Angeline Street

Stuck in a Food Rut?

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Angeline owns and operates Glass Slipper Cleaning. She is also co-owner of Whole Hog Farms GF Sausages and a soon-to-be-launched home delivery produce bin company. Angeline is also the mom of two busy preteens with food sensitivities. Food has always played a starring role in Angeline's life. She has been a cook at youth camps, fed more people in her home than she can count, owned a local food grocery store, and made food products for farmers markets. Angeline is a proud supporter of local farmers and food producers. She now enjoys the possibilities and challenges of cooking allergy free for her family and friends.

Have you noticed that you are stuck in a food rut? It’s easy to do … We’re in a hurry, so we grab the same things as usual when we shop.  Our kids have things they will eat, so that’s what we feed them. We are tired by the time dinner rolls around, so we cook the things that we are confident about. You can keep going this way for years.

But learning to eat with allergies becomes a LOT easier when you learn to like new foods!

Our daughter was the classic picky eater when she was a toddler.  She wanted nothing but fish sticks and broccoli for weeks on end; then it was beef barley soup; then tuna casserole.  I couldn’t take it any more.  I require more variety in my meals than that.  And it was difficult to eat anywhere other than home because the meal-of-the-week might not be available.

So we instituted a few new food policies.  I think these are really good for kids and grown-ups. (I know that they have gotten me to try some new foods too.)

  • The “2 bite” rule.  This one’s the biggie.  You have to try 2 bites of a new food.  With the first bite, you are still in “yuck” mode.  The second bite allows you to taste the food.  When the kids were little, if they didn’t like the new food after the second bite, I would scrape it off their plate – no pressure. Then, we just started leaving the offending food on the plate.  At least 50% of the time it got eaten because it wasn’t so bad after all, and they weren’t obligated to eat it all.
  • Pick out the produce that looks appealing this week.  Your moods and tastes change all the time.  Why should you eat the same veggies every week?  And let your kids pick out the produce.  I have been known to tell my kids that they are in charge of produce-shopping that day.  They pick out great stuff, with more variety than I sometimes have the energy for.  Just remember not to pooh-pooh their choices; encourage them to be excited about new foods.
  • Eat seasonally.  Truly, this is an important policy for so many reasons.  It is generally cheaper, healthier, and provides more of the nutrients that your body needs at that time of year. It also reduces the carbon footprint, and it tastes so much better!!
  • Pay attention to craving cycles.  I am not talking about chocolate, but often (especially in kids) you only crave dairy at certain times of the year; or oranges or bananas…  My kids crave bananas three times a year. They will gorge on them for three or four days; then you can’t pay them to eat bananas for another four months.
  • Challenge yourself to try at least one new vegetable or fruit every month.  There are so many choices at markets that this is an easy one.  You can either buy a veggie because it looks cool, then bring it home and figure out what to do with it; or you can research ahead and buy accordingly.  Remember though that just because you didn’t like it in one recipe doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it prepared another way (refer to the “2 bite” rule).  There are a billion recipe resources, so it’s pretty easy to find 460 ways to prepare kohlrabi.
  • Be adventurous!  Be excited!  Enjoy your food!  Food is sustanence, but it can also be the glue that makes a conversation, the way you show your family love, the joy of gazing into someone’s eyes …  And even if – especially if – you are learning to cook with allergies, food is still important to appreciate and enjoy.

As a side-note, Whole Hog Farms is starting a weekly produce delivery program in February. This is a great way to try some new things each week and get out of your food rut!  There are also CSA (Community-supported Agriculture) programs through some local farms here in the area.  Both of these options make your weekly shopping a lot easier and your meals more adventurous.

Featured Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
I have always detested Brussels sprouts!!!  But tastes change so I tried these, and now am happy to eat a plateful!  Honestly, you’re gonna love ‘em. This recipe comes from Chef Rob Feenie (brackets are my comments).

1 cup diced good-quality maple-smoked bacon

2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots (chopped onion)

1 lb Brussels sprouts, cleaned and thinly sliced (this is important! They are not so brussels-sprouty this way)

1 Tbsp butter

Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 Tbsp) (or apple cider or apple juice)

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (we don’t usually put in cheese)

Line a small plate with a paper towel.  In a medium frying pan on medium heat, cook bacon until lightly crispy, about 5 minutes (if the meat begins to smoke, reduce heat).  Remove bacon from the pan and drain on the lined plate. Carefully pour off some of the rendered fat, then add shallots and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in Brussels sprouts and cook for 2 more minutes, then add bacon and butter and toss lightly. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

 

Angeline Street
Glass Slipper Cleaning
Whole Hog Farms GF Sausages
Tel: 250-954-0246
Email: angstreet@telus.net

 

 

 

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