foods that are “good” for me, I stopped choking down those cartons.
And that’s been my relationship with eggs.
Then I started dating Alex, and found out that one of his many talents is making delicious omelets. I figured eggs deserved another chance.
Besides, if someone was making you a breakfast that looked that delicious, would you argue? I feel like I’ve learned so much over the past few years, not the least of which is that it’s ok to eat what I’m craving. The yolks aren’t going to kill me. Real food is quite delicious, and if you eat what you really want, you don’t leave the kitchen feeling deprived. I can’t help by roll my eyes at my college-me, who thought that endless packages of tofu noodles and celery sticks would make me happy.
I’m happy I can relax and enjoy real food with people I love.
So I think my definition of “good food” has changed a lot since my plain-egg-white-eating-days. I don’t “eat clean” 100% of the time, but I truly enjoy eating my vegetables. I love the taste of fresh fruit or a tall glass of vegetable juice. But I also enjoy wine, frozen yogurt, and real eggs. These particular eggs came from Pair-A-Dice farms, in Lunenburg, Virginia.
(Side note: I totally think egg whites are healthy, and if you love ’em, eat ’em! My goal was simply to remind you to eat things you enjoy!)
Life is about balance, and the more I embrace it, the happier I am. Besides, who could say no to that omelet?
“Real food is quite delicious, and if you eat what you really want, you donβt leave the kitchen feeling deprived.” <- Very well said! While I've never had an egg-white phase – you actually can't buy just the whites around here, though I wouldn't have even if they were available as I'm not an egg person – there were some ridiculous habits I had in terms of food. Think semolina pudding cooked with hardly a lot of semolina and more water than milk. Hello deprivation right there. Not a nice memory but good to know it is one and not the present time anymore.
Good food for me is food that makes me feel good and satisfied. That's a feeling I can get both from "healthier" foods like fruit and vegetables but also things deemed "unhealthier" like chocolate and ice cream. I'm glad to hear you found your happy balance with food!
That omelette looks So good, Liz! I go back and forth if I’m ordering in a restaurant, sometimes egg white omelette, sometimes whole eggs. At home I’ve started using a combo of egg substitute and the liquid egg whites. Add some spices and it’s delicious. It’s low in Points for me on WW. It’s so crazy…whatever they say Isn’t good for you…wait about a year and suddenly it’s the best thing you can eat! Coffee goes up and down like that. Yikes! Have a great day!
Omelets are a favorite go-to dinner! Great way to get protein, healthy fat, veggies.
I love this post! You always hear 1000 different reasons as to why you shouldn’t eat the whole egg. I at an egg with breakfast the other day, and my friend lectured me on how much fat was in it! This omelet looks amazing, and I’m sure the whole egg makes it even better! Now, I will give egg whites a little credit because they’ve been lifesavers in recipes that I’ve halved and what not, but otherwise I am in complete agreement with you π No more food that tastes like shoes!
This is a great post!! Good food to me is all about the taste – in other words, ice cream is GOOD haha π But luckily, a lot of food that I find tasty is also good as far as nutrition goes. Such as eggs! I admit that I mostly use egg whites in pancakes and other places where I get the same result whether or not I use just whites or the whole egg. But if it’s in a place where the egg is the main deal, I definitely want to use some yolks! I looove the taste π
Oh gosh I am SUCH an egg lover!! SOme guy one time (a chiropractor) tried to tell me I was allergic to eggs once. He was adjusting me and said my body alignment was off and that it was probably due to the eggs I had for breakfast. bahahahahahaha. Needless to say I haven’t seen him since.
I love eggs! My favorite tihng is a runny egg on top of toast. Everything in moderation! π
love this post. my life has also changed since I moved from “good” and “bad” foods to just REAL foods! I don’t worry much about calories or fat or anything like that… if it’s real and natural, it can’t be too bad π
Good food for me is defined by two categories: actually good tasting and good for my body. For the latter, I like to keep it as natural as possible, full of natural goodness (vitamins, fiber, protein, fats, etc.), and something that doesn’t make me feel awful after I eat it!
I really like eggs a lot. I was really captivated by the entire post. I do agree though that egg whites don’t taste good at all. I could eat eggs for every meal LOL.