Is there whole grain in that? and other quandries I have when I realize I'm an adult and in charge of feeding myself.

Does anyone else miss the days when it was up to someone else to make sure that you were eating a nutritionally balanced diet? I realize not everyone has/ had this, but sometimes I get really nostalgic for a time when my mom was making sure that my 3 square meals a day consisted of everything I needed. I hate to say it out loud, but I miss the days when I didn’t have to think about my food. (full  disclosure… my mom still contributes a great deal to my overall nutrition… she isn’t packing my lunches, and putting glasses of milk at the dinner table anymore, but her meals are always awesome, super balanced, and totally nutritious… and I raid her fridge all the time). 

In the days of “we are what we eat” admitting that I don’t want to think about what goes into my body feels wrong. But sometimes (like today) I get about half way into the day and realize that the only thing I’ve put in my body is 3 cups of coffee and a day old sugar cookie… and then I start to think about nutrients, and calcium requirements and servings of whole grain, and I get a little panicky. True, most days I eat a bit healthier than today. I typically start off with a nutrient dense healthy breakfast, followed by a salad at lunch. I am quite certain of one thing, I get enough vegetables in my diet… even if I start of the day with a cookie…

But I do worry sometimes that my eating tends lean towards boring… I eat the same things pretty much most of the time… and what if these things aren’t quite giving me the nutrients that I need?  The USDA guidelines are cryptic and hard to read… the food pyramid is out. What’s in is a plate, telling you to eat more vegetables, and up your whole grains… but then it breaks off saying at least half of your grains should be whole grains, and then I start to get confused as to the sub categories, and what really counts as a grain, and I get really hung up on the fact that orange vegetables are supposed to be better for me that green vegetables (can you really get too many green vegetables?) and then my neurotic mind starts to question things like dairy, and if I’m getting enough healthy fat, and if I eat a fat free breakfast, are all of my A, D,E and K vitamins really being absorbed… (it’s a strange place my mind… and yes, I think about this kind of stuff at least once a week).  I am an educated adult, and if I’m this confused by the USDA standards for what I should be eating, how do we expect children to understand them? I get that the whole plate thing is supposed to be an easy visual, but then when you think about the fact that school lunches have to follow these guidelines, and the fact that pizza probably counts as a grain, it’s a little terrifying.

I am not Vegan, and I drink a fair share of lattes, and eat a lot of cheese. At least this is what I tell my Doctor once a year when they ask me how many servings of calcium I’m getting. Calcium always seems to be the biggy… and its true, I drink a fair share of lattes and I love cheese. But the more I start to analyze my daily routine, the more I’m realizing, there isn’t a ton of dairy in there. I know there are plenty of vegans and vegetarians out there who get all the nutrients they need from plant based sources… but I also feel like if you are a vegan/vegetarian you are slightly more educated about which plant based foods have the nutrients you need (at least I like to think this is true.) But when I think about my accidental vegan tendencies (at least during the day…) I do start to really wonder “am I getting enough calcium?” the doubt then translates to B vitamins… and when I’ve not gone near an orange fruit or vegetable all day I start to doubt things like vitamin C… and again, it’s a slippery slope… my neurotic brain starts to wonder if I’m totally lacking in some really important nutrients… I don’t think that I am… but how would I know? I don’t have anyone regulating my 3 square meals a day. There is no one to pre-pour me a glass of milk, and determine if I’ve had my daily requirement of whole grains which I’m actually quite sure I don’t. Vegetables, yes. Whole Grains…. doubtful. Yes, Quinoa is a staple in my diet… but I’m not eating a ton of bread, or cereal, or oats or barley… I’m pretty sure my body has gone days without meeting a whole grain… Even if I’m eating salads all the time, this seems maybe problematic? Sure I love bread, and to me croutons are pretty much a food group, but does eating a piece of baguette count? In my mind, it does not, in the USDA’s mind, it might.  I hardly ever make sandwiches, I prefer lentils to barley, and I tend not to buy crackers or chips (I eat them if they are around, but they seldom make it into my grocery cart). I know that whole grains are lurking in all sorts of foods, but that being said, it is still possible for me to go days without ingesting any… I’m pretty sure this isn’t balanced.

I guess being aware of my eating habits is half the battle. If I know I’m lacking in something I can at least attempt to correct it, and form new habits. Tonight, ground up oat meal was added to my smoothie, I’m planning on having quinoa in my salad tomorrow… I’m actively seeking out more calcium sources… if I remember I try to drink a teaspoon or two of olive oil in the morning so all my vitamins absorb (not to mention it’s great for the skin). I know it’s not a bad thing to have to actively and mindfully think about what I’m putting in my body… but sometimes… just sometimes I wish it was easier to make sure that my body was getting everything it needed. I’m at an age where the multi-vitamin is my new best friend… at least it gives me a little more peace of mind. I know I can’t get everything my body needs from a pill… but at least it allows me to stack the deck a little.