For dinner every night, my fam makes a HUGE salad. I always take out my portion of the salad before everyone else helps themself to some salad.
Ya know, I gotta claim as much salad as possible before my brother gets his hands on it…
Last night, my dad commented on how much salad I took – you know how dads are, they love to narrate EVERYTHING!
But, it brought up a topic that I want to talk about – crowding in the good!
I want to preface this by saying that I’m not a fan of labeling foods as “bad”. Food is so much more than food – food is a symbol of tradition, culture, and family time; it can be emotional. I often hear influencers talking about “crowding out the bad”, but that creates a negative association with the so-called “bad” food. It also associates that food with guilt. It’s such a glass is half empty approach to food. Not my kinda vibe…
With that, I prefer the term, “mindful indulgence” – perhaps that food is calorically dense &/or doesn’t provide me with much nutritional value, but I can still enjoy a few bites without associating guilt with it! After all, deprivation can cause craving and overeating (1).
I struggle with portion control and I’ve found a way to help me be more mindful with food while also enjoying large volumes of it – this is by crowing in the good!
Crowding in the good focuses on filling your diet with an abundance of healthier foods to leave little room for the less healthy foods. This not only makes you physically more full, but it also allows you to be more mindful if you are indulging. If you’re super #HANGRY & feeling ravenous, you’re more likely to overeat than mindfully eat.
I also like this approach because it focuses less on what you “can’t” or “shouldn’t” eat. Rather, it focuses on the good foods that help prevent conditions (like cardiovascular disease, specific cancers, diabetes, cataracts, cholelithiasis, renal stones, dental disease, and birth defects) (2).
Easy ways to “crowd in” foods?
- HUGE salads – I usually eat a huge salad before my main dinner entree. I’ve been having such a moment with a kale salad with blue cheese, walnuts, cranberries, chopped apples, and celery. Similar recipe here. #allhailstheKALE 😉
- Roasted veggies – with a light drizzle of oil! Did you know that fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K) are absorbed in the intestine in the presence of fat?
- Fruit – my fave are berries, apples, and pears!
- Animal Protein – salmon, chicken, filet mignon, you name it! in the right portion size of course! 😉
- Dairy – My fave ( other thank Glop ) is cottage cheese! LOLL I bet you weren’t predicting this one… !! Cottage cheese is a Gorski fam fridge staple! Cottage cheese is a great source of calcium and protein. We eat often pair cottage cheese with steak… Don’t knock it til ya try it!
What are your fave “crowd in” foods?!
xx hails
References:
(1) Polivy, J., Coleman, J., & Herman, C. P. (2005). The effect of deprivation on food cravings and eating behavior in restrained and unrestrained eaters. International Journal of Eating Disorders,38(4), 301-309. doi:10.1002/eat.20195
(2) Chapter 44. Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes. (2006). Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries (2nd Edition),833-850. doi:10.1596/978-0-8213-6179-5/chpt-44