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lifestyle || My Relationship with Food: Real Food Ideas & Real Food Talk

IoanaJuly 27, 2017

Nutrition has been an interest of mine for about three years now, but it’s only in the past year that I’ve really taken the reigns on my own nutrition and committed to healthy, whole, unprocessed, nutritious, plant-based (I still eat meat occasionally) foods.

My relationship with food has been one hell of an experience. If you know me, and you ask me, it’s something I can talk for hours about. Seriously. Ask at your own risk. 😛

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At first, watching what I ate came hand-in-hand with “growing up”. Preparing my own breakfast, snacks, and sometimes lunches was a symbol of independence and being mature.

Then, when I had my blood taken and was told I had (slightly) high cholesterol, I became watchful that there were things I shouldn’t be eating. Cookies, sugary foods, and desserts have always been my weak spot. Although I’m lucky to have a wonderful family that always taught me to eat healthy, often organic, and unprocessed foods, and made sure I grew up around sports, there were still some things that I was not being careful about. For one, I never thought much about the specifics of what I was eating, nor was I ever too concerned about indulging in what I wanted to eat and taste.

Thus came the research. I spent days and days learning all about the proteins, carbs, how sugar is used by the body, what gluten is, how cutting out dairy could prevent breakouts, calcium, and how much of each food group to eat. I started my earliest form of food tracking in my bullet journal. I tried writing down everything I ate each day.

When that didn’t work, I downloaded numerous food tracker apps on my iPhone. They were great, but I never really cared for tracking calories, and most of them had limited foods in their databases. Then, I stopped tracking food and tried tracking macros. I made my own kind of tracker printable (I’ll share it soon!) with columns for each food group. I’d put a check mark for each serving I ate in each food group. This was extremely effective, as I realized I was eating too many grains and not enough fruits and vegetables. I finally started seeing results in my energy levels and even my appearance.

Which brings us, quite conveniently, to the lowest point in my relationship to food. My appearance. I mentioned already that I’ve always been athletic. As such, I am so proud of where my body has taken me, and I am so thankful to be whole and healthy. My self-esteem/mental health/whatevertermyouwanttouse is by no means in a healthy stage yet, but it’s come a long way. I’ve gone through stages where I’d avoid wearing something because I felt I had a belly (everyone does!), to hating myself after eating because said belly had expanded (it’s got a function, duh!), to compulsively obsessing (I don’t much care for labels but I’m 100% convinced I’ve bordered on OCD before) over what I ate and whether it was too much, too little, too sugary, bad for me, etc. etc.

And to the teenage girl reading this right now with a lump in her throat because she’s been through the same (or is currently going through this), know that you are not alone. Heck, every single person has insecurities. Dumb insecurities, too, that do not merit even a second of your beautiful, gorgeous body’s time.

And so this is yet another thing I can talk for hours about. Suffice it to say, we’ve been through a lot, food and I, as everyone who’s had a relationship with food (which I hope IS everyone) would understand.

Today, though I’ve grown so much in my knowledge of food and what works for my body, I still keep track of what I eat. After trying many systems (including food-tracking apps!), what I currently do is take photos of everything I eat. It might seem obsessive, but I know it’s not, and it serves so many purposes for me, so to heck with those who judge.

Taking photos helps me:

  • Know what caused sickness or bloating
  • Track whether I eat enough of each food group
  • Track how much food I eat throughout the day to avoid excessive snacking (which I’m prone to)
  • Get recipe ideas

Did someone say recipe ideas?

I feel like I’m always at a loss when it comes time to actually prepare something to eat, and being a picky eater too doesn’t help. So, while on my flight back from Scotland three days ago, I compiled this Bullet Journal spread of tons and tons of fantastic recipe ideas!


I’ve divided it up into several categories. First is “Yummy Ingredients”. I write down any awesome, hearty ingredients I’ve been digging lately. It also functions as a shopping list of my favourite raw foods!

Next I’ve got “Snacks” – both raw and prepped! These are healthy ideas of what I can munch on if I’m ever hungry! I always listen to my body if it’s craving something, but I choose nutritious, healthy options.

The next page is a list of full-on meal ideas. Breakfast (my favourite!), sandwiches, salads, soups, and dinner meal ideas.


As for actual recipes, I usually just Google what I want and pick out the recipes with ingredients I like and with a lot of high reviews. However, there are a couple of blogs that I absolutely love and sometimes I go directly to them! I’ll update this list as I remember more!

Cookie and Kate – wholesome vegetarian recipes

Joy the Baker – yummy comfort recipes

100 Days of Real Food – healthy food for picky eaters


Hope you enjoyed, and feel free to add some of these ideas to your personal recipe idea box, whatever form it may take!

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Comments (1)

  • Bullet Journal from Scratch: Setting up for 2017 – Mistral Spirit

    October 20, 2017 at 8:10 am

    […] of my favourite collections ever is my meal ideas collection, and I’ve made a post about it if you want to take a look at it more […]

    Reply

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Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

Latest posts

  • Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

    November 1, 2022
  • "Company" on Broadway in NYC

    July 25, 2022
  • what it means to be your own friend (feat. my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall)

    April 26, 2022

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ioana.pitu

ioana | mistral spirit | organization & creativity
A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this mornin A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this morning. 🏫 I tried a triple-crosshatch technique to suggest the medieval-era clay tile roofing, inspired by a framed sketch in a local restaurant. Definitely using it again! I love playing with interpretive lines like this: the way a messy bundle of strokes demand to be seen a certain way depending on their context, but are entirely unclear when seen too closely.

Supplies:
📘 @moleskine watercolour sketchbook
🖊️ @fabercastellcanada 0.3 fineliner

📍 Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov

#travelsketch #urbansketch #urbansketching #travelsketching #sketchbook #moleskine #uskromania #urbansketchingromania #brasovart #brasovsketch #romania #fabercastell #pittfabercastell #moleskinesketchbook #travelsketchbook
Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving i Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving it here so I can paint it later and because this song was perfect for it. 👌 Bran Castle is the castle (actually a fortress) in the Transylvania region of Romania that inspired Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story.

📍 Bran Castle, Transylvania, Romania

#brancastle #romania #travelling #romaniamagica #travelblog
Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portuga Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portugal. @usktoronto #usktoronto If you’ve ever wondered how long these sketches take… here is how much I can sketch in 20 mins! Looking forward to adding a bit of dimension to this one after with watercolours. 🤗 

2 supplies I always carry with me:
@moleskine art sketchbook
@fabercastellcanada 0.3 black fineliner

#carvoeiro #urbansketchers #traveldrawing #drawingsketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. ❤️ Had an absolute blast sharing the @thewashitapeshop love, meeting other journalers, helping customers find their style of washi, giving out free samples, starting off a few young bullet journalers with their first washi tapes, chatting with other vendors and basically just having the best paper party ever. 🎉

@dreyray and @queeniescards you are both incredible. 🙌 And so are the 80+ other vendors we had the pleasure of sharing a space (and a passion) with. 🥰

#torontostationeryshow #torontostationeryshow2023 #stationeryshow #stationery #hobby #papercraft #journaler #journaling #stationerylover #stationeryshop
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Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year! National Novel Writing Month is a worldwide, virtual writing event during the month of November during which hundreds of thousands of people around the world set one goal for themselves: to write 50,000 words (a novel) in a month. That’s 1,667 every day. I first did Camp NaNoWriMo twice…

by Ioana November 1, 2022November 1, 2022
“Company” on Broadway in NYC

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by Ioana July 25, 2022October 22, 2022
what it means to be your own friend (feat. my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall)

what it means to be your own friend (feat. my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall)

Earlier today I took what will likely be my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall. (Hopefully in equal part because I’ll grow out of it and because I’m about to graduate from undergrad. 😋) Isn’t it an amazing feeling to be fascinated by an area of study? The utter excitement that comes along with it!…

by Ioana April 26, 2022August 17, 2022
A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this mornin A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this morning. 🏫 I tried a triple-crosshatch technique to suggest the medieval-era clay tile roofing, inspired by a framed sketch in a local restaurant. Definitely using it again! I love playing with interpretive lines like this: the way a messy bundle of strokes demand to be seen a certain way depending on their context, but are entirely unclear when seen too closely.

Supplies:
📘 @moleskine watercolour sketchbook
🖊️ @fabercastellcanada 0.3 fineliner

📍 Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov

#travelsketch #urbansketch #urbansketching #travelsketching #sketchbook #moleskine #uskromania #urbansketchingromania #brasovart #brasovsketch #romania #fabercastell #pittfabercastell #moleskinesketchbook #travelsketchbook
Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving i Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving it here so I can paint it later and because this song was perfect for it. 👌 Bran Castle is the castle (actually a fortress) in the Transylvania region of Romania that inspired Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story.

📍 Bran Castle, Transylvania, Romania

#brancastle #romania #travelling #romaniamagica #travelblog
Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portuga Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portugal. @usktoronto #usktoronto If you’ve ever wondered how long these sketches take… here is how much I can sketch in 20 mins! Looking forward to adding a bit of dimension to this one after with watercolours. 🤗 

2 supplies I always carry with me:
@moleskine art sketchbook
@fabercastellcanada 0.3 black fineliner

#carvoeiro #urbansketchers #traveldrawing #drawingsketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. ❤️ Had an absolute blast sharing the @thewashitapeshop love, meeting other journalers, helping customers find their style of washi, giving out free samples, starting off a few young bullet journalers with their first washi tapes, chatting with other vendors and basically just having the best paper party ever. 🎉

@dreyray and @queeniescards you are both incredible. 🙌 And so are the 80+ other vendors we had the pleasure of sharing a space (and a passion) with. 🥰

#torontostationeryshow #torontostationeryshow2023 #stationeryshow #stationery #hobby #papercraft #journaler #journaling #stationerylover #stationeryshop
Ranking my bullet journal spreads 2016 - 2023! 📚 I love having 8 old bullet journals to look back through because each one contains bits and pieces of goals I set, and projects I worked on, and organization methods I forgot I once tried. I’ve always had the weird sensation of remembering a moment as it’s happening, and I think a part of the reason why is that I’m obsessed with never forgetting what it’s like to be at the beginning of something. Some day when I’m old, I might figure everything out. But I always want to remember what it was like when I didn’t. ❤️

#bulletjournal #bujo #bulletjournalideas #bujoideas #bujoinspiration #bujosystem #organized #planningtips #planningsystem #planning #planner #torontoplanner #torontoplannerjunkies #canadianplannergirls #studentplanner #bulletjournalflipthrough #bujospread #bulletjournalspread
Stumbled across this exhibition called “Housewar Stumbled across this exhibition called “Housewarming” by @karinegiboulo while at the @gardinermuseum a couple months ago and I’m SO glad I did. It not only gave me the remarkable sensation of both delight and discomfort at the same time, but it gave me the push to check out more local museums! I find they’re a rare solo sanctuary for me and always leave me a little more excited and inspired than when I arrived.

About “Housewarming”: Montreal-based artist Karine Giboulo (@karinegiboulo) invités you on a journey through a life-size reimagining of her home, animated by more than 500 polymer clay figures. With the pandemic as a constant presence, the colourful dioramas animating each room prompt reflection about the challenges we face as a society, from climate change and food insecurity to consumerism and the housing crisis. 

#creative #creativity #museums #gardinermuseum #torontomuseums #torontocreative #torontolife #karinegiboulo
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