If there is one thing you could change about your relationship with food, what would it be?
Would it be what you ate?
What you didn’t eat?
How much or how little you eat?
Where you eat?
How fast you eat?
Where the stuff you eat comes from?
Who you eat it with?
Or…..(you fill in the blank)…
For me, I wish I would eat more regularly instead of at random times. I also wish I could say no to chocolate at times. Or pasta. And I’m trying to eat more locally and once we get back from our trip, plant some herbs. (Until then, we steal from our neighbors – they know.) Fast food really isn’t a big problem for me because I’ve watched enough documentaries on it that it just grosses me out. But sometimes in airports, it’s the only thing around.
So…go. What would you change?
Comments
86 responses to “Quick Survey: FOOD”
I would change the fact that right now I eat for what I want. I instead want to eat for what I need. This is my struggle
I’d eat Taco Bell more often.
There would be more tenderly prepared meals enjoyed over rich conversation. I find food tastes best to me when shared with others.
.-= Ronne´s last blog ..Trapped on a Treadmill =-.
I wish I would stop being an emotional eater. As a family, we eat very healthy foods, making sure that we only eat ‘real’ foods, cutting out all processed foods. But when I get really sad or really angry, my body gets the most un-ignorable (is that a word?! If not, I’ve just made it up!!) cravings. I need to learn to cope by other methods.
eat to live rather than live to eat.
.-= denise´s last blog ..the yucky place =-.
In the last few years I’ve already completely changed in my attitude towards food.
I’m a former anorexic in recovery.
Right now my therapist and I are working on my only eating when I’m hungry and reducing my emotional eating.
I think I would like to obsess about it less. In a world where so many don’t have enough to eat at all it bothers me that I get so tempted to buy expensive ways to try to control how much I consume. Clearly my relationship with food takes up too much of the wrong sort of time; mindless eating and self medicating with food and not enough of the sharing with friends, hospitality with strangers and joy.
I would definitely eat smaller meals throughout the day(isn’t that what we are supposed to do?). I would eat more fruits and veggies. I grew up in a home where we didn’t eat many fruits and our veggies were basically…green beans, onions, and corn. I feel like I eat in ok places…my dining room and living room(when we are catching up on the DVR). I know that I could eat less starches. SODAS need to GO!
We live in amazing times. So often we eat for recreational, or entertainment reasons (e.g., we call ourselves “foodies”) instead of for survival. I guess I would personally like to change that. Perhaps choose foods first for their ability to provide health, and taste secondarily (taste IS important. unfortunately, restaurant food’s “good” flavor often comes at a cost of ridiculous amounts of sodium, fats, and other non-health-providing factors.)
Second, as you may guess, I would cook and eat at home more…
I would change the amount of food I eat and how often I eat.
.-= Jon´s last blog ..Faith. =-.
I think for me, I’d like to have less of a “relationship” with food and have it be more of what simply sustains me. I mean, yeah, I think it’s okay to enjoy food and flavors, especially with good company, but I have a tendency to act like food is either my very best friend, or my mortal enemy. And that’s just not cool.
I’m also down with buying what’s local and seasonal.
.-= Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary´s last blog ..Um. That’s my SON, not my boyfriend… Ew. =-.
I like it, Jamie! You’ve described something I’ve noticed about myself better than I’ve ever seen.
I would change how quickly I eat. As a school teacher my breakfast and lunch are always rushed so I dont actually enjoy my food b/c of lack of time. I would also like to eat more locally, more often.
I consistently remind myself that I eat to live, therefore I need to be eating what will help me live better and feel better.
I’m one of those “foodie” people, so I wish that I did have a healthier relationship with food, hence my consistent reminder!!
I’d change my tastebuds. I cannot stand the taste of any veggies (except green beans, corn, & potatoes). So, I don’t eat any salads or veggies. I’ll probably die around 40 at this rate.
Would it be what you ate? leek and chicken soup
What you didn’t eat? the 50 year old croutons
How much or how little you eat? two bowls!
Where you eat? in my house
How fast you eat? an hour
Where the stuff you eat comes from? the supermarket
Who you eat it with? my sister, brother and dad
Or…..(you fill in the blank)… why the hell is this here?
I wish I didn’t eat so much unhealthy food. I know it isn’t doing my weight or health any good. I feel really guilty about it
I would change how much I like to eat. It’s not a need thing with me, but a want thing. Eating is kinda my hobby sometimes. I eat because I want something specific, not because I’m hungry. I also eat fast, so I’d slow that down too.
.-= Jonathan Pearson´s last blog ..The Secret’s In the Cushion: A word on sin =-.
I would change what I eat and how fast I eat it.
I would also change the guilt I feel when I eat something I know I shouldn’t. Our mentality about food needs to change, then it wouldn’t be such a big deal. I really wish food were just a luxury, and not a necessity.
I would eat/drink foods that are healthy for my body and in healthy portions – definitely more vegetables. Thankfully, I do not eat at fast food restaurants or drink sodas of any kind.
The ideal choice would be to have the money to have a personal chef which he/she would fix only nutritional meals and I wouldn’t have to think about it. Or a mate that we planned, prepared and ate healthy together. :)
May God give us grace to say and do as Jesus did:
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34
I eat too fast. I believe that life is meant to be savored then I remember that I have a deadline and chuck it down!
A bigger garden. Some animals, ie chikens and maybe a cow. So I can raise grow and eat my own food.
i’d be better at discerning what i want versus need…
.-= Lindsey Nobles´s last blog ..Women in the Workforce? =-.
If I could, I would avoid supermarkets and buy everything local and fresh.
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Discipline =-.
I’m trying to learn to love life more than food.
There would be less rice and beans in my diet…
oh wait that changes this weekend :)
.-= Pridge´s last blog ..What Haiti Has to Offer =-.
I am trying to reach a place where food doesn’t play such a constant role in my life. Food is there for nourishment. It is not that we shouldn’t enjoy what we eat, but rather where our focus should be instead of what we are going to eat next and when. Along with that is a desire to choose more healthful foods when I do eat.
Girl. I LOVE this. I wish it wasn’t such a main “deal” for me. I wish I just ate when I was hungry but then again if I did that I might just pull through somewhere or grab the closest thing to me which will probably not be nourishing AT ALL.
Basically I just want to have a healthy perspective on food and it not have a obsessiveness over me!
Work in progress I think.
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Hope… =-.
I would like to shop better! shop for exactly what I need – not what I want or think I’m going to make… I come up with these great ideas on Monday and spend all this money and time buy it, and by Tuesday… I’m “what was I thinking – i don’t have time or energy for that…???” We are trying to change our life style with food and we are eating better and more “organically” – but I have had this issue FOREVER! My Freezer is over full as well as my frig and pantry! It is driving me crazy! And I think my husband as well! AUUUGHH!
Portion size to smaller.
Less peanut butter, I know it’s not the best thing for me.
I eat as close to “whole foods” as possible, I say 80% but I would like to take more time to prepare meals and actually slow down long enough to enjoy them with friends and family.
And I love love love coffee but hear it’s not good for us. I drink about a cup a day but sometimes 2. I guess I would just like that one.
Okay, so viola! Ideal eating for Natalie!
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Hope… =-.
I wish I didn’t need a sweet to counteract a salt… or vice versa… It’s an unending vicious cycle.
i wish i wasn’t so addicted to it :/
I have made a lot of changes to my diet and eating habits over the past two years, and I’m pretty happy with that now. Eating to live instead of living to eat. I echo Ronnie’s comment in the one thing I would change would be to slow down and have more family time around good meals, instead of rushing off to some acivity.
One thing that I would do to change my relationship with food would be more than one thing. I would change what I ate (more fruits or vegetables, less processed foods) and how much I ate (much less) and how often I ate (more regularly) and who I ate with (family & good friends). I have a weight issue and I have a love/hate relationship wtih food. I love it and it hates me! I don’t really think about where food comes from because I think we can get all weirded out by it and it severely limits our options. If only pizza and ice cream were better for me than vegetables and fruit.
.-= Sandy Sandmeyer´s last blog ..My Darling Son, a Football Player??? =-.
I have a clicking jaw, so I’d change how loud I am. Seriously, I annoy my wife.
.-= Adam Whitley´s last blog ..More Words =-.
I would eat foods that I truly enjoy, rather than foods i kinda like. I tend to eat a lot of crap out of cravings or convenience. Foods like Cheeze-its, or taco bell when my body nor do I REALLU Like the food. I know my body feels better, and my tastebuds are happier with fresh fruit, and foreign foods that are made fresh, and in a healthier way (like indian food, or thai) than that tv dinner, or sub sandwich or box of cheese crackers I grab out of a convenience. I also need to eat more often, i let myself get so hungry ill eat a big portion in one sitting, almsot as if i were binging but i let myself because i hadnt eaten much all day.
Being creatively passionate about food prep would be a welcome change of pace …
But that’s highly unlikely at this point.
What I’d really like is someone to come in and whip up dinner for us a few nights a week …
Sadly, that, too, is probably not going to be happening anytime soon!
.-= Linda Stoll´s last blog ..Job Search Strategies =-.
Dang it! Took my answer!
Seriously! The biggest change I’d like in my relationship with food is to have someone else come up with the ideas and cook it for me (and my family)! And actually, we just signed up with a menu-planning service, so I’m halfway there!
But we’re slowly working in more veggies/fruits, and weaning ourselves off of food dyes, MSG, HFCS, and artificial sweeteners. We’re trying also to up our protein intake and use whole grains whenever possible. Next steps will be to use more organic/local produce and eventually antibiotic-free (etc.) meat and dairy. Hopefully next year we’ll be part of a CSA to help with all of that.
My biggest problem is with moderation, not in how much I eat, but in weaning us gradually off of “bad” things. I’d rather just go cold turkey, but I’m likely to meet with less resistance if I let the fam detox slowly. It’s taken me 4+ years of marriage (and lots of Wonder “white wheat”), but hubs has stopped complaining about the whole wheat bread!
Slow and steady wins the race…
.-= Princess Leia´s last blog ..Fooled You! =-.
I view food as a gift and blessing. I enjoy all types of ethnic foods, spices, variety of cooking styles, etc. It is an added dimension to life that enhances it for me. Eating good food along with good company is a double blessing!That being said, the tension comes with trying not to place too much emphasis on food. I fast from time to time to keep food from acquiring too much focus/ power (I Cor. 9:26), as well as for times of spiritual reasons. My issue is not in eating too much, as it is exercising too little.
What I eat and how much I eat.
.-= Lory´s last blog ..Plan B–by Pete WIlson =-.
Hmmm…as a single I would like to change what I eat and how often I eat out. I would like to have a rotating calendar with friends, where we cook something and then share it. This way we each just cook a couple days a week, but we COOK and eat FRESH and healthier food.
My goal right now is to limit my ‘eating out’ and eat a low cholestoral diet.
.-= Christie´s last blog ..A Sweet Interlude =-.
The biggest struggle for me is always the same – finding time to eat throughout the day. I can go literally all day long without eating anything and then I eat before bed when I’m starving. I’m pretty committed to eating less food but better food but it is hard and extremely expensive with 4 boys to feed. Organic meats are so pricey and so is a good variety of fresh produce. This time of year it will be easier but come winter, it will be harder. I do try to can as much as possible to help during those winter months.
.-= Kaira´s last blog ..Gabe Rocks =-.
EVERYTHING. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food. I used to eat too little and not enough nutrients. You know– like 1,000 calories worth of cake a day.
But now I try to eat healthy and I’ve found myself eating too much. Or at least my waistline says so. And the scale.
I figure if I’m going to err, I’d rather err on the side of eating too many healthy foods rather than too few & unhealthy foods.
I also have an issue with my thyroid that affects my metabolism. It stinks. If I eat as many calories as a normal person my size should, I will do nothing but gain weight.
So with food, I’m sticking with eating healthy and working out several times a week. If the people on the biggest loser can do it, so can I!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Biggest Loser. *SPOILER ALERT* =-.
I have no thyroid, which means my metabolism is like ZERO. Couple that with a lot of physical disabilities and 17 (soon to be 18) surgeries when I’m not even 18 yet, and I find that no matter how healthy I eat, I still gain weight. Which is really discouraging, especially when I have a sister who eats like a horse most of the time, doesn’t exercise and still weighs like 115 pounds. :P
.-= Mallory´s last blog ..Blah blah blah. =-.
I’m a recovering compulsive overeater and food addict, so obviously I’m working to change how much I eat. I know what I should eat, and how much I should eat, but it’s the application of this knowledge to my current habits that is the real challenge.
I would change how much I enjoy eating. I have a love affair with food. I love to eat good food from good restuarants. I budget $20 per day for my allowance and I use it to eat somewhere nice. Since Feb, I have lost 20# and mostly it’s been by not going to Buca or Maggianos or my favorite Tex-Mex places on a daily basis.
Wow…
Well, we have changed our eating habits overall and are eating more healthy, whole foods. I don’t even buy the processed junk at the stores (except cereal… I have a family full of people who think they need cereal! But it’s at least organic…)
I wish I had someone to come & fix the food. Then I’d eat healthy meals all the time! As it is, I get tired by the end of the day & would just as easily opt for frozen pizza.
I would like to eat more with friends. That’s what I enjoy – making a meal for friends to enjoy. The kind that takes hours to prepare (yes, I’m weird).
I’ve been toying with the idea of trying out a raw diet for a few months though. Then I might have the willpower to avoid those Greek french fries at Cafe Neo… but I do love roasted/fried potatoes with oregano & feta!
Augh! Food!
.-= Jennifer @PersimmonPulp´s last blog ..May 23 Setlist =-.
I wish that I would eat more veggies. It’s so hard for me to eat a healthy amount of them. It’s not even that I don’t enjoy them. I do (kind of – I never crave them, but it’s not like I hate them). It’s just they are so less convenient than just about any other food. I end up eating mostly baby carrots because of that.
i’m a slave to food.
i’d change the fact that it owns me. i want to own it.
More time to devote to preparation and enjoyment. With working full time and three kids, it’s not often easy to plan ahead and do things well.
As a former collegiate sprinter and coach, it is important to learn to “listen” to what your body needs. The best tool for that is daily exercise, and preferably in the morning. After a while you begin to crave what your body needs rather than suppressing what it needs with what you want, i.e. junk food. Before long, carbs and protein will taste wonderful. Your jump-started metabolism will need more energy and some granola, fruit, or even the periodic Vanilla Dr. Pepper from Sonic will be a guiltless pleasure. The most important thing is to get up, get out, and get going.
I would flip everything on its head. All the things that are bad for you suddenly became good and all the good things well, they can stay good.
Basically you could eat anything and be okay.
.-= Kyle Reed´s last blog ..Having More Twitter Followers Might Be a Problem =-.
I would avoid the perceived need to eat a snack before bed…I always regret it …always.
Also, I would love to spend more time making the meals. There is something great about cooking and enjoying a healthy well thought out meal.
.-= Michael H Smith´s last blog ..Sunday Setlists: May 23, 2010 =-.
I would like it to be cheaper and easier to access foods close to the way God made them. Organic, local & fresh.
What & how much I eat. Sadly, no longer have the metabolism of a 20yr old. Sigh… :)
STOP.EATING.TOO.MUCH.SWEETS.
.-= patricia´s last blog ..5.19.10 hold. =-.
I would change the foods I crave when I’m emotional. That’s how I get sabotaged every time!
.-= C.C.´s last blog ..2010 – 365 of Photos – Day 145 – 5/25/10 =-.
Food, I wish I could eat it and not be in so much pain. Everytime I eat = I look 5-7 months pregnant and am in such discomfort. So painful. Causes me to really wrestle contemplation of eating disorders.
On another, and much better note, I love fresh, organic foods. I wish they were more affordable.
I would stop thinking of food as comfort.
.-= Kristine McGuire´s last blog ..Book Review ~ The Map by David Murrow =-.
I learned last year that some foods were causing me emotional problems/depression, so some changes have already happened, but more is needed. I need away from sweets and artificial foods.
I want to see food as a blessing and a gift, and recogize how “rich” I am to even have choices and to have abundance. Food and water is such a huge issue for most of the world. I desire to share more healthy and fresh meals enjoyed with others, and prefer to do it in community in homes/parks/social settings. I want to share more of my food with others who don’t have enough or don’t have time/ability to prepare food.
.-= Sherie´s last blog ..Disquieted =-.
I would like to be less picky about what I eat. I’ll try just about anything, but there is still a litany of things I don’t really like.
I would also like to rely less on take-out and fast food, and prepare more meals myself.
The one thing I would change is having enough to eat. I’ve been unemployed for four months, and putting food on the table has been a struggle. Not having enough money for food is a very scary place to be.
.-= Charlotte´s last blog ..vitamia:woahitsjuanito:I think we should all send fanmail to Meryl and Julie to film a musical… =-.
I think for me I would want to change how much I eat and partially what I eat.
I love to play in the kitchen and while I find it to be a good “stress-reliever” or distraction for me, as a full time worker and student, I don’t always make things that are good for me. I’m learning that if I choose to make someone less healthy then I should plan to bless others by giving away all or some of what I make. I have really enjoyed incorporating that into my life and it saves me some calories.
However, during the week, most of the time I end up eating whatever is fast or handy since I’m busy with school and work. I end up eating too much and exercising too little. A combo that I’m trying to change.
.-= Mindy´s last blog ..Refocus and Refresh =-.
Seeing as how I work at a treatment center for eating disorders, I would say this to myself and everyone…
Eat intuitively. (there’s a book by the same title that’s awesome)
.-= Josh´s last blog ..On My Worst Day… =-.
A great book!
.-= Larissa´s last blog ..The fruit that came… =-.
The problem comes when your “intuition” isn’t properly tuned … in other words, you have no idea how to eat “right” for your own body.
My T and I have talked about this. For the most part I do eat what I want, when I want it, and only until I’m satisfied. The hard part is that I’ve got a killer sugar addiction and eating intuitively all the time would be a bad idea.
I would eat less – more for energy and less for entertainment. But with sometimes eating for entertainment. I don’t want to be a glutton.
Food – it’s a love hate relationship that for years I tried to control. It was the thorn in my side that I started to think was normal. It is one of the ways the Lord reminded me of my dependence and need for him.
It is a struggle I was blind to for many years as many of my behaviors were applauded by our society. Counting calories, working out, eating healthy. Yet, there was nothing healthy about the way food consumed my thoughts as I would consider what I could eat next. Then dealing with the guilt and shame I would feel when I wasnt able to maitain these “rules.”
Now, my mind is free most of the time of these thoughts, and I am able to better apprecaite the freedom I have in Christ. There is hope.
Eating and “Guilt” seem to go hand in hand. I wish that wasn’t so.
Yes, guilt can serve a helpful function. It can remind me not to eat too much of the wrong foods. It can also make eating in general, just an unpleasant experience. I wish that there was a happy medium.
Wow! So many good answers here.
The only way I can answer the question is to say that I want to find the right balance for me regarding food.
I’ve been told that I “live to eat vs. eat to live.” I know that I use food to “feel good.” I know I’m horribly obese. I also know that I have yet to find the right combination of quality & quantity that adequately nourishes me, makes me feel satisfied, and allows me to lose weight.
Do I overeat? I have no idea! My parents were hard physical workers, which meant they needed to eat more to live. I wasn’t that physical, due to various health issues, yet I was encouraged to eat so I wouldn’t feel light-headed. It also helped with depression, though I didn’t fully realize I was dealing with that at the time. Now, though, I can cut down on how much I eat, and lose a few pounds for about 2 weeks. After that, nothing!
So I don’t know what needs to be fixed.
In my ideal food world everything I ate would be locally grown within 100 miles of my home, and I would have time to prepare super healthy and amazingly tasty meals every night. (I have Barbara Kingsolver to thank for that– her book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” was quite inspiring).
But in the meantime, I am happy with Trader Joe’s (they have a great gluten and dairy free selection) and fairly healthy meals on-the-go.
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Expectations, Part 2 =-.
I would love it less.
I honestly LOVE food. Different kinds of food from different places and cultures. I view food as an experience vs something my body needs to be healthy. Therefore I tend to eat things that aren’t so healthy – or I eat too much. My family just got back from Disney World. My favorite part of our 9 day trip – the food – by far the food was my favorite thing in ALL OF DISNEY! Granted, the food was fantastic, but come on I was in Disney!
I didn’t really think about this until I started trying to be healthy at the beginning of this year. Then I started training to run a marathon. Running + eating too much or unhealthy food = not good. The running has helped me eat better or at least be more aware of what/how much I’m eating. But the fact that I actually miss food drives me crazy.
That was a long answer, but yeah, I’d appreciate food for the nourishment it gives but not be so emotionally attached to it.
.-= Chrystal´s last blog ..Back At It…Finally! =-.
I’ve said forever that I wish eating was like sex — pleasurable, but not necessary for survival.
I like to eat. I like to cook. But I don’t like the obligation of cooking 3 meals a day for myself and my family.
I’d change my attitude toward planning meals and cooking for them.
And, as long as I’m at it, I’d change their picky-ness!!
.-= AprilK´s last blog ..Outgrowing affirmation? =-.
I would have time to cook all year long. I love cooking–it’s so much healthier–but I don’t have time during the school year.
.-= patriciazell´s last blog ..#43 THE RETURN OF CHRIST: THE CAST, PART ONE =-.
less boneless skinless tasteless chicken breasts and more peanut buster parfaits.
.-= Cara Gabrielse´s last blog ..New Theme: Paperpunch =-.
I’d like to snack better and sometimes just say “no” to chocolate, melted cheese, and butter…
I eat healthy meals and have four garden beds that we grow our own vegetables. And I live on a small island with no fast food joints, so that makes those choices easier.
.-= Jenn´s last blog ..Olympic Trip =-.
i’d like to be able to buy more fruits and vegetables and meat… that stuff just costs too much for me on my current support. i have been living on toast with cheese daily for years. i am starting to hate toast and cheese.
.-= cate of german jungle´s last blog ..street work seminar =-.
Wish I ate healthier. More veggies, less fatties. Been thinking more and more about growing a garden. Fresher stuff.
.-= Prudence´s last blog ..Marital Second Chances =-.
i would change what and how much i eat. i am also being convicted of where my food come from – organic, fair trade.
I’d like to be able to eat dairy.
and I think it would be convenient to only need to eat once per day.
.-= Gemma´s last blog ..what impacted me today…. =-.
Definitely where it comes from. Husband and I used to be good about free-range meat and cage-free/veg-fed eggs, and organic stuff … but we’ve both lost jobs in a year and can’t afford to be healthy right now.
There are several things.
I’d stop eating when I’m bored.
I’d actually stop eating a meal when I was full.
I’d appreciate veggies more (I like them, but I would still choose carbs over them anyday).
I have a weight problem, compounded by the fact that my many health issues and surgeries prevent me from exercising. I use that as an excuse a lot, but the truth is, while that is *part* of the problem, I could be doing a lot better.
.-= Mallory´s last blog ..Blah blah blah. =-.
eat more fruits and vegetables. I usually eat at pretty regular times (breakfast, lunch, dinner), I hardly snack on off hours. Back in college, I wish they had tastier healthy food so it wouldn’t be so hard to choose between fried/meaty and healthy.
I wish I had more time to prepare what I eat. I know what I should eat, and it’s not even torture to eat it. It’s just impossible to cook it because I have no time. I’m a pharmacist – I work 8-12 hours shifts 4-5 days a week. I’m part of leadership at my church and that equals 3-4 days/evenings a week. If I’m lucky I get to do both: work 8 hours at the pharmacy, then go straight to church for meetings/practice/class/service. I would love to cook balanced meals for me and my hubby (he’s a picky eater but now I’ve got him eating some new things), but who wants to cook at 9:30 pm when we get home from everything else we’ve had to do that day?
.-= @CynHendrix´s last blog ..A time to be born… =-.
That is tough…some unsolicited ideas?can you cook ahead for a few days, just one evening or one afternoon a week? Or…can you find someone you serve with (or a couple of them) at your church and you cook one nice big meal, as do they, and freeze and share with each other? Just a couple random thoughts!