By Jennifer Dyck, PHEc
Have you ever been so intimidated by something that you become paralyzed and unable to make a decision or a move? Well for me every time I walk past the tofu section at my local grocery store this happen. Yes, a food item stops me in my tracks.
I often stop at the tofu, read the labels, check prices, compare the varieties and then cautiously put them back down, back away and leave. As a rural gal growing up, tofu was an item that never made it on the menu at my house. We ate meat not that “other” stuff.
Times have changed and folks urban and rural alike are looking to include variety in their diets. Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to dine at many restaurants, network with Chefs and foodies, travel around North America and generally have exposure to food of all kids. Since I love to be in my kitchen and make meals for my family I’ve incorporated many new to me ingredients in my repertoire. Unfortunately tofu still hadn’t hit the cart.
More recently I’ve been taking the time to really think about the food items I bring into my home for my family. Lately, when making food choices, I’ve been asking myself “is this the best choice? Is there a better option? How can we add even more variety?”
I take pride in feeding my young family a variety of healthy foods. We’ve done this from day one. When it comes to protein, we eat many local meats like chicken, turkey, pork and beef. I always check my labels or ask for Manitoba meat products. I mean how could I not, my sister’s family has cattle and it would be an insult to not support her industry.
We incorporate fish, some local options like white fish and pickerel but we also need salmon so I look for Canadian. We have at least one meatless meal a week and that is usually an egg or bean based dish topped with a dash of cheese. Oh and we eat a lot of mushrooms! My family loves mushrooms. We have multiple meatless meals a week if you include lunch.
I’ve started using a larger variety of whole grains like quinoa, barley and brown rice. Whole grains will also add protein to your diet. My children call all of these side dishes “rice”. They don’t seem to know the difference or I guess it doesn’t really matter to them.
Our variety is really not that bad but I still have that tofu section I pass by every week. This week I’m going to make a purchase! I’ll keep you posted on my Tofu Terrified adventures and hope to be sharing about Terrific Tofu soon!
Be Well… Jenn
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Originally posted on canolaeatwell.com, a blog for Manitoba Canola Growers.
Jennifer Dyck is a Winnipeg-based Professional Home Economist, mom of 2, avid baker and passionate about yoga. She works with the Manitoba Canola Growers in education and promotion and blogs for Eat Well, a blog dedicated to recipes and articles from experts to keep your mind, body and soul working at its best.
Updated October 2020
