Eat More Comfort Foods you Love (that Love you Back!)

How do you lose weight when you love to eat? Especially when you love to eat pizza, casseroles and hot dishes? Let’s find comfort foods you love that will also love you back!

It was 6:00 pm, and I had just picked up the kids from school. I had a bad day at work, I was tired, and had no idea what to prepare for dinner. All I wanted was to plop myself in the couch, turn on the boob tube, and tell the kids to fend for themselves. All while grabbing a bag of chips and dip for my dinner.

Sound familiar? Do you find yourself vegging on the couch or ordering pizza when you know you should be preparing a healthy meal for your family? Have you decided to eliminate any and all of your favorite comfort foods from your life in the pursuit of a slimmer figure?

People associate certain foods with homecoming. During holiday celebrations like Independence Day or Thanksgiving, you indulge in favorite family recipes. If you haven’t seen your mother in a long time, she might prepare a special dish just for you. When it rains and you’re feeling melancholy, you might favor a bowl of chicken noodle soup (not that canned Campbell’s crap).

Travel has always been a big part of my life, but some destinations will never feel like home. For example, going to Dubai showed me just how American I am. Going to France taught me how to try speaking other tongues. Going to England taught me the importance of bringing an umbrella. Going to India showed me just how little I actually know about my husband’s history.

As a mixed kid, I have both a Fatherland and a Motherland. Ironically, what I consider my Fatherland comes from my mom’s side of the family- Germany, Poland and the blue-eyed, blond beauties within. I have been to the Fatherland, have a BA in the language, and even have my Grandfather’s Bible in German. “Ja, Ich kann echt Deutsch!”

Deutschland was beautiful and amazing when I spent a semester there in my junior year. But, it never felt quite like home.

It wasn’t until recently that I visited the Motherland. This is our favorite neighbor to the south- Mexico! While my father was born in Texas, my grandmother or her grandmother were most probably born in Mexico. Dad grew up speaking Spanish while picking cotton with his five siblings in Texas until they moved to a different farm in Wisconsin. There, he met and married a pretty blond lady that he fell in love with. Three children later, yours truly showed up 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Some people say “food is love”, but that’s not how I see it. ” username=”jegoswam”]

Eating food you love is how you know you have come HOME. No matter where your travels find you, or where you lay your head down at night.

It’s no wonder that traditional diet plans that force you to eat superfoods that you have never heard of and don’t know how to prepare often crash and burn. I have personally bought economy-size packets of superfoods, only to discover that I:

1. Didn’t like them

   –OR–

2. Didn’t know how to make them taste good

If you need help with exploring new foods and recipes, I have some great Pinterest boards for you to follow. Or you can contact me for a custom meal plan.

But, don’t forget the importance of eating home food that you cherish.

When I was in Deutschland, I ate up all the wurst, pretzel brot, potatoes, and yummy Turkish flatbread food I could eat. I also ate a daily gelato cone. But, by week 3 of enjoying these culinary delights, I found myself desperate for a little taste of home. Few of the foods I sampled were ones I recognized, nor did they taste like I imagined. Some became staples of my stay, but they were not my treasured favorites.

Which is why I traveled across the entire city of Freiburg to find the one retail store that sold imported foods. I was hoping and wishing that this store would carry one delight that is a staple in my American diet. I was ecstatic when I found it!!!

That’s right- this Hispanic girl is most comfortable with a refried bean burrito in her hand. There are many foods in my life that I have given up- from mac and cheese to hot dogs to Doritos chips. The one food in my life that I will NEVER give up is refried beans.

Whether your favorite food is salty, savory, sweet, or spicy, you can definitely find a way to incorporate it into a healthier lifestyle. In my case, refried beans can be made without lard, can be unwrapped, topped with homemade salsa, or paired with some guacamole.

The Motherland truly made me feel at home. Where else could I eat refried beans, potatoes and tacos at EVERY MEAL? This was a slice of Heaven!!! On top of these awesome foods that reminded me of my childhood, I listened to dark-haired and dark-skinned folks speak the language my father grew up with. I may have looked as American as the other tourists at our resort, but I felt like just one of the locals.

During a tour at Tulum, our guide told us how important it was for him to share his experiences with us as a direct descendant of the Mayan culture. He spoke Spanish and had the last name of Zapata. Still, he had NOT forgotten who he was or where he came from.

Not all of us know exactly where we came from or what our family history looks like. But, I will always cherish the “taco night” of my childhood, even if I had to learn Spanish at school, and don’t really know much about my grandmother’s parents.

Mexico is a magical place. Not just because of its white sand, gorgeous weather, or delicious food. Mexico is magical, because it represents moments of time. Those moments were captured, not by a camera or phone, but by my heart, spirit, and stomach.

When you are considering your own diet, do you deny yourself the opportunity to evoke HOME with your food choices? Or, do you find healthier versions of your favorites? Share your thoughts!