Can You Make It To OMPlate?

The Scoop  
Food and I have not been the most intimate of friends lately.  Truth is, I’ve been giving food, and all of its inherent gifts, the cold shoulder.  I could attribute this lackluster relationship to a myriad of scapegoats:  the colder months, a busy lifestyle, a family with varying schedules, my own ignorance when it comes to food preparation, or just blatant laziness.  Reasons aside, I have always been a believer in “food as medicine,” but lately my medicine cabinet has been full of Cheez-its and croissants, not exactly energy and immune-boosting stuff. 

The Spark
Well, no more.  It’s time to rekindle that old flame, to spark the oomph back into this foodie relationship.  A few months ago, I started to entertain the notion of designating June as “no processed foods month.”  As I mulled this over in the coming weeks, I began to realize that just dropping processed foods was a little too simplified. So I came up with “Fresh On My Plate,” or OMPlate for short.

A healthy lifestyle consists of a rounded out attitude about the choices we make concerning what we put into our bodies:  where the food comes from, how we choose to prepare it, what it means to have a mealtime.  Let's face it, we all know at our core the true value of breaking bread with others.  Our roots call out to us. 

Back To Our Roots
The tribal campfire tradition still courses through our veins, and takes us back to a simple, primal place in our psyches where we may begin to block out the distractions in our lives and get back to a more substantial and fulfilling reality.  A place where we share a sacred relationship with that which sustains our bodies, minds and spirits.  I don’t know about you, but that place sounds good to me!

Zing!
I decided to get excited again about preparing delicious, healthy farm-fresh food once again.  That’s what OMPlate (pronounced like homeplate) is all about.  It is designed to inspire us to trade in the Cheez-its for a local Chevre and some juicy organic strawberries.  It’s about the pursuit of unadulterated culinary bliss without the hassle of long, arduous food prep or an emaciated wallet.  Whole grain rice with fresh vegetables and a little ginger is both beneficial and inexpensive. It’s also about inspiring family and friends to eat healthy and reap all of the benefits of making good choices.  This is not gourmet, this is a return to basics. 

Making new, informed choices requires education, creativity, resources, and a little elbow grease. Given my bad habits, I realized pretty quickly that I would need some support.  A lifestyle change requires support from family, friends, colleagues; in a nutshell, I would have to recruit some other – well – nuts.  But how would I package this idea into something that says “summer fun,” not “dull deprivation?”  Well, below are the guidelines for the month.  Decide for yourself if you are up to the challenge adventure. 

 

On My Plate Guidelines

Remember, no one is splitting hairs here.  But if you think you might be cheating, you probably are.  The more you can make from scratch or stick to stuff that does not come out of a box, the better.

1. Consume whole, organic foods.  This means minimizing processed foods such as sugar, bread or pasta. As a bona fide chocoholic, this is a doo-zie for me, but –gulp- I will persevere.
2. Emphasize local, farm-fresh products where possible.  Grown in your own garden is even better!
3. Eat according to your own dietary restrictions (i.e. Vegan)
4. Absolutely no drive-throughs or factory foods!  Filler is not a foodgroup.
5. Make it raw!  Raw foods are the most beneficial, as they retain their enzymes, helping to maintain a balanced digestive system.  They also hydrate our bodies and load us up with vitamins and minerals.
6. Minmize condiments. Make your own when needed.
7. Be creative.  Try food combining, making things in bulk and handing them off to friends and family (i.e. a pile of hummus or batch of fresh black beans).
8. Educate yourself.  If you must cut corners, check all ingredients and make empowered choices. Google U baby!
9. Keep it simple and keep it fun.
10. Alcohol is a naturally occuring substance, but remember, this is about discovering a more healthy balance, so fresh pineapple infused with vodka is probably a better choice than a Mike's Hard Lemonade.  I'm just sayin'... and good micro beer as well as boutique wines are a purist's dream.  And do I have to mention moderation...?

El Fin
Let’s be mindful of the fact that having clean,fresh foods available to us and affordable means we are truly fortunate.  Let’s exercise this privilege in acknowledgment of those for whom these resources are not available.  Let’s make a commitment to our families and friends to sit down and be truly present as we savor what we have created and appreciate all that we have.  Moreover, let’s remember the fun and creativity inherent in preparing and cooking food.  Let’s empower each other by sharing individual tips and tricks, resources and inspiration.

Weekly Themes for June:

Week 1   Farm to Table – visiting farmers markets and choosing local

Week 2   Cooking  Clean – paying attention to preparation, what we put in our foods, and the combinations we create

Week 3   Make it Raw! – cool, succulent, enzyme rich foods.
Week 4   Cleaning out our Cabinets – this means extending our education from food into other product choices we make and how we may choose those that benefits us, as well as our local and global communities.

Please follow along, contribute, and have fun!  Hope to see you all at OMPlate...

Happy Summer,

Nina