The "New" Diet of a Single Girl (in theory, anyway)

Posted by Nora | Tuesday December 14, 2010

It’s a little premature for New Year’s Resolutions, since I typically like to save those until February, but my new life goal is to eat like a real-life grown-up.

After a recent trip to the doctor to investigate what I was convinced was a food allergy (what else can it mean when it looks like a little baby elbow is sticking out of your stomach every time you eat?), it was called to my attention that I might not have the most sound nutrition for a young first-world professional.

Typically, my diet consists of coffee, sparkling water, candy, cereal, $5 foot longs from Subway, yogurt and granola, or slices of cheese paired with deli-sliced salami and a variety of crackers.

My trips to the grocery store involve complete culinary amnesia, with me wandering the aisles trying to remember any food I’ve ever eaten and enjoyed. Vegetables? So much work. Meat? Ew, I’m not touching that with my bare hands. Frozen meals? Oh, too processed. XXL bag of Peanut M&Ms? Yeah, give me two of those. My main sources of actual nutrition are my Cod Liver Oil supplements (which I only take because I heard they give you good skin) and some pre-natal vitamins that I accidentally purchased when they were on sale at Target.

This is particularly pitiful considering that my mother is the kind of woman who can open up her refrigerator, find five ingredients and create a breathtaking meal within 30 minutes.

It’s not that I don’t know how to cook--although more than once I’ve mistaken cinnamon for red pepper--it’s that I just don’t do it.

So there we have it, a new life goal, stated on the Internet for all to see.

Now, where do I start?

by Nora McInerny

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7 Comments

	on February 21, 2012 Patricia 6,845 said: Nora, your diet sounds just like mine! I eat when and what is convenient, not when and what I should be eating! I know I need to change too! Good Luck! I need to look into a crock pot! :) Sounds great!
	on December 14, 2010 mamaluv STAFF said: @Jchang212 - girlfriend, you need to get on board! It's an electric pot that you can start up with all your ingredients before you leave in the morning, then arrive home to the delicious smell of fresh pot roast, baked chicken, chili, or hearty soup! Basically any main dish you'd cook in a stovetop pot can be done in a crock pot. The way it works is that it heats slowly, preserving and enhancing tenderness of your ingredients. You can adjust to faster cooking if you're planning to be home sooner, so the typical cycle could be anywhere from 3-10 hours cook time.
	on December 14, 2010 jchang212 106 said: I've been hearing a lot about crock pots lately. What exactly is it/how do you use it?
	on December 14, 2010 AnnaV 1,018 said: I also agree with Jen, but I'm already married and my husband is less willing than me to cook >< Though I did find that cutting chocolate from my diet was a huge step to eating healthier. Once you start getting in the habit of skipping the candy isle, you'll never look back! Unless you're forced to walk past the ice cream freezer... Another thing that helped me was getting a Crock Pot. I love just being able to throw things in there and not have to worry about it for 4 hours =D
	on December 14, 2010 Nora said: I think I'm with J on this one, although that does look like a pretty inspiring book!
	on December 14, 2010 jchang212 106 said: Or find a sexy man who cooks ;) that's my plan A!
	on December 14, 2010 Ali de Bold STAFF said: Nora, you need a sexy cook book. My favourite is this one from David Rocco: http://www.chickadvisor.com/item/david-rocco39s-dolce-vita/ Lots of delicious recipes with inspiring pictures. And if the food pictures don't inspire you the pictures of the handsome David Rocco will. ;)