I've got a confession to make. While I have geared my healthy "NMP" eating style (no meat or poultry, but unlike vegetarian diets includes fish) to fit my natural desire for lots of comfort foods in their healthier versions, I also have a list of foods that I wish I did like, because I know how good they are for me. So every now and then, when I am feeling good overall and up for a challenge, I'll dust off my list and see if I can find a way to include some of these foods in my diet in a way my taste buds will accept. One of those foods is black beans.
I'll admit it. I'm jealous of my husband. He grew up with dishes like black beans and rice in his household. So while as a child, he didn't have much idea what vegetables were beyond french fries and iceberg lettuce, the one exception was that he regularly had black beans. Heck, he actually liked them!
Last week I watched him devour a really healthy-looking side dish of mexican rice and beans that I had made for him to go with my spinach and cheddar quesadillas and I decided enough is enough. I just have to try again.
So this week when I made my "chicken" tacos, I brought over two side bowls of mexican rice. But this time, both had black beans in them (although I did have a smaller portion). I set them both down on the table and my husband did a double-take when he saw my bowl. Saying "oh my goodness", and grabbing his chest like Redd Foxx used to in the "Sanford & Son" TV series. He said, "you aren't really going to eat black beans are you"? I told him that I was going to give it a try. To which he said "I'll believe it, when I see it".
We had our usual fun dinner conversation, and I proceeded to play with my side dish and bury my black beans in the rice. Finally I realized the moment of truth had come. I needed to stop playing, and start tasting. Besides what would be the worst that would happen if I didn't eat the rice and beans-that my husband would tease me for a few weeks?
So I took a fork full of rice and managed to carefully pick up no more than two beans with it. (I may be forty plus years old, but I'm a kid at heart). I closed my eyes and down the hatch it went. When I opened my eyes, I saw my husband looking at me awaiting a verdict. I held him off and tried another mouthful. The next thing you know, I realized, I do like this combination. Burying the beans was just the thing to do to get me to eat them-and like them. Somewhere I could hear Barry Manilow singing "It's A Miracle"! My husband was amazed as I ate the rest of the bowl including every last bean.
So the moral of the story? I do believe that the most important road to success in any form of healthy eating--"NMP" or not--is to find healthy ways to eat the foods you truly love (like cheeseburgers, BLTs, chicken parmesan, or whatever your favorite comfort foods are). But by the same token, it's also a good idea to have a "wish list" like I do of foods that are healthy that you have never been able to bring yourelf to eat, but you hope to someday find a way to incorporate into your diet. Don't force yourself to fit the food. But when you feel adventurous, try an item from your list with a food you really enjoy. Who knows? You may just surprise yourself like I did, and welcome a new member to your regular line up of food favorites.
