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Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For…

17/02/2012

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” James Beard

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For...?

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Thyme & Garlic grilled salmon w/ Mango salsa, Rosemary potatoes, snow peas

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Chocolate covered macadamia nuts

Teriyaki Salmon, Chocolate drizzled Macadamia nut cake, Carrot Cashew soup, Kashi Cereal, Mediterranean Salad
If you could only have five food items for the rest of your life, what would you choose? When I first read the Plinky prompt, Name Five Foods You’d Hate to Live Without, I was thrilled. But then, the idea sunk in that, potentially, at least in my imagination, this could be the equivalent of a life sentence. I knew I needed to choose foods that included Fish, Dessert, Soup, Cereal, Veggies. The idea was to avoid or perhaps embrace the possibility of … Death by Foods Selected.

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” George Bernard Shaw

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Sushi odaiba; variety

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Mediterranean salad

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Fruit stall in Barcelona market

Fruit, Dessert, Soup, Cereal, Salad
I decided to go along and see if I could meet this daunting requirement. I figured that this was a chance to play around with the idea of what I’d love to eat if I could pick just five foods. Of course, the greater challenge was deciding what to include and what to eliminate. First, I needed a strategy. Perhaps it would be wise to go with foods that would easily fit into the typical five meals we have in a day: Breakfast, Lunch, tea, Supper/Dinner and Dessert. What five foods would you pick? 🙂

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside” Mark Twain

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Standard food groups

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Cheese Platter

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Dessert sorbet with mixed berries

Oatmeal, Butternut Squash Soup, Caesar Salad,  Baked Salmon with Cheese, Grapefruit
Then I thought, why be so prim and proper? How about throwing caution to the wind and going with the foods you’d enjoy; even if they include artery clogging sweets. But common sense kicked in again ( yeah, even as I imagined a coffee caramel gelato) and I turned back to the foods that I could vary with creative combinations. Should I be focused on the standard food groups? Now, there must be some wisdom to the five foods number Plinky picked, right? We have five typical meals, and the standard food groups have five sections… Hm mm. More Below. 😉

“Food is to eat, not to frame and hang on the wall.” William Denton

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Plums

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Carrot soup

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... The Bark: White chocolate melted with macadamia nuts, cranberries and more

Chocolate, Peanut Cashew soup, Seafood Salad, Fried Cod fish, Mixed Berries…
While I agonized over all of this, an ever changing list of foods ran through my head. I kept adding and subtracting foods. I even tried combining foods, essentially a bit of a cheat there, to ensure I covered as much food ground as possible… All this was slowly becoming exhausting. How do we pick five foods that cover all the key groups and still pick what we absolutely love? I mean, where does cake and chocolate fit in? Can I really eat one endless salad or cereal for the rest of my life? Why must we have to choose… But wait, this was meant to be a fun exercise not a trick question on an application to a highly regarded Nutritional Institute. What gives?

“Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body.” Marcus Tullius Cicero

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Remember to Share.

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Good food display

Reflections On Food: Five Foods To Live For... Grilled Caesar salad

Fried Veggie Rice, Mandarins, Plantains,  Almond Chocolate and Goat Cheese.
So here I am, still waffling about what five foods to pick as my final choice. I have a mixed up list from the nutritionally silly to the sublime. I don’t want my food to bore me. Nor do I want to veer too far from the foods I actually enjoy for the sake of a post on foods. After all, this is about five fun foods that I could eat if every other food item vanished, isn’t it? Right. Healthy yet fun foods, right?   Don’t forget to share… What are your thoughts? What five foods would you pick? What draws you to those foods? Could you eat them for the rest of your life? Do share! Thank you. ;-)

This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Plinky: Name five foods you’d hate to live without.

Positive Motivation Tip: Food is important to our survival but we can’t be rigid about it; eat healthy but indulge your sweet/savory tooth sometimes.

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Still life foods, Sushi tray, Eatwell Plate, Plums, The Bark, Thyme & Garlic Salmon, Good Food display, Carrot soup, Mediterranean salad, Cheese platter, Sorbet & berries dessert, Grilled Caesar saladBarcelona fruit stallChocolate covered macadamia nuts, via Wikipedia And/Or Will Eat For Food by Altemark via Flickr

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

50 Comments leave one →
  1. 18/02/2012 12:01 am

    You still managed to mention CHOCOLATE in the first three words (excluding the opening quotation). You are leading me ASTRAY!!!!!!!!

    • 18/02/2012 12:32 am

      Well, imagine the dilemma I had trying to choose… Clearly a losing battle before I started. I just couldn’t get rid of all the desserts dancing around in my head. I left most of them off the post. 😆

      • 18/02/2012 12:39 am

        I had to laugh because I saw the link on Twitter – NO idea about chocolate but thought of it as soon as I saw your tweet – THEN I read it!! 😆

      • 18/02/2012 12:43 am

        Yes, and same here… Plus I love ice cream and didn’t even go there. Add Vanilla Ice cream with nuts and chocolate bits drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup. WoW! Is that sugar overload I’m feeling? 😉

  2. 18/02/2012 12:20 am

    actually I am alone, my wife took an airplane to Munich to help my daughter, she fell ill, I am eating mostly Thai soup out off a tin box. I can’t cook. But that little army of twenty Thai soup tin boxes, staring at me, will be good for weight loss …

    • 18/02/2012 12:31 am

      Oh dear Frizztext! I hope your daughter feels better soon… Yes, soup is a great way to lose some pounds; especially if that is all you are eating… How about some bread and cake from your local bakery? I want to laugh over your army of twenty Thai soup but this is not the right time… Sending healing light and love to your daughter, wife and you… 🙁

  3. 18/02/2012 12:35 am

    easy… manchego cheese, artisan bread ( in other words not ordinary bread) , dark chocolate, raspberries, Italian icecream of any flavour!

    • 18/02/2012 12:41 am

      I was trying to be good but you went for it… Scratch my list and let’s add yours. I could eat Manchego cheese forever!

  4. 18/02/2012 12:38 am

    I should have added the why… texture and taste …oh and the bread would need to be crusty!! 😉

    • 18/02/2012 12:40 am

      Sheesh lady… Now I’m starving!

      • 18/02/2012 12:42 am

        Hee, hee… I found that surprisingly easy and ven since I’ve thought about it I woulnd’t change anything.. I wasn’t even trying to make a meal just these 5 things came to mind at once but maybe I should have them for lunch !! ( might need to fly over to Venice for the ice-cream 😉 )

      • 18/02/2012 12:44 am

        Same here… 😆

  5. 18/02/2012 1:34 am

    All washed down with a glass or 2 of Prosecco … 😀

    • 18/02/2012 2:06 am

      Now, we’re talking… I never even got to the beverage/wine list. 😉

  6. 18/02/2012 1:35 am

    Good post, I would be at this for awhile trying to choose 5 things since I’m so picky! I do hope all is well on your end! God Bless 🙂

    • 18/02/2012 1:40 am

      Blessings to you too… Glad to see you here. How are you doing?

  7. 18/02/2012 3:07 am

    Such pretty plates of food! Nicely juxtaposed with the homeless man. A good reminder to be grateful.

    • 18/02/2012 11:01 am

      Amen! We need to remember to share in this abundant world of ours. Glad you noticed that Tilly. How are you? Back yet?

      • 18/02/2012 11:05 am

        Yes, a week today. I post a week in hand 🙂

      • 18/02/2012 11:08 am

        Alright. Welcome back! Still catching up on blogs and will mosey on over to yours soon to add comments and finish reading up. Have a blessed weekend lady! 🙂

      • 18/02/2012 11:10 am

        You too! I’m still catching up a week later. There are so many interesting blogs out there 🙂

      • 18/02/2012 11:28 am

        Phew! Tell me about it! I feel bad when I fall behind as I appreciate the feedback I get. Glad to know I’m not alone in this… Will spend today catching up… and tomorrow and … forever. 😆

  8. 18/02/2012 3:26 am

    great pictures … too good!!
    You make me the desire to eat everything!
    baci e Kiss
    vento

  9. 18/02/2012 4:59 am

    I love sushi. I eat rice at most of times.

  10. 18/02/2012 5:01 am

    The variety of food here in Goa is vast and a taste for each and every palate. After being here for almost a month I am ready for some very simple home cooked food…. Love the pictures.. and they are making me hungry.

  11. 18/02/2012 6:05 am

    If we only had 5 foods to eat day in and day out, I wouldn’t worry about choosing “healthy” good . . . I’d die of boredom before any nutritional deficiency set in.

    That mediterranean salad and the cheese plate look GREAT! I’ll have those with some crusty bread, and some fruit and chocolate for dessert . . . YUMMY.

    But I also want the option of: pizza, vegetarian lasagna, potatoes, broccoli, curries, zucchini, stir fries, butternut squash, peanut soup, 3 bean chili, rice and bean burritos, nachos with sharp cheddar, asparagus, mac and cheese, cornbread, etc.

    • 18/02/2012 9:48 am

      Em Nancy! Only 5 foods allowed! 😆 I hear you… Toss the oatmeal, pass me some crusty bread and manchego cheese. drizzled with olive oil.

  12. 18/02/2012 6:06 am

    I knew you had good taste, but why does everything you mention have to taste so darn good. I can’t say no to any of them. You can’t do this to a young man before breakfast. Suddenly porridge & pancakes seem so blah. *bleep* this I’m going out for brunch, I need some variety on the tip of my tongue!

    Delicious post hun!

    • 18/02/2012 10:57 am

      Honey, I’m eating cereal like you; oatmeal. If I ate all this wonderful food, I’d need to workout 10 hours a day… Pity! 🙁

  13. 18/02/2012 6:40 am

    I am constantly amazed at the variety of food we have on this planet… Thanks for reminding us of our blessings!

    • 18/02/2012 10:56 am

      Isn’t it something? Now, if only we could all share with those who have none, the planet would be richer for it. TY! 🙂

  14. 18/02/2012 6:47 am

    oooh, everything looks so yummy in your photos. I’d look like Hilda the Hippo if I had those kinds of meals to eat on a regular basis. I’m one of those people that is happy with peanut butter and jelly and thankful for it. 😉

    • 18/02/2012 10:54 am

      Good for you! I like peanuts too but I want more options. Yeah, Hilda would be happy to share her meals… and so should the rest of us. 🙂

  15. 18/02/2012 12:30 pm

    Wow – tough to choose only 5! There are some really beautiful photos of food here. I would love to shop at the fruit stall in Barcelona. Great post, Elizabeth.

    • 18/02/2012 2:44 pm

      That fruit stall is amazing. I kept wondering what they do with all that fruit as it ripens and rots. 🙂

  16. 18/02/2012 10:40 pm

    Awesome post, very informative!
    Your pictures are mouth-watering 🙂

  17. Bree permalink
    19/02/2012 9:22 am

    I’ll take one of each and indulge my food fantasies for a week. Then back to the regular balanced fare. The photos are inviting and not safe for a dieter. How do you do it? 😉
    B

  18. 19/02/2012 1:48 pm

    Seafood/fish/sushi are definite “musts” on my list. Good cheese…There are so many foods I like that I’ll have to think about what others would be in the top five. I am not much of a dessert person so they will be lower on the list. I enjoy just a few sweets, but definitely not a sweet-tooth.

  19. 19/02/2012 2:03 pm

    I love food..choosing 5 is pure torture. sourdough bread, proscuitto, gruyere cheese, figs and cream cheese! yes!

  20. 19/02/2012 2:38 pm

    Food gets so confusing. When I was a kid, it was 4 food groups, then it went to the pyramid, now this plate thing.

    Food was put on this earth for us to enjoy. Eat when you are hungry and enjoy what you eat. Like everything – in moderation.

    Thanks. My stomach is growling.

  21. 19/02/2012 7:34 pm

    I’d have a hard time choosing. Food must be tasty and nutritious. Been trying to be more conscious of what I eat and right now, I feel a snack is in order. So I’m off to the refrig to see what’s there. Of course, your post will make anything I have look so pedestrian, so unattractive.

  22. 19/02/2012 7:35 pm

    I won’t want to eat it. But I must as I can’t sleep if I’m hungry.
    Sorry, I hit the Post Comment key before I finished my sentence.

  23. 19/02/2012 11:32 pm

    Ahh, now this was simply heavenly! The salmon looks sooooooo good!

  24. 21/02/2012 1:25 am

    Cheese – sooo delicious, particularly creamy Brie and baby bocconcini, Salmon, swordfish, tuna – grilled on the BBQ, roasted asparagus (actually, roasted veggies full stop), fresh blueberries and bananas, and decadently dark orange chocolate – that’s my food heaven 🙂

  25. 21/02/2012 11:56 am

    That fruit stall in Barcelona and the plum hanging in the tree have got my mouth watering bigtime. We had our own orchards on my childhood farm–what joy! I love my local produce stands and farmer’s markets! This post has made my stomache growl. No higher accolade needed!

  26. 12/08/2015 2:32 pm

    Reblogged this on Mirth and Motivation and commented:

    “The Creator, by making man eat to live, invites him to do so with appetite and rewards him with pleasure.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

    Do you eat to live or live to eat? We all love to enjoy our favorite food with our loved ones, but what if you had to choose a few to consume every day. If you could only pick five (5) foods to live on for a year or longer, which foods would you pick? What five foods are calling you right now to pick them? What draws you to those foods? Could you eat them for the rest of your life?

    According to Joel Fuhrman, “Our body is like a machine. If we constantly run the machinery at high speed, it will wear out faster. Since animals with slower metabolic rates live longer, eating more calories, which drives up our metabolic rate, will cause us only to age faster. Contrary to what you may have heard and read in the past, our goal should be the opposite: to eat less, only as much as we need to maintain a slim and muscular weight, and no more, so as to keep our metabolic rate relatively slow.” Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss.
    What is your food story and which foods would you never give up?

    This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Plinky: Name five foods you’d hate to live without.

    Positive Motivation Tip: Food is important to our survival but we can’t be rigid about it; eat healthy but indulge your sweet/savory tooth sometimes.
    Until Next Time…
    Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
    Elizabeth Obih-Frank
    Mirth and Motivation
    Positive Kismet

  27. 12/08/2015 10:50 pm

    Bread, cheese, eggs, mango and chocolate!

  28. Jessica Hughes permalink
    19/04/2017 3:25 pm

    This is such a hard challenge and I could sit here for a long time trying to pick particular types of foods but I won’t. I choose chocolate, apples, eggs, chicken and cheese.

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