I Hate Recipes
By: Peggy Willms

(4 min read)

I don’t get bored.

It is as simple as that. When it comes to food, I have spent decades experimenting with exactly what foods make me feel vibrant and full of energy, those that make me feel like someone dumped Elmer’s Glue down my throat-slug-slug, and I know how to stay consistent on an eating plan that works for me. JUST ME. Cause, frankly that is all that matters. Now do I eat my Elmer’s Glue-like foods which for me are carbs such as rice, bread, and, of course, my sweets – YES, I do, but I strategically place them in my life and prepare for the outcome.

After years of figuring “me” out and becoming a Food Snob…I don’t care how anyone around me eats or drinks. I mean, like I do. I want them to experiment and find their healthy – thus crack the code on their Yays and Nays, but at this point in the game, I have to DO ME. I cannot drag family and friends and even clients to the grocery store, pantry or even cookbook without losing a shit ton of my own stamina. They have to eventually get it whether they are like me and Do Not Get Bored or they Do Get Bored, and we have to be more strategic for them.

One of my biggest Ahas is that I do not have a care in the world to find or follow another recipe until the day I die. Yup, the secret is out. And I don’t care much about condiments or spices. I would rather do without. I don’t care about veering from the taste of the actual food, and I have no desire for diversity.

When growing up, my mom and I baked A LOT. And, yes, we followed recipes. And if I bake now, I follow recipes. But truly that is only about 3-4 times a year unless I am making my Coach Peggy Power Muffins (which I bake a lot, and I follow that recipe). You will not find me on a Sunday, gazing out my kitchen window staring at my vibrant hibiscus, thinking what shall I have for dinner tonight or this week or searching for creative ways to prep the menu I decide on – I just simply don’t.

I also grew up during a time when the culture was meats, potatoes, and vegetables were the norm. There aren’t many recipes needed for roast, mashed potatoes, and a can of corn. If Mom did veer off our norm it was a throw this together and that together, and we simply ate it – never thinking there was any other way to do it. Ya know – like a recipe! I don’t have one single recollection of a recipe being followed for a meal or side dish other than baking. Disclaimer: I know she will read this and tell me I am losing bits and pieces of my long-term memory as I guess she did follow recipes other than Whoopie Pies and Fudge.

Now I also want to share that I have a man in my life that is a foodie, and he is a creative foodie. He also likes to shop, cook, and entertain. FYI, I manifested that dude right into my life. Score. It isn’t a surprise I am not a fan of shopping and make little time for cooking anymore. What do I do: I prepare our huge Power Bowl salads that have any or all of the following: spinach, kale, red cabbage, any color pepper, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, varied pieces of fruit, varied nuts and a sprinkle of Feta. We do share cooking any fish we might have. And he is in charge of anything else he wants to eat as I don’t eat meat or pasta, etc.

My point is I have really worked hard on figuring out how to make my nutrition work FOR ME.

  • I have tried every single food out there. Yup.
  • I analyzed over a period of time how much I loved the flavor (without a bunch of crap slathered on it) or hated it.
  • I concentrated on how each food made me feel: digestion, energy, migraine frequency, inflammation levels, quality of sleep, blood work stats, exercise efficacy, and more.
  • I worked through my feelings such as deprivation and even image, and no longer gave a rat’s ass what people thought of my eating choices.
  • I figured out what habits worked for me:
    • Since I don’t get bored, I prepare as many of the Don’t Get Bored meals ahead of time as which includes my breakfast and salads (about 3-4 days ahead): oatmeal, berries, nuts, and protein powder, AND I cut up veggies listed above so I can make us huge salads every single day. I grab them out of their individual containers…carrots in one, celery in another, etc.
  • I have my blood work done regularly, and NO, I am not anemic because I lack iron from not chewing on a cow or chicken. I do not lack any other single vitamin or mineral! And I get plenty of protein, so save your breath on that one.

My point is I don’t have a desire to be creative in my eating and cooking. I don’t want to find another recipe for mango salsa slap on whatever sauce thingee on Pinterest ever again, and I won’t be dusting off the many cookbooks I have nor buying anymore to just donate in this lifetime.

The big takeaway from this…if you are like me, stand tall on Mt. Everest and scream it – “I AM DOING ME!” To hell with the rest of the world. If you don’t like pepper or Ranch dressing, or if you want your fish without Tarter sauce or you want to eat the same thing for 2.5 years for breakfast as I have, THEN DO YOU. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you are a person who gets bored or a person who has to have a super happy palate. then you DO YOU and get as creative as hell. I have some clients who can stay entertained with food and exercise for only three days before they are bored and want to fall off the Wellness Wagon. If that is you, then get busy, grab some coffee and sit your can at the kitchen table, grab your ipad, surf the internet and come up with some recipes while you take a few breaks staring out the window, perhaps looking at your hibiscus blossoms.

Bon appetit.

Peggy Willms
                                                                     All Things Wellness, LLC
                                                                  [email protected]
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