Lyle and I have been married for almost 22 years, and we dated for five years before we got married. I’ve known him more than half my life. It’s frustrating as hell (for both of us) sometimes with incredibly rewarding moments tossed into the mix. He knows me better than anyone else, and he loves me anyway. I like that.
He watched me battle my weight over the years, and he loved me when I couldn’t love myself. He liked it when I went on the low-carb diet, but he gained weight probably due to the fact he ate big plates of pasta with the 16 oz. steaks and sautéed mushrooms I served.
Now I drag him grudgingly through my low-fat fair complete with healthy recipe experiments. He’s gotten a pretty good sense of humor about it. He tolerates what I cook and supplements his meals with things that he finds more satisfying aka fried greasy shit.
He recently decided that he doesn’t like his midsection so he is “watching” what he eats. We ate bison burgers for dinner tonight. Love them. They are MUCH leaner than beef, but taste very similar. I loaded mine on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with hot sauce, spicy mustard, dill relish and sprouts. I know it sounds like a bazaar set of condiments, but it worked. He topped his off with another burger and two slices of cheese. Whatever.
We also enjoyed fresh strawberries and blueberries. It is what he did with the strawberries that I want to share. He started munching them along with pretzels, and it actually tasted a little like strawberry shortcake. Odd but true. It was an interesting crunchy, salty, sweet combination that was quite satisfying.
I know it was his way to lighten things up a bit. Quite frankly, I never thought I would ever get a healthy food tip from him. This is the same man who when we were first married, he would eat butter, not ON things, but right from the stick. It was enough to make Homer Simpson cringe!
His concoction made me think about other quick tasty healthy combos. I love fresh fruit in my salads; sliced Clausen pickles on deli sandwiches; an egg white and slice of Canadian bacon on a light English muffin; one tablespoon of peanut butter (measure carefully) on an apple or banana. These are all things that are quick and easy that have lots of protein and big satisfaction. I’d love to hear what you like to eat in a pinch.
Cheers!
