Whole Foods Can Be a Whole Lot of Fun

I met a most fascinating man on a business trip this month, and I can’t stop thinking about him. (No, it is not what you think!) During our cross-country flight, I happened to ask what he did for fun.

“I cook! In fact, that is one of our favorite activities as a couple. We love trying out new recipes. On weekends, we love going to the farmer’s market together, picking out the best-looking produce, doing the grocery shopping. Then later we put on some music, pour some wine, and start cooking. Then we light the candles, sit down, and enjoy something special together! It’s a high point of the week for us both!”

His face lit up as he talked about the joys of mushrooms, tomatoes, and leeks, of soups, salads and risottos, pestos and bruschettas, and the pleasure of sharing it with someone special. We both discovered that we have a passion for cookbooks—especially those with lots of great photos to inspire us to cook.

I loved hearing this guy talk about knives and pans and mandolins the way some guys talk about football or cars. It reminded me that it’s best not to stereotype or prejudge. People of all kinds who care about what they put in their bodies take the time to learn to cook and do it well. And it isn’t just about nutrition. It's about digestive health, too.

There’s something really great about taking the “long-cut” when you can in the kitchen. Have you noticed how a person can get excited about their culinary adventures? How about the pride in serving a steaming homemade clam chowder with a thick crusty slice of homemade bread? Or a crispy medley of greens tossed with other colorful vegetables, and maybe a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds? And the satisfaction from offering it to family and friends, whose gratitude is really the best dessert?

If you are at all like me, it can be all too easy to fall into a routine and start thinking of cooking as a chore. So talking to this fellow reminded me that if you add some spice, fixing food from scratch can be a meaningful part of the day. Furthermore, as we both agreed, we like using whole foods because we know that they offer us more nutrition, including those valuable micro-nutrients.

Of course it’s not always possible, and that is when I rely on whole food supplements and organic vitamins. As one wise person said, if you were given a car at age 18 and told it would be the only car you would ever have, how would you care for it? Would we do any less with our bodies? And why not make it fun?!