Waste not, waist not!

I went to four birthday parties last week, including my own. It was also my parent’s ruby wedding anniversary. I have managed to eat my own body-weight in cake in the last ten days.

It’s the same story every January – the excesses of the Christmas period seem to drift on for another month. I rarely make New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve learnt from experience that they require will power, something that – when it comes to cake – I just don’t have.

However, all good things must come to an end and by the time February swings around, I am starting to look at my food habits. I don’t really hold with diets. I do worry about my weight but I try not to buy into that whole cultural obsession with a woman’s size and shape. So I try to avoid the scales (not least because I don’t want to break them!) When my jeans get too tight, I know I need to lay off the cheese and chocolate and take on board more fresh veggies and fruit. Or at least that’s the theory.

We start with really good intentions – the fridge is crammed with salad and healthy snacks and the fruit bowl is overflowing. But a week later, most of it has gone off and we end up chucking it all out and calling up a pizza.

I’ve found the most effective way to address my expanding waistline – or should that be waste-line? – is to tackle the healthy eating issue as a family. Instead of buying extra produce for me to eat on a lonely diet, (which relies on my non-existent will-power to prevent it going in the bin), I change the way I cook for the whole family. It doesn’t take too much doing and they don’t even notice. Eating fish & chicken more often and leaving out cream, butter & cheese. Grilling and baking, rather than frying. Instead of steamed puddings I’ll make bowls of fruit salad, instead of mash we’ll eat baked potatoes.

I’ve found that keeping an eye on portions not only helps save waste, it also helps save your waist! If you’ve cooked too much, you’ll either serve it up or throw it out. And because we’ve been taught to finish what’s on our plates, we tend to eat what’s put before us. Measuring things more accurately, especially carbs like pasta and rice, really helps to control portion sizes.

More than ever I plan ahead and stick to my list when shopping, so that I’m not tempted by naughty things in the supermarket. Otherwise I bring them home to be struck by a pang of dietary conscience, and end up throwing them out in order to remove the temptation. It’s not rocket science really, is it? 

So if I had to make a New Year Resolution it would be simple. Don’t buy it if you’re not going to eat it. And if you’re going to eat it, remember some things will just stick to your hips.