Food is complex. Humans are emotional eaters and our unique experiences influence our attitudes and beliefs toward food, eating and the choices we make.

Half of us have prided ourselves as THE grill master, the host/hostess with the most, or Chef Du Jour. We love to cook for family or have company and share our most popular creations and show off our skills.

Some of us loved cooking and hosting but life changed. We discovered the no clean up advantages of eating out or no cooking advantages of ordering in. Or, we just fell in love with being treated to a good meal out.

Over my lifetime, society has given more reasons to make it easier to choose eating out.

When I was growing up there were not nearly as many restaurants or prepared food items.

It has also become easier to heat or make food quickly. (I’m looking at you-microwaves and the trending shiny Instant Pots).

Humans often make food choices seeking a specific experience like convenience, entertainment, relaxation, socialization, connection, tradition and energy.

Sometimes, food is celebration!

Sometimes, food is sustenance.

For too many, food is a battle. How many have been through one diet or another? How many fought to overcome or are suffering from eating disorders and spent a lifetime finding their favorite foods or food they could tolerate. The whole idea of change threatens their safety.

People like to be in control of their food, and they should be. People like to enjoy their food and they should enjoy it.

Learning about foundational starch will put you firmly in the driver’s seat of food and make cooking and eating MORE FUN again!

Choose your meals:

example:

breakfast; oatmeal with blueberries and plant milk

lunch: steamed potatoes with corn and broccoli, salad BBQ sauce

dinner: Rice and beans with hot sauce, salad

Example shopping list:

corn (on the cob)

bag yellow/Yukon gold potatoes

broccoli

blueberries

bagged salad

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

brown rice

canned black beans

BBQ sauce

hot sauce

Almond milk

frozen broccoli (if fresh not available)

frozen corn (if corn on cob not available)