. a routine, a recipe, and a rant .
Unlike yesterday, today was a pretty routine day.
I was:
Up by 5:30.
More than ready to eat 😀
Craving ooey-gooey chocolatey goodness…
… and sweet snacks…
[Deep Chocolate Vitamuffin. Greek yogurt. Almond butter frosting]
Rockin’ my workout (NROLFW, Stage 2, Workout B).
Stockin’ my kitchen…
[Brown rice tortillas – Steel cut oats]
[Cottage cheese – Blueberry jam – Grape kombucha]
[Salsa – Almond butter – Pumpkin – Sucanat]
[Bananas]
And eating my veggies…
… while picking out the weeds…
[“I don’t know what” and grass. Neither of which I particularly like to eat]
I don’t know about you guys, but my day simply isn’t complete without a huge salad beast in it, and my salad beast isn’t complete without a delicious dressing.
I like my salads to be light and fresh, which is why I tend to steer clear of heavy, oil-based dressings, and opt for lighter, yogurt-based dressings instead. And unlike my [non-existent] attempts at making my own hummus, laziness doesn’t seem to get my way when it comes to salad dressing (probably because it takes all of 10 seconds and doesn’t involve cleaning a food processor), so I always make my own…
. – . – . – .
. simple salad dressing .
Ingredients (serves 1)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (regular yogurt works too)
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Mix well and allow to sit for ~10 min before serving.
A cupful of dressing helps the veggies go down 😀
. – . – . – .
And before anyone gets on my case, yes, I’m well aware of the fact that salads and light dressings just scream diet food, butttt… I don’t really care. I’m not on a diet. I’m not trying to lose weight. Does that mean I’m also not allowed to enjoy foods that are eaten by people who are? I like the crunch of a rice cake. The taste of puffed wheat. The flavor of unsweetened almond milk. Not alone, of course, but those things make regular appearances in my daily eats. What’s wrong with that?
I guess I’m kind of fed up with feeling like I’m not supposed to eat typical “diet foods” just because I suffered from an eating disorder in the past. Like it somehow automatically means that I’m reverting back to my old ways. Like I’m supposed to gorge myself on cheesecake and french fries just to prove a point. Gah! Just thinking about it is making my left eye twitch…
*deep breath*
I like salads, and I like light dressings. Never as a meal, but always as a side.
I also like love dessert…
… which I’ll go into more detail about tomorrow 😀
. – . – . – .
What’s your take on typical “diet foods”?
Are there any that you enjoy regularly?
. running with spoons . 
I completely relate to your rant Amanda. It was so hard to convince my parents of that in the beginning but I think they now finally understand that I eat what I enjoy, and so what if I enjoy some ‘typically’ diet foods. For instance peanut flour paste…I love how I can make it any consistency I want and add how much salt/sweetener I want. So I have it because that’s what I want 🙂
You look great in your picture by the way 🙂
I enjoy typical “diet foods” as well, this seems to be a problem with other people. I love having a refreshing salad on a hot day, lots of fruits and veggies, light salad dressings, the occasional low fat ice cream, non fat greek yogurt.. the list goes on. They make me feel good and happy so why not eat them. It just means I can have more of it 🙂
This is what I tell my parents all.the.time.
I’m glad someone else understands! 🙂
I totally get where you’re coming from…I even mentioned it recently on my blog! I hate how society has inflicted such negative connotations to go along with typical diet food. I just want to scream “no, I’m not trying to lose weight” sometimes. I don’t choose what I eat out of fear, I choose it because it tastes good and makes me feel good, too!
I think that as long as those ‘diet’ foods are part if a varied and healthy diet, then no problem. I love to add greens to my smoothies, eat cottage cheese and rice cakes (not together), and eat lots of veggies, but not to be wary I’d what I eat.
By the way, I am definitely going to try this dressing. We always have yogurt and mustard in the fridge, and I need some easy homemade dressings.
Exactly 😀 As long as it’s PART of a healthy diet, and not an entire diet then I don’t see anything wrong with it.
Screw the terms – even if it’s a “diet food,” I say just enjoy the food if you like it.
You need to come visit – I’ve decided this 😀
I was gonna go on vacation this summer… and then I bought a condo 😀 😀 😀
Dang if salads and light dressing are diet food, then I must be on a diet I was unaware of…. I think the people who are bothered by others eating salads are the people who aren’t getting enough fruits and veg themselves. Those who have unsolicited advice about other people’s food generally are dissatisfied with their own choices.
My mom makes a similar dressing- I love yogurt or tahini based dressings in general. My take on diet foods: If it’s made of a bunch of chemicals/unpronounceable/unnatural ingredients I tend to avoid them (mostly because they make me feel funny)- but in terms of “lighter” foods that aren’t crazy processed and loaded with gums and artificial sweeteners, that’s all good.
I suppose the closest things to “diet food” I eat are: Dreyers/Edy’s slow & churned ice cream/yogurt (i think it has less fat than regular ones) and if ordering a drink with milk i usually get skim…other than that I make my own dressings/buy gourmet ones and I don’t buy any sugarfree or fatfree foods, besides most of the stuff I eat doesn’t come in a package anyways
Eeee yeah I guess I should have been more specific. I meant diet foods, as in lighter whole foods, not the stuff loaded with chemicals and artificial sweeteners. That stuff doesn’t appeal to me at all.
This is what I love love love about ALL your recipes- simplicity- I can easily get the ingredients or already have them on hand. You are a majah tease holding out on the deets of your dessert!
I very much relate to your rant. If I want to eat a fat free yoghurt ill frickin do it ,& I don’t have to explain myself! Its not like I subsist on weight watchers meals and 100 cal packs for snacks, geez
Xxx
ACKK I know what you mean–I actually enjoy some diet foods a lot, like fruits, veggies, egg whites, light salad dressings, cottage cheese etc. I hate it when people point it out when I eat them, I want to say “I eat this because it’s delicious, not because I think I’m fat.” I just wish society would stop already and let people eat what they want in peace without being labeled. Ultimately, I’ve decided society’s status quo is poop! 😀
Okay, why have I never made a salad dressing that simple before? it looks so good – definitely trying that tomorrow on my salad beast. You’re right, a day isn’t complete without one!
Your salad dressing recipe soinds delicious – i love light, yogurt dressings and esoecially homemade! Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree – eat what you ENJOY!
I don’t have too many diet foods, but my friends/family can always tell when I am dieting due to the absence of baked goods in my life 🙂
No baked goodies?! Say it ain’t so!
I wish I could eat salads but I’m allergic to lettuce 😦 So odd, right? I actually enjoy many “typical” diet foods…as long as I’m eating enough (and balanced meals), why is there even a problem?
Can we make a facebook page for this —> Fed up with feeling like I’m not supposed to eat typical “diet foods” just because I suffered from an eating disorder in the past.
Overcoming and eating disorder is not about eating pop tarts and applauding yourself, you know? Some people need that. Some don’t.
I hope the rant was not bought on by a comment left here because I get those and I kind of deserve them because I don’t post much variety but for a girl like you who shares many daily menus there should be no cause for anyone to get their panties bunched.
B-Love you.
Mmm no nasty comments, no. I think sometimes I just get a bit over defensive because of issues I’ve had with this kind of thing in the past, and I’d rather not have to deal with it anymore.
I eat diet foods all the time. It doesn’t mean we are – or I am – disordered still.
I’m all for eating what you want! I love kamut puffs. So what if they’re only 50cal a cup? They add the perfect nutty crunch to my overnight oats or, well, anything really. So long as I’m not eating them on their own and calling them a meal, or something, eh? And I love love love the taste of unsweetened original almond milk. Way better than regular milk. Good thing considering my intolerance, eh? I’m not too picky when it comes to non-dairy’s mixed into other drinks (soy, etc. in my chai latte or the like), but I much prefer the taste of almond when I can. When it comes to a glass of something milky on it’s own, in my oatmeal, on my cereal- almond all the way! It has an indescribable nutty, rich taste. Nomnomnom.
Salad = YUM! I love me some salad. If you love it, great! I’ve also noticed you never really eat salad on its own or as your entire meal. If you ate a salad for every meal every day, I’d be a bit worried you were trying to cut back on calories or something. But- we all need veggies! What’s it matter if your veggie-ful side is a salad or an eggplant-tomato gratin (so yummy, by the way)?
Especially trying to gain weight- I steer clear of things like light nut butter, sandwich thins, etc. It always kind of irks me when I see people who eat sandwich thins with every sandwich. I’ve been known to eat them on occasion because they’re crazy good toasted (they’re thin, of course, so they get extra crispy and toasty), but I get a little sad face when that’s the only type of bread bloggers eat.
By they way- this salad dressing sounds amazing! I’m all for yogurt-based dressings. Now to find an unsweetened plain soy yogurt…. hm.
Love ya, girlie! ❤
Ever consider moving to Canada, eh? 😉 We’re a pretty decent bunch up here.
Love you ❤
I don’t think your salad dressing would be considered as “light” or “diet”. It’s just an easy salad dressing that you make because you find it delicious and it’s your preference. As long as the salad isn’t all you eat as a meal, then it hardly screams “diet food”. 🙂
I think certain diet foods are so that certain companies (*cough* weight watchers *cough*) can make a quick buck. But I actually once compared a weight watchers product to a standard product and weight watchers actually had more calories and more additives and nasties. Ick!
I guess it really depends on what you classify as a diet food. Is 0% yoghurt diet food? To me it is but others may think that it isn’t. Are artificial sweeteners diet food? Well, yes. Anything that has replaced normal sugar with that crap is a diet food. I don’t really eat all that much diet food come to think of it. I eat light spread but that’s because my Dad eats that stuff. It’s not too bad. I just prefer to eat as natural as possible. I don’t really like uber processed foods anymore. In my recovery I went through a phase of going crazy over processed food because it tasted so amazing to me and now I’m starting to lose my taste for it but in a good way. Now I think I’ve found a balance between the two 😛
Tangent much?
xxx
hey love!!!!!!!
I eat foods that some people classify as diet foods, but I really do not care, I know Im not dieting and I eat what I want, its my body I feed ; )
Rice Cakes, I love them, and some peeps just scream “diet food” at them, but I just love them!
Love you! Hope you have a great night! You look beautiful with your salad ; )
My take on typical diet foods is that they’re really expensive. But I think of diet foods as bars, meals, and SlimFast stuff like that. They’re really helpful when on the go, but too much to spend! Especially when I could make bars and what not myself for much less.
But, as for salads..they’re much better! I don’t consider salads or light dressings “diet food” anyway. They’re simply healthier than the full-fat, sugar-laden versions. No shame there.
I eat some things that people would classify as ‘diet food’, but I’ve never seen it that way. I eat what I want and they just happen to be healthy.
I got burned out on salads, but I love having them as a side or somehow mixing them in with the main meal. Plus with as many veggies as I put on a salad versus bread, its basically a salad between bread. I don’t know that I would really consider a salad a diet food personally, I see it as healthy, versatile and sophisticated.
I completely agree- as long as “diet” foods are eaten with “normal” ones, its fine for someone in recovery (or even just who enjoys rice cakes, almond milk, ect) to have them. In fact, I think they get a bad rap because when you mix them with the right (typically non-diet) things, they taste great. Like almond milk and cereal…duh! You go girl! I love your intuitive eating and your salad looks delicious (as always)
Yessss – gotta mix the light stuff with the good stuff. Almond butter and jam tastes amazing on rice cakes 😀
Ahhhh you got me excited for your post tomorrow!!
Your breakfast looks amazinggggg (as usual) and I love that u make ur own dressing! I like diet foods sometimes too…but just because they taste good! I totally relate to having them as sides
i try not to think of anything as “diet food,” just food that makes me look good and feel even better! have a great weekend.
I just realized that if I mouse over your pictures, they have cool captions. I’m absolutely delighted by this discovery.
Anyway, moving on — I am totally with you here. Just because I eat fat free yogurt doesn’t mean I’m on a diet — I just like it better. I wouldn’t dare touch fat free cheese though. I also love me some rice cakes and almond milk. Oh and don’t get me started on eggs vs. egg whites. I practically consider them different foods. If I’m craving the yolky flavor, I’ll have the yolk. Sometimes I just want the whites, and sometimes i’ll just have the whites because I want the protein, but not the yolky flavor, ya know what I mean? Oh and I can’t stand salad dressing. I tried to prove to myself i wasn’t still disordered by not ordering it on the side — it was terrible. I hate how people are so quick to judge on things like this! I say we all just eat what we want. You’re happy, you’re healthy, and you’re clearly eating enough to support yourself, so who cares whether it’s diet or not?!
I definitely hear you on the eggs bit. I actually like the taste/texture of the white a lot more than the yolk, but sometimes nothing hits the spot better than a whole fried egg 😀
LOL they do have cool captions! How amusing 😀
Dealing with the “diet food police” was an everyday source of stress when I lived at home. In my mom’s eyes “recovering” or “recovered” meant no low calorie foods allowed. If I wanted low fat ice cream or salad dressing, she’d question why. If I ate air-popped popcorn, she’d ask why I didn’t want butter. Any food that I’d eaten or enjoyed while battling an ED was a food of the past, in her opinion. Moving away was the best thing that happened to me because I was able to eat and enjoy ALL foods without judgment. I was better able to listen to my body because I knew nobody was watching to see whether or not I’d cleaned my plate. I felt okay going back for seconds because I knew I wouldn’t be congratulated for doing so (which always made me anxious). Thank goodness those days are over! My mom is much more easy going about it all now (save for a few random comments from time to time…But I’m more able to deal with them because I know I’m leaving soon), and she more or less respects my decisions. But more importantly, I no longer really care what others think! Living and eating on my own provided the space I needed to gain that confidence. 🙂
Your yogurt dressing sounds delicious–can’t wait to try it. And even though the pumpkin chili scramble didn’t happen today, it’s bookmarked. I can’t stop thinking about how delicious it looked!
Happy weekend, Amanda! I’m looking forward to seeing that scrumptious dessert recipe! xoxo
okay, strange questions and I don’t even know why I am curious, but are you sitting on the floor next to your table? I’m a floor sitter all the times and people think I’m weird. Okay well not ALL the time, I do sit in chairs, but when I’m by myself I always just pop a squat. And now I sound like a loser for going into such detail, ooops 😉 PS I heart salad too!
Haha yep! That’s the floor by the table 😀 Mainly because it’s right by the patio door so the light is the best and I can look outside.
I’m a floor sitter, too! 😉
I COMPLETELY AGREE! I hate when people start to criticize my eats just because some of the foods I ENJOY are low calorie….who cares!!?! As long as i eat a variety of foods, it shouldn’t matter if some of them are high fat and some are a bit ‘lighter’! I liked that rant girl! Took the words right out of my mouth 🙂
YOUR RANT IS EXACTLY WHAT IVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY! dang you have such a way with words!!!!!!!!!! BTW 5:30.. im so impressed!
I’m like you and CRAVE “healthy food” which to me is “normal food.” I’m not trying to lose weight– i just eat what I like and it so happens to be food that isn’t going to clog my arteries and lead to an untimely death..just sayin’. 🙂
Ugh I hate when people nag when I eat a salad or a veggie mess or something healthy. Eating healthy is not equivalent to being on a diet. No, I will not eat cheesecake and fries because it’s not good for my body and I don’t enjoy them as much as I do my veggies. Why why why do people not understand that?!
Your dressing is fabuloussss, anything with dijon mustard in it grabs ahold of my heart and doesn’t let go. Trying this ASAP!
TOTALLY agree with you! I hate when people judge me or others for enjoying exercise and “healthy” food. I live and eat this way because it makes me feel good and I genuinely enjoy the food I eat. But even more importantly is, as you said, that these foods are only a PART of my diet. yeah, I eat rice cakes (usually slathered in nut butter though, so it’s not like I’m not getting calories in haha)…but I also eat bread! And I may eat tons of veggies and I don’t care for traditional salad dressings (even as a kid I was this way!), but I also eat plenty of protein, carbs, and fats in other forms. I also agree with other posters that “diet” food shouldn’t be considered things like rice cakes, puffed kamut, oatmeal, veggies, yogurt, etc., because these are still real, whole, minimally processed foods. so long as a person is eating with a healthy mindset (and hopefully a healthy weight to match), it’s really no one else’s business. and honestly, even if someone isn’t all that healthy, it’s something best left to them, their closest loved ones, and their doctor.
bottom line: people need to stop judging other people’s food choices! live and let live, right?
Amen 😀
I love the flavor of unsweetened almond milk too! I find that the sweetened kind has an aftertaste and I just don’t like it! It’s sad that “healthy” foods are usually considered “diet” food. I would say that instead of a salad being a “diet,” I would say it is “diet-essential” kind of thing — a part of a healthy lifestyle kind of thing, just like how you described. What makes me really sad is how the word “diet” has had it’s meaning changed so much. Really, it just means what food you eat every day, but now, it is associated with weight loss.
Hi Sweetie :**
I think there is a huge differense between “diet food” and “healthy food”, but I guess most people see them as the same. Maybe. Everyone should eat their salad and veggies- dietting or not. And if you want yoghurt dressing instead of oil dressing, there is nothing wrong with that, at all!
I think it is another story if you (not You, but someone 😉 ) live of diet-foods, like diet soda, 100 cal snack-pack-things etc.. If you enjoy them, there is nothing wrong in having them as a part of you diet. But living on it, wont do any body good!
Saying that people who have suffered from an ED should not eat “diet-foods” (which in reality is plain healthy food), is like saying they are not allowed to be healthy and free!
Enjoy you Saturday ❤
Oh no, I just posted my comment, but it now I cant see it :O
Anyway, Ill try again 🙂
I think there is a big differense between “diet food” and “healthy food”, but I have a feeling most people see them as the same. Everyone should eat they salad and veggies. NOT because they are on a diet, but because its good for our health, body, and they taste yummyyy too!
If you like yohurt dressing, I cant see anything wrong in eating it! We should all just go for what we enjoy, and what our body tells us.
And i think there is huge different on eating healthy, like you do, and eating diet foods. If you lived on diet soda, 100-cal-snack-pack-things etc.. THAT is diet food, and not real food, and it would not do your body good. If you (not You, but some one 😉 ) enjoy the diet-food, its alright to eat it, but most of our diet should be made of healthy food!
Enjoy your Saturday Sweetie ❤
Your reuglar routine day looks actually pretty fabulous Amanda! 🙂 I also need a huge salad every day (sometimes even twice a day), “Funny” thing is I never think of salads as of a diet food. I always fill my plate with so many things that it is hard to get the whole thing into my tummy and I think that my salads can be as nutrient dense as “normal” meals…so no problem with this for me 🙂 Also I think that “diet” food is totally ok as long as you don´t go overboard with it and don´t eat only diet things only to lose weight. For example when I was still eating dairy, I always used to eat only non-fat, light yogurts, because whenever I had a full fat, greek-type yogurt they sold here, my tummy was terribly aching for the whole day. And I have always loved fruit and veggies and that´s not because I want to lose weight, but because I love the taste.
I find this alot when being offered food.
Like say if someone was to offer me a piece of chocolate or even a soft drink, if I decline then people immediately assume ‘oh cherie must be on a diet’ or.. you know. Even when I bring my lunch to work, I now like to wrap it foil as well before putting it in the fridge, or another bag so people cant see what Im eating, because I constantly having people saying ‘oh whats for lunch’ ‘how come you always eat so healthy’ etc.
I feel that there is alot of pressure to eat bad food when your around other, because if you dont your going to look like the boring, lettuce choping rabbit. (which I have no problem with being a bunny :D)
Anyway I know thats a little off topic from what you were talking about and I kind of went off on my own little rant there haha.
artificial & fake “light” & engineered diet foods = bad. good, pure, light ‘diet’ foods are delicious – these things make great simple flavors, which I take no shame in loving!
Amen! If someone saw my lunch today (salad with hummus followed by cottage cheese with melon+granola) they would likely accuse me of eating diet food…no not at all! I just love the taste of those foods!!
I feel like lots of times when I eat with people who know I had an eating disorder in the past, if I don’t get the cheesecake and fries, they think I’m starving myself – when I’m genuinely just not a fan of either.
I like salad without dressing. Genuinely, for taste-bud reasons: I like my veggies to taste the way they would straight off the plant. But I’ll make sure to have some other fat with my meal to make up for it. And, I like my coffee straight-up black – this isn’t because I’m avoiding cream or sweetener (at least not the vegan varieties), it’s because that’s just how I roll. I think a lot of people assume that because *they* like a certain food, they think you must be “denying yourself” if you don’t go for it, too.
I love this post!
It really does annoy me when people look at me weird when I choose a “lighter” food just because I prefer the taste over the full fat version. Or if I don’t like something that everyone else does (like cheesecake) people assume it’s because it’s “higher calorie”.
But maybe I just genuinly don’t like it? Put a bowl of ice-cream in front of me and the reaction will be different. I don’t think it’s fair to force yourself to like something, just because someone else thinks you should.
If you’re getting a suffitient amount of calories from things you genuinly enjoy I think it’s perfectly ok to have a “diet product” once in a while.
Oh, and I’m totally with you on the dressing thing – not much of a fan of the oily stuff either.
I totally get you on this. whenever I take a salad in to work people always comment “thats not enough to sustain you” even though the salad has just the same nutritional content as their BLT sandwich they are about to eat. I think as long as you get a diet of everything you need you should eat what you want. I just don’t like the texture of oil based things and its not cause of the fat side of it I eat plenty of nuts and seed based products I just don’t like oil based dressings.
Gah, I totally feel you on this. Sometimes on my blog I get anxious to post what people would call ‘diet’ food like 0% Greek yogurt and light coconut milk just because people know I’m in recovery but then I think hey, I eat how I want to eat and that’s what I like because I know that I can balance it out with ‘non-diet’ stuff too to stay healthy. It’s all about balance and people who criticise just little parts of your diet need to see the reality that being healthy means having some healthy mixed with the more indulgent and I think you definitely do that. I had this one commenter who was REALLY bugging me, picking up on little bits of my diet saying I should be having full fat everything and I just had to send them an email and tell them to quit it because they were the one stuck in their ED ways, whilst I am recovering and actually allowing myself to eat plenty of fats and dessert type stuff aswell as fat free stuff. I think people who pick up on it are the ones with their own problems that they need to sort out…
Ugh I feel you on that one. I’ve had people nit pick the silliest little things. It’s like they ask why I eat 0% yogurt and ignore the fact that I drown a lot of my meals in almond butter. I just don’t get it…
Well said! Although I do have a bad habit of drinking diet swiss miss hot cocoa…oops. But for ‘healthy’ foods like yogurt, veggies, ect- it’s more of a healthy lifestyle, not a diet
I love fruit, raw veggies probiotic yogurt, whole grains etc. But my family has always liked typical “healthy” stuff. That dressing is so simple yet sounds amazing!
I don’t like diet foods like 100-calorie snack packs that are filled with chemicals. And I especially hate fat-free flavoured yogurt that contains fake sweeteners! But I do prefer to buy SOME light products, like coconut milk, skim milk, and cream cheese. I mean, Health Canada recommends sticking to low-fat dairy products, so I’m really just following the food guide recommendations. It’s NOT because of my history with an ED! 😛
I’m with you on the 100-calorie snack packs and those fake sweetener yogurts. That kind of “diet food” I avoid like the plague.
I don’t consider salads a diet food because I feel like it’s something we need daily. It’s more of an essential food 😉 I mean some salads out there are over a thousand calories per serving so those are definitely not a diet food. But when it comes to diet foods, I’ll eat it if I like it and not if I don’t. Its just sad when some people look at you eating a salad and think…”oh shes on a diet”.
Btw, I’m loving your simple salad dressing! I don’t like ranch dressing, so it’s like a better version of ranch! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂
YES!!! salad is an essential food!!there is no excuse for not eating your veggies and it should have nothing to do with being on a diet.. (which is ridiculous if you ask me). If you are a human being ( which I am assuming most of us are)- you should feed your body what it needs!!
That dressing sounds awesome! I may have to try it :). I understand your frustration about “diet food”. Although, I wouldn’t consider what you eat to be diet foods really. They are healthy and yummy. When I think of diet foods I think of slim fast and 100-calorie packs. I always enjoy salads and “lighter” foods, but I eat enough for a cow and people see that so they don’t usually question me haha.
I don’t like salads with loads of dressing on them…actually, I kind of like salads that have salsa instead of dressing. So I totally understand where you are coming from here! As for foods marketed as diet foods, I don’t go near them and haven’t in a long time. They just don’t work for me! But light foods? They work for me just fine.
I so agree with you on this – for goodness sake we should be able to eat what the hell we like without being judged cause its classed as ‘diet’ food as if that’s actually any kind of way to classify food. I may not be on a diet but I love salads, and I actually will have them as a main meal, because I love them! I do make sure I add more than just veggies in the form of dressings full of healthy fats, beans, tofu or nuts. I’m the same with rice cakes, and I’ve just bought some corn wraps that are pretty low cal in themselves but I actually got them for the taste and great healthy ingredients list! I think we all should just be able to eat what tastes good to us in a balanced way 🙂
I try not to pay attention when people label food as “diet food”. If I eat that kind of food is because I like it and usually it is healthy. However when people see me eating a lot of veggies or salad, they sometimes give me some grief for it because they think I am “dieting”. So not true. I wish people would forget the whole “diet” mentality and live life. Eat food that they want and try to live healthy lives for themselves not for an image presented to them.
Eating beans, greens and the in betweens doesn’t define me as a dieter. I am Deborah. And I chose to eat yummy healthy food. The “Deborah eats diet food” subject is one that I get harassed about often. It frustrates me.
Rant over. About your dressing: I think I will try it on my salad tonight 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
That dressing looks so good, i need to experiment with making more dressings (and eating more salads!) 🙂
I saw your post yesterday and I immediately ran to the kitchen to make the salad dressing because I was craving a huge green salad. It was super delicious! I made it with soy yogurt, so I think that made it a little runnier. Maybe I’ll try using a little less next time, but it was the best! I’m not a fan of oil-based dressing either. A creamy yogurt one is much more like me :] I couldn’t agree more on the diet foods issue. I like the taste of unsweetened almond milk that’s why I buy it. Not because I’m on a diet. Same thing with puffed kamut or that protein cereal I’ve been liking. When I’m eating with my family especially, I get get those “That’s too many veggies on you plate” type of comments. I enjoy the taste of veggies, that’s why I eat them. Of course they won’t be the only thing I’d have, but a big green salad is always something I enjoy. I don’t see why I should be denying my cravings just because I’m supposed to prove a point. I think that would be the worse option of the two.
i am in the process of recovering from an ED but I still feel the same way. I think because we use to eat like that it hurts to see others do it, but there are definitely some “diet” foods that I just flat out ENJOY.
I use kamut puffs in my mix of cereal, but its a mix and its typically not my only meal. i love them. they taste good. salads: I LOVE SALADS. i always have always will. and i make sure my salads are filled with veggies and a protein. people also said i became a vegetarian/vegan to “lose weight” no. i chose this lifestyle because industry farmed animals are treated SO inhumanely that it sickens me. The world is so judging, but whoa is life? I’m a firm believer that I will live my life the way I want to and you are free to live yours the way you chose. Who am I to judge 😀
it does worry me when i see people post with sandwich thins, tofu noodles, 100 calorie peanut butter (whaaaa? are the peanuts even real?), low calorie this, reduced calorie that and call it a meal. those foods are typically full of fillers and won’t satisfy you, which in the end makes you eat MORE. why not eat a complete, real food meal and be left satisfied the first time around?
meh. eat what you want when you want.
hope you have a great day doll ♥
It bugs me when I see someone who ONLY eats that kind of stuff, too. I mean, I can understand liking sandwich thins because they’re thin and crunchy, and then topping them with loads of goodies (that’s why I use a tortilla in place of pizza dough). But a sandwich thin topped with sugar free jam and reduced calorie nut butter? Erm. Then I start to wonder…
and sites and cookbooks like hungrygirl where her main focus is processed low calorie food, make it soooo easy for people to cut calories and eat so little real foods. but as said before, i was that person too, and in the world today it is hard not to feel the thin pressure. finally being on the other side you really realize the influence all those things can have on a person.
-le-sigh- endless topic right?
I agree with you! Like me personally, I love the taste of pure balsamic withOUT the oil added. It has nothing to do with fear of oil I just like the taste! I’ve gotten accused of “clinging” to my eating disorder for something as a silly as a taste preference. Like you said, I don’t need to stuff my face full of cheesecake just to prove a point.
I eat enough, I’m fine. 🙂
This isn’t exactly related to your post (which was brilliant as usual) but I just wanted to recommend Quaker Oats Corn Bran Squares cereal!! I know you love puffins, but these are like the exact same thing for like half the price. And they have extremely similar nutritional stats. Go check them out! http://www.quakeroats.ca/en/products/cereals/corn-bran-squares.aspx
I used to eat those all the time, and yesss they’re delicious 😀
It all depends on the reason why you are eating diet foods. If you are eating them because you genuinely enjoy the taste, then that’s fine. If you are eating them because it’s lower in calories and you are trying to reduce the amount of calories you are consuming, then it becomes a major problem. I’ve noticed that some bloggers tend to eat more voluminous meals that are lower in calories just so they can satisfy their hunger but consume as little calories as possible which is really irratating. Why is everyone always trying to consume as little calories as possible, especially since they do not even need to loose weight, yet always trying to get in as much exercise as possible? What’s wrong with looking at food as food and not numbers?! People think this is so healthy but is anything but healthy!
Gahh once again I can resonate with this post so so much. However, the eating disorder side of myself is still very much a part of me, so I will admit I tend to stick to “diet” foods because they make me feel safer. But they are also amazingly tasty! Like I love a salad beast too- it is so refreshing, tons of different textures, and just wonderful. I don’t really know where I am going with this, but I think what you are doing is completely fine, as you are balancing your eats so well.
p.s. I am trying that dressing on my salad TODAY 🙂
Goodness Gracious I know what you mean!
I don’t eat fruits and veggies because I am on a diet I do it because I LOVE them and make me feel good. Being a teen there is SO much judgement from my friends. Like, if I eat a piece of lets say dark chocolate honeycomb they’re like “You can eat that on your diet?!” And I just want to scream “IT IS NOT A DIET”. The funny thing is I probably consume twice as many calories as them (right fully too because i am an athlete) but because mine are healthy apparently I am on a diet. Seriously, society is dumb. Because we eat a healthy diet and exercise does NOT mean we want to lose weight! Urgh, some people just bug me!
WELL SAID!!! I enjoy unsweetened soya milk (for the taste *gasp*) and I love vegetables, salads, rice cakes, All-Bran…and so what? If I was 90 pounds and dying, I might think that was wrong..but I’m healthy and love those things, so why the heck not?
Do you shop in a French grocery store? I’m sure that’s French underneath the ‘steel cut oats’ sign…
Hehe it is indeed French, but not from a French store. Canada is a bilingual country… English and French… so we have both on all of our food labels.
I am so making that dressing! I went out and bought some dijon mustard specifically for it. I can’t wait!
I’m up for eating whatever I love whether it’s diet or not. Kashi has become one of my favorite cereals and I hate when people refer to it as “bird food”. I enjoy what I eat 🙂
I eat a salad every day and I’m nowhere near on a diet. They just taste good 🙂
I like salads, but not the diet kind!!!! I love oily dressings and croutons and fancy toppings. As for diet food, I love GoLean cereal (which I can no longer eat, sad face) and meringues (fat free cookies) and grilled chicken breast. As long as there’s still dessert, I’m good. 🙂
i think the word ‘diet’ is left over from the 80’s or something. When people went ‘on diet’ nowadays… nobody should be doing on diet but instead just eating a HEALTHY diet!! also i get really annoyed when people make comments about my healthy food… i’m sorry. do i make comments about the greasy coronary heart disease inducing food you eat?? no i don’t. so please leave me and my food alone. thanks.
Just found your blog off of Healthy Diva Eats and I do have to say it’s amazing!! So interesting!! I made your dressing for my salad yesterday and really enjoyed it!! Do you have a Facebook page?
Thanks girl 😀 And no, I’m not on Facebook. Just Twitter for now 🙂
Diet foods. Just a label. I like my sugar-free muesli, fiber-rich biscuits and that seaweed salad in the cafeteria which is about 10 kcal/100g. And, of course, those “Calorie Balance” blocks whose name is bugging me but I just like crumbling them in my low-fat yogurt 😀 .
Wow! I COMPLETELY agree.
I don’t understand why people feel the need to lambast others about drinking almond milk vs dairy milk, having nonfat yogurt vs full fat, eating light vs. heavy.
There is certainly a place for calorie-dense foods (Hellooooo nut butter!!), but I see no reason why the same can’t be said for low-calorie foods. Apples are low in calories, but so what? Apples are delicious. Are we really going to not eat apples just because they’re low cal?
The fact that a food is high in calories does not guarantee that it is “bad,” and similarly, the fact that a food is low in calories doesn’t make it “diet food.” Eat food high in calories and people will starting pointing out that America is obese; eat foods that are lower in calories, and people will lament the rise of diets. There is no “right” or “wrong” in food, and “a happy medium” varies from person to person. Because eating is a huge part of who we are, I truly believe that those who try to say or do something to impose themselves need to be mindful that food is incredibly personal.
Everyone is different and has to find what works for them. But really, that’s the beauty of it–because we are all unique, we’re able to tailor our lifestyles to what fits our own individual needs.