Food That Matters, Fit That Flatters
When you get dressed in the morning, how do you decide what to wear? You settle on a color scheme, pick clothes that fit and flatter and choose accessories. When you prepare a meal, don't you do the same thing? Since a large part of the enjoyment of eating is derived from visual stimulation and texture, we can take a page from fashion stylists to create a plate that is appealing to our eyes as well as our palate.
So how might we accomplish this?
1. Complement and contrast colors. Monochrome may be OK on your body, but it can make food much less desirable. When you combine greens in a blender, the end result looks a lot like mud or pond scum. A white plate with cauliflower and cod is boring, but salsa on fish, broccoli mixed with cauliflower and a sweet potato makes for a visually appealing meal.
2. Layer tastes. When the weather gets cold, we dress in layers. In that way, we can stay warm outside and keep comfortably cool inside. With food, we don't usually like just sweet, salty, sour or bitter. We enjoy the element of surprise, such as sweet and heat -- think red pepper jelly -- or savory and sour, like a soy citrus marinade. Get adventurous with your flavoring to bring the savor to the dish.
3. Diversify textures. Yogurt and oatmeal don't have any crunch, but mix in some slivered walnuts, freeze-dried fruit or a little granola, and you add some munch. That makes the eating experience much more enjoyable.
4. Stimulate the eyes to be kind to the thighs. When our eyes are thrilled and gut is filled, we usually eat a more appropriate amount of food. A plate that is half roasted vegetables -- peppers, onions, beets, broccoli, carrots -- with an iPhone-size piece of salmon and fist of couscous with currants is gorgeous, right sized and helps you feel satisfied.
5. Accessorize how you dress but "flavor-ize" what you ingest. Adding a belt, tie or necklace makes an old dress or shirt look new. Apply that same strategy to your food. Cook rice in green tea and add some pumpkin edamame, sesame seeds and grated ginger. Or put grated orange zest, cinnamon and pumpkin on your oatmeal.
6. Adjust as necessary. Sometimes we need to alter our clothes or tweak a recipe. Just as we are seasonal with our wardrobe, we should do the same with our shopping list and food purchases. Wearing stilettos on an icy day is a fashion faux pas and dangerous, while buying tomatoes in the winter is a taste mistake and a waste of money. Along these same lines, too many patterns can be a color clash, and too many flavors in a dish can cause a taste crash.
7. Be comfortable. We all have that well-worn robe, slippers or sweatshirt that feels so good. We should also have some comfort foods that are easy, affordable and make us smile. They may not be the fanciest, healthiest or prettiest food, but they bring us joy. This could be your grandmother's chicken soup recipe, mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. No need to tweak, modify or embellish. Just grab a bowl or plate, a spoon, sit down, relax and say ah!
Leslie J. Bonci , MPH, RD,CSSD, LDN, is a nutrition consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She serves as the sports dietitian for the University of Pittsburgh's department of athletics, and is a nutrition consultant for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Chiefs. She is the company nutritionist for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and a sports nutrition consultant to the WNBA. Leslie was the director of Sports Nutrition for the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and also worked with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Nationals.
Leslie is starting a new career path focusing on mobile training tables with food coaches to help active kids and teens be fit, fed and have fun. She is also developing programs to help kids cultivate, investigate and appreciate an appreciation for cooking and gardening with Camp Delicious and Root Camp. She has a weekly segment, "The Winning Plate" on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Pittsburgh Today Live. She is the author of the "American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion" and "Sport Nutrition for Coaches."
