When it comes to following a diet, I’m pretty great at getting around the rules.
That is to say that I obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit. And I’ve done plenty of this over the years. When cutting carbs, for example, I ate a completely inappropriate amount of bacon. When cutting calories, I ate bags of rice cakes. These aren’t foods that break the rules, but they certainly don’t represent a good faith attempt at healthier eating.
This time, I’m not trying to lose ten pounds (though I wouldn’t mind it). I’m trying to prepare my body for a long term battle. And I’m hopeful that the right diet can even help me fight that battle. So in January, I decided to cut out gluten and dairy, and stick with lean meats. (I actually tried to cut legumes and eggs, too, but I’ve put those back.) I’m betting that Michael Pollan has it right: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
It’s time to follow the spirit of the rules at last, and I know I need to eat lots of leafy green food. I’ve had mixed success so far. Sadly, I do not enjoy leafy green food.
Enter the green smoothie, my latest attempt to eat (or drink) what I know I should. This one (above) is strawberries, bananas and spinach. I’ve paired spinach with pineapple as well. The bad news is that it’s kind of gross looking, which is why it took me so long to try a green smoothie in the first place. The good news is that it definitely does not taste leafy or green. It tastes just like whatever the fruit is.
I know this is not hard core like kale and seaweed, but at least it’s something. It’s my current trick to try to do the right thing. If I can drink spinach, anything’s possible. What’s your trick?
steady she goes 
Yum! I love green smoothies! I put a lot of berries in mine, so rather than being green, mine end up being a rather interesting shade of… brown, also not very appetizing. 🙂 But as you say, it’s tasty! And a great way to get our greens in. I also put flaxmeal in mine–good way to get alpha linolenic acid (omega-3) in the diet, which is key for autoimmune problems…
Hard core enough to impress me. I swallowed hard just looking at the photo. I understand your motivation and applaud you for taking action. A side salad, or main salad of greens has more appeal for me if it has some crunch. Some things I do would not fit your regiment but I think sliced apple or strawberries would be legal for you along with seeds or nuts (pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds — I have not tried flax or chia but I assume they would add crunch too.). Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, or shredded carrot also improves a bowl of greens in my opinion.
I also do not like vegetables. I drink 16 oz of water by 9am. I eat a small 3-4 oz piece of baked/grilled salmon in the morning-just lemon and butter. I bake 3-4 days worth at once. All the carbs in morning foods make me ravenous and tired by late morning so I avoid. This way I can then make it to lunch. These 2 things set my hunger meter for the rest of the day I have found. If I liked eggs I would do some egg white thing with veggies.
Yummy favorite lean protein in a green leafy salad with broccoli slaw (awesome, it’s like coleslaw but tastes great) using Walden Farms diabetic dressing–no carbs and I add vinegar for some zing. That gives you some room for dinner. Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce is always an alternative too. Greek yogurt has some zing along with protein and low carbs–I found some with artichoke and spinach that I can dip my veggies in.
Always a struggle but I am allowing myself my favorite proteins (I also dream of bacon, but oh well). I cooked a turkey this week! Yum! It requires a lot of planning to have these alternatives around so you don’t grab crackers or toast. You can do it.