One pea on a plate, and how to fall in love with your veggies

When I was 10 this is what I was asked to eat, one pea on a plate, yes that's right, just one, little, tiny green pea, on a plate.  But you might as well have been asking me to eat a bucket of sheep droppings.  I mean really, it felt like that.

So imagine me, three years ago being told that five servings of veg a day is way under what I should be aiming for, and really it should be 10, and I don't mean 10 peas, but 10 actual portions of veg a day (well perhaps you could make two of those fruit).  I was lucky to eat 10 a week!   How on earth was I going to manage that?! And, for that matter, how on earth are you going to as well?!!

Some of you at this point might be 'yup, sounds reasonable'... you probably marvel about the vast array of lettuce types available and can stop reading from here.  This post is more for those wondering if you can count the bag of chips/crisps you had at lunch because frankly vegetables are worse than beige.   Well I want you to know that this story - and your story - can become a very happy love story!

The thing is, vegetables get a bad rep.  They are all 'healthy' and 'good for you' which of course equates to must taste awful/be boring/only eat if your mum tells you too.  And so I am not going to tell you any of that. And I'm especially not going to act like your mum. Instead I'd like to share how someone who went from eating one pea a day started eating vegetables at every meal and ended up falling madly and passionately in love with them!  

(If you are already in a downward spiral of 'I could never do that', 'I hate vegetables', 'That's for healthy weirdo's not people who ate 3 chocolate biscuits for morning tea' etc etc - then please revisit last weeks blog on self-kindness for a time out and then come straight back!)

Point one, is that I didn't do it overnight.  No one (well no one normal anyway) can go from eating one pea a day to eating 10 servings of veg - just like that.  Baby steps people, baby steps!  Eating should be pleasurable, and that includes vegetables.   You need to go slowly to get to know these mysterious life forms.  If you can just about eat one pea on a plate, then go for two.  Can you squeeze a bit of lettuce or sprouts on your sandwich at lunch?  Fried mushrooms with your bacon and eggs for breakfast?  Change takes time, and you are more likely to stick with it if you set yourself small goals and then are able to give yourself a big pat on the back for actually doing it.

Point two, if you try increasing the veg in your life you might be surprised at what happens.  You see I ate them because someone told me I had better do in order to try and stay healthy, but when I did, I realised that I actually felt amazing!  My body actually LOVES veggies!   Ten minutes after my morning juice I feel like I've just jacked up 3 lines of something illegal!   I have come to realise it wasn't my body that I had to convince; it was my mind that saw sheep droppings (and perhaps my taste buds, but some adventurous cooking can solve that). And actually vegetables can be as pleasurable as eating a cream donut, no really - I mean it!  So, I want to challenge you to fall passionately and beautifully in love with your vegetables! 

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When you cut up your broccoli tonight, I want you to whisper it sweet nothings.  'I love you, you are divine!  Thank you for sacrificing yourself for me!  I love the feeling of you on my lips.  I can die happy with you in my tummy.'  You know, that kind of thing.

Its possible that I am crazy, but it doesn't deny the truth that vegetables are your friends.  The more you love them, the more they will love your body.  So why not start imaging them that way, it's surely better than just seeing a pea on a plate as a pile of poo!

If you are looking for some inspiring recipes then stay posted, in the coming weeks and months I will be adding a recipe page on my website with my all time faves. So if you are lacking inspiration you might find some here - and don't worry if you aren't a good cook - neither am I, so if I can do it, so can you!  

I would love to hear your comments below on your favourite way to eat and speak to the veggies in your life, or any other vegetable related matter!

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