Before the Atkins diet and keto lifestyles were in vogue, my mom had already demoted carbs in our home. She did this by elevating protein and vegetables on our plate. The actual “mom rule” was this: “Please eat all of your protein and vegetables. The carbs and fruit are optional.” She was not our sous-chef, altering mealtime to our every juvenile whim. We had guidelines and were allowed to exert independence within those smart boundaries.
We were omnivores, and I still am. Protein was typically fish, poultry, eggs, pork, shellfish, and occasionally beef. Processed meats like a hot dog or salami were a rare treat.
In any given month, our vegetable array felt like it included the whole rainbow of colorful veggies (literally, I think she exposed us to every vegetable that grandad’s garden, the grocery store, and nearby farmer’s markets offered), whether leafy greens, root vegetables, legumes, and more.
Fruit was thought of as dessert. Our taste buds (which are malleable and thus, trainable) still found the natural sweetness of fruits (berries have always been my favorite) to be delightfully satisfying.
And when my mom said “carbs” were optional, she meant traditional carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, and the like. In an era of oh-so-white (and processed) Wonder Bread in the 1980’s and 90’s that I grew up in, my mom went against the grain quite literally. For our meals, she worked hard to source truly 100% whole wheat bread and pastas, along with wild rice and perhaps my favorite, stone-ground grits (yes, I’m a Southern gal). In fact, my mom was turning food over and reading nutrition labels (and teaching me to do the same) way before that was a thing.
Those vegetables, fruits, and healthy carbs meant lots of gut-critical fibers in our daily diet. My mom was caring for my gut microbiome long before it was “cool”.
My mom ignored the low-fat fad of the era. The fats in our meals were neither demonized nor celebrated, they were just there. Whether extra-virgin olive oil, butter, or fish rich in omega-3s, a diverse array of healthy fats were in the mix.
Hydration was of utmost importance too. Water and cow’s milk were our main beverages, with the occasional and small serving of 100% OJ (with the pulp fiber) or 100% cranberry juice gracing our meals from time to time.
