Eating Outside the Box

Gordon Ramsay, the acerbic yet sharp-minded celebrity chef, once quipped that certain vegetarian or vegan dishes are why he is not a vegetarian or vegan. But we have to be careful about impressions we hold of certain foods because limiting ourselves based on an impression means missing out on something we might have enjoyed. 

Chef Becky’s Approach

Chef Becky has always offered many options for her fare, staying flexible with changing food trends, emerging allergies, and creative ways to make vegan and vegetarian fare appealing. She strives for that moment when a hardcore meat-lover sees something on her menu and says “I want that!” 

Love It or Hate It? Finding the Middle Ground  

Slim Jim snack sticks used to run an ad in the 1970s about how “nobody’s ever neutral about Slim Jims,” alluding to how people either loved or hated the product. People tend to hold strong opinions about veganism and vegetarianism, one way or the other, but there are a number of gray areas: the meat-eater who finds an appealing vegan dish, or the vegan who enjoys beer. Staying open to food from all the factions that have emerged in the 21st century means discovering something new.

The Nutrition Rainbow 

“Eating the rainbow” is a great phrase to remember for all ages as a friendly nudge to make sure you’re taking advantage of colorful fruits, vegetables, and grains. If you go to, say, Cracker Barrel, it’s possible to get a very tasty plate – that is uniformly beige in color. Eating the rainbow doesn’t mean you have to stringently and laboriously check off a dictatorial amount of colors/foods, it just means you sometimes have to go the extra distance to get away from processed foods, or sugared foods, or food dyes.

Don’t Waffle, Eat the Waffle 

Chef Becky makes a Sweet Potato Oat Waffle that gives you a rainbow of color via the sweet potatoes’ earthy orange hue. Sweet potatoes are a fantastic nutrition source; oats are a wonder grain full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. “It’s a great dish for fall,” the Chef explains. “It has cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond flour, evoking the fall flavors. It’s crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Waffles are nice comfort foods for cooler weather as late summer becomes fall.”