Making changes – big and small – to diet and lifestyle is tough. I’ll be the first to admit it.

 

It can be difficult for many reasons, but I think one of the most common is the potential impact a healthier way of living can have on said individual’s social life. Concerns of isolation, relapse and judgment are very real.

 

It took quite a few months for me to be comfortable in public with my dietary restrictions. I remember how guilty I felt asking my waiter about ingredients in a dish I wanted to order, or placing an order but with a bunch of substitutes so that by the end of the order the dish barely resembled the original item on the menu. Picture the famous restaurant scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, but worse. Yea, that was me. And I hated it. I went on dates and was so worried my date would think I “high maintenance” and had “food issues” so I ordered food that I knew was going to make me sick. Because the real me was easy going and orders a dish as-is off the menu. The real me wasn’t obsessed with weight or body image. This “other girl” wasn’t the real me.

 

A close friend of mine also had medical issues that required her to have somewhat similar dietary restrictions. She helped me feel more comfortable with eating in restaurants, talking about my dietary restrictions and most importantly, accepting my new reality. Thanks, Jules.

 

For many of you, my experience is extreme. I get that.

 

What I hear a lot from my clients, friends and family members is that they want to make a change but are worried about two things more than anything else; (1) the social implications and (2) the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for themselves and their family.

 

My suggestion – ask your friends if they would be interested in a weekly recipe swap and/or alternate hosting a weeknight dinner each week. This way you get at least one night off of menu planning, preparing and cooking OR you’re just making double the amount you’d be making anyway. Your friends come over for dinner on the designated night or you go there. Agree ahead of time that dinner is casual, with a focus on eating whole nutrient-dense foods and catching-up with friends. There’s no need to pull out the fine china or prepare a three-course meal.

 

I am lucky enough to have friends like this in Cincinnati. We alternate one dinner each week. I get to try new recipes I might not have come up with on my own an so do they. Last night was my turn to host.

 

I kept things really simple – sautéed kale and onions, a stir-fry of quinoa, onions, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and black beans with a ginger teriyaki sauce and baked patty pan squash.

 

I saw the patty pan squash at the farmer’s market earlier that week and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. It was the first time I’d even heard of a “patty pan squash”. The woman who sold it to me said it’s great in the oven with some butter and parmesan cheese.  Well, that wasn’t going to work well for my dinner guests or me so this is what I did instead.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 summer squash – cut into half inch slices

cumin – to taste

pepper – to taste

nutritional yeast – to taste

extra virgin olive oil – enough to lightly coat each side of the squash slices

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or lightly coat olive oil on each slice of squash (both sides) and place onto bottom of baking dish. Squash may overlap slightly.

Sprinkle cumin and pepper.

Lightly coat with nutritional yeast.

Bake until slices are tender – about 15 minutes.

 

I was a little skeptical at first, since nutritional yeast doesn’t melt like cheese, but the reviews were very positive so I will definitely be making it again this summer.

 

So last night not only was I able to socialize, but I also had a healthy home cooked stress-free meal! Win, win all around.