Popular culture can lead us to believe that a whole foods kitchen is one brimming with trend-hinged “superfoods”. One with recipes that call for a whisper of this rare and elusive ingredient and a flourish of that “flown in from the jungles of the Amazon” one. A veritable sea of ingredients that would leave most pantries heaving with bags and jars of unrecognisable (and sinfully expensive) items; supplies that simply don’t translate into the everyday when meals just need to make it to the table.
In my humble opinion, whole foods eating is actually the opposite. l feel it is more about stripping a kitchen back to its bare bones and heralding a return to more simple, wholesome eating. At it’s heart is embracing seasonal, honest and simple nutrient dense foods that succumb to deliciousness with little intervention.
A whole-foods kitchen is built on the sturdy and uplifting foundations of:
- cooking simple and delicious meals from scratch and striving to use ingredients that can easily be traced back to their source – Mother Nature,
- locally and ethically sourced ingredients as much as humanly possible (your location and budget will govern this to a great extent but a solid intention will help you to view your purchases through a new lens),
- leaning towards a plant-based diet where a rainbow of fresh fruit and vegetables provide the bulk of nourishment,
- a gentle and achievable meal planning rhythm that uses what you have rather than a what a recipe tells you that you need,
- a small but potent repertoire of recipes that can be easily nudged into a variety of meals that are both nourishing to our bodies and delicious to eat.
- a return to simplicity and repetition when creating meals; striving for restaurant-style diversity can cripple even the most creative home cooks,
- adopting a view of healthful eating that is in alignment with the needs of the earth where our own health and the quest for its purity does not exceed that of the planet’s,
- a select and minimal arsenal of tools that serve, not hinder, your creativity in the kitchen,
- a well stocked pantry built on the foundations of simple, nourishing staples such as grains, pulses, nuts and seeds,
- compassion and gentleness on your own precious heart when shopping for and cooking food; there is no perfect in this world and to strive for it in your kitchen stifles nourishment of both body and soul,
- and most importantly, a deep sense of gratitude for the abundance we have.
Over the coming weeks I look forward to unfolding, in detail, the creation of such a sacred kitchen. May it nourish you body, mind and soul.
No Comments