Hi SHIITAKE!
I heard that you grew up in a macro household. Did you ever find it hard when people asked you what you were eating when you brought your brown rice balls along to school or work or on an airplane (and have them mistaken for weapons of mass destruction)? Did the other kids at school make fun of your natto, sauerkraut on sourdough sandwiches? How do your friends react to your macro lifestyle?
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Macro Student,
London England
DEAR MACRO STUDENT,
Great to hear from you! Thanks for your questions.
Having been brought up in a nori roll loving household, I did have to contend with some unusual lunchbox ingredients. Not only that – I didn’t even have a lunchbox! Forget about the Ninja turtle, Barbie, or Hello Kitty plastic lunchboxes that were all the rage. I was carrying my whole food lunch in a recycled, brown paper bag. My mother was very progressive. Or maybe just a product of her times?!
Now I know that my tempeh sauerkraut sandwiches (I was spared the natto then!) are a much healthier way to feed a kid than the hydrogenated peanut butter and sugar-laden jelly some of my classmates grew up with – and even then I enjoyed them. But sometimes I did think it would have been easier not to have to explain the ingredients of the thing that looked like an unexploded hand grenade that I was munching on.
When I started making my own lunches I decided to make them as colorful, appetizing, and appealing as I could. This is what I took to school in my high school days. I also made my own lunches in college, and when I was in the corporate world.
I do the same when I travel. Now I have people stop me to ask where I bought that delicious looking food. I smile, hopefully not too smugly and tell them it isn’t for sale. Though I often give them a quick tip on how to make it themselves. This has even happened at baseball games!
So it is possible to be the invitation to someone else’s transformation. It is amazing the impact you can have.
Some friends have balked at the responsibility I take for my own well being but most know how committed I am to living in a way that is in my greatest Truth. I know they are my real friends. I have tried to interest them in this way of being and some have been curious, others haven’t. Maybe I was often too forceful. I don’t want to be that way with Ken. I know he is so interested in the macrobiotic way and I see now that these things can’t be forced. People have to be open to the possibilities. Any unsolicited advice is taken as criticism even when given with the best of intentions. By definition it is the statement that the way the person is doing things now is "wrong" in your eyes. That doesn’t mean we can’t be ready with the advice when they come with questions or seeking advice. I am slowly learning to be patient.
Tips from Shiitake’s lunchbox for food on the go. I often take a very light weight stainless steel container filled with brown rice in case I am away longer than I planned. This little bit of planning means that I am not worried about last minute schedule changes and allows me to be more spontaneous. It is an especially good idea if one is on a healing plan where outside food choices may be limited for a time. I have found that it can even take me to an unexpected cafe/restaurant situation in those times, where I would simply order plain steamed vegetables and greens to accompany it.
For packed lunches
• emphasize brightly colored and attractively arranged ingredients.
• if using broccoli cook it lightly so it retains its vibrant color.
• vegetables that hold their shape are great – carrots, green beans, asparagus spears.
• take some umeboshi plums in a little container as a quick pickle and digestive tonic.
• if using nuts or seeds pack them in a separate container so they don’t become soggy.
• pack some bancha tea bags.
• avoid cooked daikon, cabbage, natto, and anything else with strong odors that are often concentrated when packed into containers.
• avoid overly complicated combinations and multiple dishes.
• pack something light that will sustain you but won’t weigh you down.
• pack enough to satisfy your appetite and maybe a little extra so you won’t feel tempted to go hunting for food afterwards with less nourishing options.
• invest in reliable, sturdy containers and cutlery that is light-weight.
• pack a little napkin.
• For cold weather, Japanese style thermal lunch containers are a great idea. There is nothing like a warm lunch to look forward to and enjoy in the middle of winter when out and about.
Here are some of my favorite lunches to go:
• brown rice nori rolls made with colorful fillings.
• tempeh fingers – marinate in shoyu, mirin, and ginger juice and bake in the oven until dry and slightly crisp.
• pasta and vegetables.
• "planned leftovers" from dinner – aromas and flavors tend to intensify with some dishes, which is great for the latter, but not al ways for the former, so perform a sniff test before packing it up to go.
• sourdough whole grain bread sandwiches (especially good when you don’t want to make a statement).
• chunks or slices of Essene (sprouted grain) bread. This makes a nice and satisfying quick meal and is also nice with a thermos of soup depending on the variety of the loaf. If you are game you can even dunk them in the soup if it is a wide mouth thermos.
• nori triangles (so much more "today" than rice balls). Use plain rice or rice mixed with sunflower and sesame seeds, shiso powder, and chopped mint for a new twist.
• but you can’t go past the classic rice balls when you want to feel really centered. They represent the Earth, you know – so I do include them on my list. Just make them small so you can eat them gracefully.
• steamed broccoli, asparagus, carrots and green beans – great finger food.
• fresh or pressed salad in a little tub.
• almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds (or a combination). I like to soak them overnight in mildly salty water to deactivate enzyme inhibitors and to take the digestive stress off my delicate pancreas, and then lightly toast them to dry them out. A little goes a long way.
• miso soup in a thermos.
• thick vegetable soup in a wide mouth thermos – take some puffed mochi in a separate container and throw them in when you open it. Mmm. . . .
• whole grain muffins, I find them a little crumbly for my liking but you can bake them to be smaller and firmer.
• whole grain waffles with or without a spread packed separately – try miso and tahini or squash "butter." They also can be dunked in soup
• some chewy and moist whole-some cookies made with whole grain fl our and unrefined sweeteners, as a treat. Try to avoid overly dry ones that will have you searching for fluids for the rest of the day. Dunk into your bancha tea. Go on, indulge.
xoxoxo,
Shiitake
