A Balanced Diet

In the last several months, I have been feeling the lack of variety in my diet and struggling with this a bit.  In Boulder, I loved to cook and bake.  It became a hobby, really— reading cookbooks, finding recipes, planning meals, experimenting in the kitchen with new ingredients, trying out new dishes and having people over for dinner.  Baked goods are in their own category because this is a great weakness of mine.  I love baking, especially breads and muffins!  Cooking is as much the process as it is the end result.  I enjoy savoring the textures, colors and flavors, which eventually fade away into a content feeling (leaving me with satisfied taste buds)!  With all the wonderful, gourmet restaurants around Boulder, I guess I would have to admit that I became a bit of a “foodie.”  For those who aren’t familiar with this term, it refers to someone who loves food, how it’s prepared and presented, and all the flavors, colors and pairings.  I grew up in a family who loves their food, and every family reunion tends to revolve around the menu.  Perhaps in part I can blame genetics, put I think geography played a role in my love for gourmet cuisine.  Simply put—people have money in Boulder, and therefore have developed a palate to healthy and delicious gourmet cuisine! 

I know I lived a good life in Boulder and had access to so many gourmet, all-natural and organic foods.  This allowed me to have a wide variety in my diet.  Since I moved here to Nicaragua, I struggle with cooking and my diet, especially since I am a vegetarian.  My two options for any lunch or dinner are rice or pasta—humm, let me think about that one for a while until the hunger subsides!  While I love beans and fresh corn tortillas, sometimes a little fruit and veggies are necessary!  I love food, I’m a foodie for sure and I realize that is a privilege I have.  I realize that people eat rice, beans and corn tortillas every day, three times a day, because that is the only option they have.  They eat to fill their bellies, not to savor all the flavors.  Economic and geographic factors limit variety and the ability to choose what they are able to eat.  Having choices in any realm of one’s life is really a privilege, not to mention an indicator of economic status.

In the end, I think what I’m trying to find most is balance.  A balance between the life I had in Boulder and the life I live now in Teustepe.  We shop at the local “pulperias” that sell the basics but since there are no supermarkets (let alone markets) in Teustepe, we find ourselves in Managua in search of more variety.  Crispy carrots, fresh peppers and broccoli are our splurges!  Seasonal fruit like mangos and avocados vary in availability in Teustepe, so we sometimes buy those in Managua as well.  We try to find a balance in our diets without being extravagant.  It is a process and a journey—mulling over all the emotions, thoughts and feelings that arise and fall, sometimes at the speed of a rollercoaster.  The awareness of all the choices I have is unfathomable when I compare my life to a rural Nicaraguan family.  The journey consists of little steps taken every day, and finding a balance is a constant challenge.