I come from a family of knitters. Our family lore includes a story about my mother and maternal grandmother knitting at the movies, with my 10-year-old mom doing the “easy” parts, and passing it to her mother for the sleeves and shaping. And the fact that my grandmother volunteered to knit the less popular dark blue sweaters for the Navy instead of khaki sweaters for the Army. It didn’t matter to her because she could knit in the dark. 

So when I finally decided that it was time for me to learn to knit, it was a little overwhelming. I took some books out of the library, one of which said to make your projects with the best yarn you can afford because the results will be better, and you’ll be more pleased with the finished product. That resonated with me, because it’s exactly what I say about food.

If you start with quality ingredients, even simple recipes are more likely to be delicious and satisfying. When you cook, the results will only be as good as the raw ingredients. My father frequently quoted his mother, my paternal grandmother, who said “Don’t cheat your stomach.” Buying quality is one way to be good to yourself. 

Cook slowly. Don’t hurry. Use high-quality ingredients. This past Friday afternoon, I measured a heaping cup of dry white navy beans into a deep casserole dish. I added a can of tomato sauce (15-ounce), a large onion (chopped), four carrots (peeled and sliced in rounds), three tablespoons of my son’s favorite hot sauce, one tablespoon of brown sugar, two tablespoons olive oil, one teaspoon of salt, one-half teaspoon of black pepper, and one-half teaspoon of garlic powder. Then I added four cups of water, enough to cover the beans and other ingredients by three inches. I covered the bean pot, placed it into a 250-degree (F) oven, and turned it down to 200 degrees after two hours. When we woke up Saturday morning, a magnificent aroma filled the house. I lifted the lid to check, and saw that the top was a little dry. So I added more water, just enough to cover the beans, and then cooked them for a few more hours. Their rich, nourishing, and satisfying flavor added a lot to our otherwise simple lunch. There is something unbelievably good about slow cooking.

It does not take more time to eat well, but it does take more planning. This dish took 10 minutes to prepare, and two minutes to check. I had to prepare it 18 hours before serving it. I had to remember to buy navy beans at the grocery store, so I bought enough to make it twice. Sometimes, depending on what’s in the pantry, I might add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste instead of tomato sauce.

Eating well is about being kind to yourself. What gives you joy? What do you love to do that you have time to do only rarely, if at all? What did you used to love to do, when you had more time? It’s different for everyone, but those are not indulgences. They are essentials, like brushing your teeth or sleeping. A personal birthday present.

A friend once told me that my recommendations for improving eating patterns stressed her out. She knew her eating habits did not support her health, but she felt unable to deal with everything at the same time. So I told her to pick just one. In my opinion, the most important change is to eat a nourishing breakfast. And what’s the hardest part about that? Oddly enough, it isn’t making breakfast. It’s remembering to buy what you need at the grocery store. The hardest part of eating nourishing food is being prepared, so you have what you need.  

Which recommendation is next? That depends. Do you drink juice every morning? Do you drink a can (or a liter) of soda every day? Do you use coffee whitener? Is your kitchen filled with ultra-processed, low-fat items?

Now what? Now be kind to yourself. Don’t stop drinking soda. Just stop drinking it in the morning. Or set a daily limit of one liter instead of two, or two cans instead of three. Be honest about what you can manage. Then try.

As you use up the high-sugar breakfast cereals in your house, slowly replace them with nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and/or whole grains. Make a bucket of homemade trail mix, and divide it into small jars. Store them, along with the leftover, unused nuts and seeds, in the refrigerator or freezer to increase their shelf life. When you use up the pop-tarts and cereal bars, now you’ll have some nourishing trail mix, made from high quality nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, to eat instead.