WOW, I’m embarrassed to admit this especially on my blog and even more since I am normally a very positive person, but recently I struggled with and was tired of every activity around food. The shopping, the prepping, the social media posting, the eating, the cleaning and the cleaning.  The everything.  It’s like I had amnesia when it came to meal ideas and actually dreaded being hungry or when my spouse asked “what are you thinking for dinner?”  When this happens, as it has in the past, I always feel that something is wrong with me.  I mean after all I AM a dietitian and food mentor to clients who struggle with their weight, GI complaints and other health issues!  

One thing about me is this, I don’t follow recipes very well.  I prefer to see what ingredients I have in the refrigerator and/or pantry and just whip up something healthy on the fly.  On the weekends when I have more time I will attempt at making a recipe but that doesn’t happen too often.  Some things are a winner, other are a big #fail.  And actually, believe it or HNAT I like to make flops (my last name is spelled Hnat and pronounced “not” so I frequently replace it just to have fun with my odd Czech name).  

At least half of my new client’s anticipate a rigid meal plan to help with their weight loss.  Something they can easily follow so they don’t have to think about what to eat.  I get it.  It’s what they know and have followed diet after diet after diet and it appears to be the reason for success.  If they could just stick to a healthy meal plan, they think they are guaranteed to lose weight.  They don’t believe that they can actually lose weight without one.  But the truth is, I rarely, if ever give clients a meal plan.  And there is a very good reason. Traditionally meal plans don’t work long term.

I’ve always said that I would love to open a healthy restaurant that served organic, locally- and ethically-sourced ingredients in a casual, hip setting.  The menu would include my daily personal favorites and would have to include: fresh veggie juices and smoothies with awesome salads with healthy dressings and grain bowls – perhaps a couple other healthy sweet treats.  When dining out I’ve usually had to “sacrifice nutrition for convenience” which is why I prep so much at home.  Plus I actually enjoy playing with food, creating healthy new recipes with the ingredients I have available.  That was a skill my stepmom had and I always admired it – eventually replicated it with the plant-based twist.