I’ve written about this before, but I receive so many comments and questions every day that I want to explain it again.

We all want to eat healthily, but some of the information circulating in the media and books makes this lifestyle seem utopian. So much information is floating around. When all the information is combined, it seems impossible to implement. And then we lecture people who are trying to implement it, saying “don’t do this, don’t do that.” In the end, don’t we all dip a piece of bread into the leftover tomato sauce at the bottom of the plate? Come on, admit it…

You know my main point now. The essentials of healthy eating…

Consume as many vegetables as you can; try every way to consume vegetables.

Absolutely eliminate refined sugar from your life.

Don’t buy packaged foods or products labeled “light,” and don’t use anything containing preservatives.

Don’t forget your homemade yogurt and kefir.

Eat two fruits a day.

Consume good quality legumes, seasonal fish, and good quality meat in reasonable quantities in one meal.

Incorporate healthy fats (olives, olive oil, avocados, butter, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) into your diet in controlled portions.

Once we’ve incorporated these into our lives, we’re already 5-0 up in the game. Anything more we add is a bonus, but there’s no need to stress about it or give up completely thinking “we can’t do any more.” Those extra details and small questions create a huge question mark in our minds, preventing us from fundamentally changing our diet. Here are some examples I want to share…

Carrying food to work: I carried food to work for years. Every Sunday I prepared my meals, and every day I organized meals for both work and home. I had a huge backpack. Inside were my laptop, sports equipment, and my meals/snacks. I shared this on my social media accounts for inspiration and to spark ideas. I’m a woman only 1.53 meters tall, and because I carried all of this on my back, my food containers were plastic. I know glass is healthier, but I was carrying so much that the glass bag just made it heavier. This time, plastic containers were criticized. The containers were BPA-free, but they were still plastic, I know that. So what would I eat if I didn’t carry this food? Is takeout healthier? Are the cafeteria meals delivered to our workplaces or the meals we eat out prepared in a better environment than the ones I make at home, and what kind of containers do they come in? They come in foil containers too. They’re heated in microwaves. None of them could be as clean and healthy as the ones I make at home.

I once made chard muffins. They’re a very convenient meal to take out. I added cottage cheese to increase the protein, and someone came along and said I was “playing with public health.” I honestly don’t know what to call that. Dairy products reduce the absorption of iron in chard. That’s true, but it’s not something that would endanger my health or anyone else’s. At most, we reduce the iron in the muffin, but it’s definitely a thousand times better than eating pastries/bread rolls outside.

Parchment paper: I usually make very quick meals. My main goal is to be able to make a lot of food in a very short time. That’s why I use the toaster oven so much for cooking. If there’s no food at home, grilling vegetables in the toaster oven, or preparing oatmeal-based breakfasts like pastries in the toaster oven, is very practical during the week. Because I don’t have time to clean the toaster oven in the morning rush, or because I generally spend a lot of time in the kitchen anyway, I use parchment paper to shorten that time. I can make myself meals in 10 minutes so I can protect myself from outside distractions. Of course, you can choose not to use parchment paper, but that’s my personal preference. For me, sometimes practicality is more important. Besides, parchment paper doesn’t have any proven harmful effects. In this respect, they’re not in the same category as foil.

I’d like to share a recipe of mine here. Instead of eating pastries and buns from bakeries during the week, a breakfast like this, even if it’s cooked on parchment paper, would be much cleaner and healthier. This is actually an oatmeal pie baked in a toaster oven. It’s ideal for when you’re in a hurry, so you don’t have to wait by the pan, and you can get dressed and do your makeup while it’s cooking.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

3 tablespoons of rolled oats (processed in a food processor)

White cheese

Parsley, dill, or your desired spices

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all the ingredients. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid. Then, line a toaster oven with parchment paper, pour in the mixture, and gather it from the sides. Cover with the other half of the parchment paper and close the toaster oven lid. Your delicious healthy pastry will be ready in 10 minutes.

What I want to illustrate with these examples is this: In this modern life, there are some things we can no longer escape. We are surrounded by base stations and cell phone signals. We don’t know the ingredients and equipment used when eating on the street; who knows what we are exposed to? We breathe in exhaust fumes on the roads, and so on. In this hustle and bustle of the city, looking at the harm relationship and choosing the less harmful option will be the least stressful way to live. Living in a village might make life much more natural and easier, but in city life, choosing the best we have allows us to live a more comfortable life.

Just start eating healthy somewhere; these details will be important as they are. Let’s not get bogged down in details and lose sight of the main point; let’s start eating healthy somewhere.

Wishing everyone healthy, happy, and sugar-free days.

Sema Özpekmezci