Ray LaVoie
Do As I Say, Not What I Do
I often do know how I might react to the manuscripts I review for each issue of this magazine. When I perused Korrigan Craddock’s article, Festive Flavor for All, I sensed inner conflict. My sense of conflict was not related to the content of the article, but rather with my behavior. To be fully transparent, consuming vegetables is not something my palate fully appreciates.
Come across me dining in a restaurant and you will observe my dinner plate is void of anything green, or for that matter red, yellow or any other colors that might represent a rainbow. After all, it is known that one should consume fruits and vegetables composed of the colors of the rainbow.
So why do I avoid vegetables? After all, I consider myself to be health literate. I am acutely aware that vegetables support overall health as part of a nutrient-rich diet. Vegetables contain antioxidants that fight inflammation and reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and cancer. The fiber that is found in vegetables promotes healthy digestion and a healthy gut. The vitamins contained in vegetables help maintain healthy body organs such as the eyes, bones and skin. The numerous benefits of consuming vegetables cannot be denied.
So why do I have a propensity to avoid vegetables. My rationale might date back to my childhood during which I was not served vegetables regularly and thus I developed a taste for foods that were sweet or salty. My palate was not accepting of vegetables that I found bland when compared to the processed foods I was used to eating. Acquiring a taste for vegetables is learned. Apparently, I flunked out of Vegetables 101. My introduction to vegetables when I was age 3 or 4 was watching Bugs Bunny cartoons and admiring his fixation on carrots. Truth be told that the idea that rabbits love carrots is a misconception created by this delightful cartoon character. In their natural habitat, rabbits feast on grasses and other leafy greens.
Alas, I have somewhat adapted to behaviors that enable me to eat my veggies. I do enjoy salads. I eat carrots when I can dip them in hummus. Anyone who knows me is aware that I love pizza. I am comfortable eating pizza made with a cauliflower crust. Cauliflower is a healthful replacement for flour which is standard in most pizzas. I do eat veggie burgers and I have learned to appreciate stuffed peppers filled with lean meat, rice and beans. And I enjoy lettuce wraps filled with veggies and chicken that I can dip in a pungent sauce. The creative ways one is able to consume vegetables is endless.
Yes, my diet has improved but it continues to be a work in progress. I hope you are not influenced by my unhealthy behavior but rather my focus on the benefits of eating vegetables. Do as I say and not as I do.
Phil,
Executive Editor
