14 September 2009

Profile of a Healthy Eater: Kate

This Monday, get to know healthy eater Kate. Katie loves stewing, dark chocolate for dessert, and calls her husband a “grain geek.” Read on to find out what other healthy quirks she has…

What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
For me, the best thing about my decision to eat healthy is that it forces me to be creative with my menu. To try new recipes and ingredients, plan in advance and think of ways to make meals work for me. I know that I don’t need to eat “healthy” to eat creatively, but the two have gone hand in hand for me. Since discovering healthy food blogs, and since buying NZ’s fabulous “Healthy Food Guide” magazine (www.healthyfood.co.nz), my meals have become far more interesting and far more varied. And even though healthy ingredients can be more expensive, I’ve saved money because I’m less reliant on convenience food, I avoid waste, and I eat far less meat and cheese.
Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
Nope. I’m a regular old omnivore, though I’m a 90% weekday vegetarian now- more by coincidence than by design.
Favorite method of cooking and why?
Probably “stewing”- I love dumping lots of stuff into a pot with a can of tomatoes, and cooking it up together until it tastes good.
Favorite versatile herb/spice?
Cinnamon. I must go through a jar a month!
Best healthy sweet treat?
Dark chocolate, sometimes with some dried fruit and nuts on the side.
Your go-to five-minute meal?
Whole wheat penne with white beans, tuna, parmesan, garlic, whatever veges I have on hand, and plenty of cracked pepper.
“Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
I don’t really do soy, and although I like tofu ok, I don’t really make it much.
Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat?
I don’t really know anyone who would find what I eat strange. My husband loves eating healthy, and is a total “grain-geek”- he’s always on at me to experiment with different flours and grains. So when I spent nine bucks on quinoa flakes last night, I justified by calling it a present for him!
What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
Oats! Totally unoriginal, but I have oats in some form for breakfast nearly every day. My current favourite is zapping a chopped apple in the microwave with some water, then adding oats and more water and zapping again, then adding walnuts or almond butter, some agave, and a bit of milk. Yum!
If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
I definitely eat too many sweets, and I eat a little too much. I exercise a lot (10-12 hours/week) and I tend to think that allows me to eat whatever I want. It doesn’t!