Happy World Food Day! It’s only fitting that today’s delicious holiday coincides with The Collaborative Kitchen’s inaugural post. Today we’re celebrating food in all forms, picked fresh or prepared by hands all over the world. In line with this positive narrative, let’s do some diving in and debunking. I’ve been obsessed with food my whole life, and by default, it’s almost always on my mind. After 21 years of this madness, you’d think I’d be a grub guru. The truth is, the more I think I know, the more I am surprised and enlightened by what I do not know. My inner-database is dynamic and constantly updating as I learn more about nutrition through media, classes, and shared experiences. One thing I do know, however, is that food is a good thing. Groundbreaking news, I know. But it’s something that people so often forget in a culture that praises certain foods and demonizes others. From internet ads that promise perfection by staying away from “fattening foods,” to the constant media bombardment of food-shaming messages, it seems as though the only remaining “healthy” options are kale and protein powder. But before you toss out your bread and butter, re-evaluate the source. More often than not, these scare tactics are used to sell. It’s crucial to break down these meal myths. Everyone’s seen the classic commercial where we have a hungry person (usually a woman) trying to land on a snack, facing the token tradeoff of some delectable sweet versus the “healthier” option. This type of ad is a textbook example of the binary I’m referring to when I say that certain foods are “demonized,” while others are praised. But in swearing off foods, we are both underestimating the human body and limiting ourselves from the simple experience of a tasty treat. The point is—in its natural state—all food is good food so long as it is balanced. And at the end of the day, the key ingredient in the food we consume is healthy, satisfying energy. To get the most energy from your food, check out USDA’s MyPlate Checklist simulation, which can be adjusted depending on age, BMI, and calorie intake. So there you have it—it’s science. Thank goodness we can still eat cheese, amirite? Phew. Speaking of which, I’m about to hit you with one of my favorite mashups of all time: pizza and fall, all nestled in a warm and cozy little boat. Now I’m the kind of person that nearly weeps at the first orange leaf, but I promise no exaggeration when I say these are some of my favorite autumn treats. Hard to believe something that’s this melty can be nutritious, but with this recipe we’ve got Mother Nature decked out in her finest, a la veggie couture. Dare you to read on. Spaghetti Squash Boats I first discovered spaghetti squash boats when I was perusing Pinterest one fateful, fall-enthused day. Upon spotting this recipe, the PSL-drinking, cozy sweater-wearing, Halloween-fangirling fire in me sparked like crazy. I had to make these boats of gooey, cheesy, veggie-loaded bliss. And so I did. And I’ve been making them ever since. Ingredients: (serves 4) 2 spaghetti squashes, washed 2 c. favorite tomato sauce* 1 c. fresh grated mozzarella (low-fat/part-skim is fine) 8-16 turkey meatballs** 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves Olive oil Salt and black pepper Parmesan, to taste (optional) Notes: *I used Trader Joe’s “Roasted Garlic Marinara,” but any tomato-based pasta/pizza sauce will work. ** Depending on how hungry you are. I usually use 4 meatballs per whole squash, cutting the meatballs into halves before placing them on top.
Instructions
*When you dig in… make sure you don’t get too overzealous. “Pizza burn” doesn’t end with pizza (lesson learned the hard way by the roof of my mouth)
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