Today, it was too hot to cook and I was too tired to try to pull something together. Out to a local restaurant we headed. Everyone in the family was quite hungry so we quickly scanned the menu and put in our order. Perhaps the fatigue in my legs from a grueling bike ride up the Appalachian Gap that afternoon had spread to my brain because when my dinner arrived, I realized that I had not paid any
attention to what I had ordered.

The dinner was a special for the day, called the Grueben.  The Grueben was a spin off from the traditional Rueben sandwich.  It entailed  fried grouper filet topped with sauerkraut and a healthy smear of Thousand Island dressing between two grilled sliced of Italian sourdough.  Oh, and it was served with a mountain of french fries. This may sound tasty to some but from a nutrition standpoint, it is a nightmare. White bread, essentially no vegetables and chock-a-buck full of saturated fats from the deep-fat frying.

So, here’s the point. I shrugged my shoulders and chowed down on the sandwich. Surprised? This may discount my nutritional integrity to some fellow dietitians or health fanatics but as I say in Rule Number 1 of Nutrition, I believe that no food is forbidden. Eating one unhealthy sandwich is not as important as the average intake. Likewise, eating healthy for one snack will not negate three
meals of junk food that day. Your average intake determines your health. To create a healthy emotional relationship with food, it is important not to get bogged down in ensuring that every single bite of food that enters your body is nutritionally acceptable. The emotional toll and stress of being too preoccupied with your diet can make all those good intentions backfire and result in a dysfunctional relationship.

Keep this in mind over the next few months.  Summer vacations sometimes mean that you may find yourself faced with food choices that are a far cry from healthy.  Believe me, I have tried to dig up one nutritional item at some of those interstate rest stops and it is near impossible.  Do the best you can, pack or plan ahead of possible and keep in mind the big picture is the one that matters.