Mindful Eating

We have thought a lot about our food on this trip. Having a van equipped with a cooktop and refrigerator gives us much more flexibility in making and eating healthy meals. I brought granola and raw cocoa goji from Charleston. Christina packed a beautiful selection of charcuterie and cheese for us; and our first day out, we stopped at Whole Foods in Oxnard to stock up with coffee, raw sugar, almond milk, grapes, bananas, and berries.

Several friends have written to inform me that this is a Steller's Jay.

We have breakfast by the campfire. Ate lunch at the Santa Barbara marina. Had a picnic in Big Sur, and drink our coffee on the beach. We have treated ourselves to a few restaurant meals, and eat those outside, too, when possible.

Breakfast next to the Big Sur River.

This process allows us to have quicker access to food when we get hungry, so that we aren’t tempted to compromise on easy-to-get junk. Eating healthier gives us energy for the hiking Joelle and I like to do; and big bonus–no unmanageable weight gain when we get home from our trip.

Whenever it is time to say the blessing for dinner, instead of “Bless us oh Lord for these thy gifts,” Griffin and I say “Thank yous.” We try to think of everyone who was involved with bringing our meal to the table. If we have meat, we always thank the animal. If we have dairy, we make sure to thank the cow. We think of the farmer who grew our vegetables, the truck driver who transported the food, and the stock clerk who placed the items on the shelves of the grocery store. 

As Joelle and I travel up route 101 through California, toward Salinas, we see mile after mile of farms and vineyards. We also see many farm workers. It is easy to think that our food is only handled by large machines which pluck it up from the ground and haul it away. Here we are reminded of the people, the individuals, the human beings who are responsible for our berries, and lettuce, and cabbage. We pass by hundreds of farm workers, completely bent over at the waist, picking our food from the vines and bushes. We witness the back-breaking labor required to bring our food to market, and eventually our plates.

The next time I go to the grocery store and complain because the price of strawberries has gone up a few cents, I will be humbled, and hope those few cents went to the people who labored over them.