Stepping Outside My Food Comfort Zone

I’m not one to try a huge variety of foods. Brian and I love to experiment in the kitchen, but it’s always been within my comfort zone – trying a new ice cream recipe, for example, isn’t exactly risky!

I tend to stick to the same foods. I like chicken and a handful of veggies, and those tend to make the rotation of meals in our house on a regular basis. One thing that has been great about Freshology even in just the three days I’ve been eating their food is that I’m forced out of my comfort zone. And not only that, it’s with the safety net of knowing this is well-seasoned food prepared by chefs. I’ve had asparagus, eggplant (neither of which I’ve really had before), and I even ate ham, asparagus and mushroom pizza today (and liked it).

Opening myself up to trying more foods is making me realize that variety is key in eating healthy. If I’m eating the same things over and over again, I’m going to get tired of them, and I’m going to be more tempted to get variety by eating something unhealthy. I love that Freshology has a long cycle of meals so that in one month I’m never eating the same meal twice. That in itself is a treat!

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles with Fresh Fruit & Chicken Apple Sausage (340 calories)

I’m sure you’re noticing there’s no photo of the waffles. That’s because I kind of, um, ate them before remembering to take a photo. And half of a sausage link too. This was a great breakfast! The sausage had a slightly sweet flavor to it but was really well balanced, and the waffles were fluffy even after I heated them in the microwave. I love having fruit with breakfast, because it feels like a treat. It’s also easy to spread it out a little and make it feel like I’m eating even more.

Lunch: Smoked Ham & Asparagus Whole Wheat Pizza with Side Salad (350 calories)

I was skeptical about this one – I don’t typically like ham. Or asparagus. Or mushrooms, which were also on the pizza. But it was truly very good, as was the salad (the cheese combined with the spinach and celery was perfect against the tangy vinaigrette dressing). I ate it all before going out to eat, and I wasn’t tempted at all (not even by buttery, garlic-y breadsticks)!

Dinner: Ancho Beef Culottes with Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Tomato & Southwestern Salsa (330 calories)

SOOOO good! The beef was a little rarer than I prefer, so I cooked it in a skillet with a little bit of cooking spray, then heated the broccoli and tomato in the same skillet. It was all delicious, and I don’t even typically like tomatoes by themselves. The beef was tender even after I cooked it additionally, and everything was seasoned perfectly. It felt like a lot of food, and was a great meal to end the day.

Dessert: Dairy-Free Raspberry Cheesecake (180 calories)

This was the first thing I’ve had that I didn’t care for. I don’t like cheesecake a whole lot to begin with, but this particular version just wasn’t sweet enough for me. The other desserts I’ve had didn’t taste at all like healthy desserts, but this one gave me that impression.

I was really happy today because even with going out to eat twice I wasn’t tempted at all! At dinner I got a cup of crushed ice and “snacked” on that, which kept me from feeling like I was sitting there watching other people eat! I’m going to have to remember that, because sometimes in the past I think I’ve snacked out of boredom (which sounds so ridiculous now that I’m talking about it!) and ice is a nice guilt-free option. Be sure, if you try this, to get ice that’s crushed so you’re not messing up your teeth!

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.