What would the ideal diet for you be like?

Diet. Woah. Was there ever such a loaded word with the power to evoke anxiety in even the healthiest of persons?

Let me preface this by saying when I use the word diet. By this I mean diet as in the variety of foods that I eat not diet as in I need to lose weight so I'm "on a diet."

Got it? Good. Let's move on.
My diet is always evolving. I have a passion for learning more about nutrition and applying it to my life. I'm always tweaking things to find out what works best for me.

I believe every person is different and therefore there are endless variations of diets in this world that are the right diet. They just may be the right diet for me but not for you or vice versa. Get it? I don't believe any person who says they way they eat is the only and best way... most often they are trying to sell you something or build a brand on this idea. You and I are not the same person. Our bodies are not built identically. We do not do the same workouts. We don't have the same jobs, personal life or hobbies. There's no way we could eat the exact same foods and get the exact same results.

I don't think my diet is superior to anyone and I do not judge food choices. Eating is already hard enough in this day in age... who are we to make each other feel bad about such a personal choice?

As a woman of a certain age, I find that it has been engrained in my brain to think about food from a certain standpoint: how many calories does it have? Is it low fat, low carb, sugar free, etc? Will this make me fat or skinny? Will I regret this later?

ENOUGH, I say!
I'm tired of this train of thought. I want to think about my food in new ways: what life giving vitamins and minerals does this contain? Will it give me strength for my next run or hike? Will it power me up for clinicals and exams? What amazing things is this food going to do for my body, beauty and soul?

I personally strive to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet. This is not a vegan diet or even a completely clean diet. This means I try to make fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and soy products the staples of my diet. I put the focus on foods that I know to be amazing for my body. I'm not always successful as things like candy, ice cream and pizza seem to sneak in there on a regular basis. I'm a work in progress and I'm okay with that.

I love food and everything about it from meal planning and grocery shopping to prepping, cooking and of course eating. I hope that my passion for good food shines through to you. The foods I showcase on this post are foods that I personally believe to be healthy and delicious. They are meant to inspire you to try new things and find new favorites.

My top foods are:

Smoothies - green, fruit and protein varieties
Oats - hot & cold

Salads - I love kale salad, traditional salad, bean salad, grain salad, pasta salad... you name it

Bean & grain dishes
Veggie packed soups
Tofu, tempeh and edamame
Veggie burgers
raw nuts, seeds, and the butters that come from them
Fresh fruit and vegetables and many forms of cooked veggies too