December food

december 16 2009

Here december starts with Sinterklaas, with it's special foods and candies.
This events marks, in a way, the end of autumn and people used to eat different to be better able to deal with the burden of winter.

The foods are rich, spicy to keep warm and keeping the body moving.

Combined with the vegetables of the season and the traditional recipes they're not very fattening, unless you're not moving enough.

When I was young we ate plenty.
First celebrating Sinterklaas, then eating what was left over and after that we had to taste what would be on the table for christmas.
Because we were always busy with helping the elderly, cleaning the pavement, going everywhere walking or with our bicycles we burned the delight right off and never even gained an ounce during winter.

A few treats were sugar only.
They were meant for special occasions and we got one or two, not a handful or a complete bag or box with them.
We knew then that when you start eating sugar only, you'll keep eating while getting hungry at the same time.

The kids now eat far too much sugar and there's no balance between intake, movement and need.

Last year I was very strict in sticking to the old ways of december eating and it worked well for the children and for me.

This year I'm doing the same.
But it's like I'm in a contest with advertisements on TV and in the papers and magazines.
Sugar, chips, one sided menus.

And when you see what's on the plate one hope there'll be no storm at christmas, because the little portions will be blown from the table within a second.

Well, I'm glad we can't afford food what's not belonging to the season, and I'm not going to buy sugar only sweets.

But we enjoy the traditional dishes, sweets and activities.
The iceskates are ready for next friday when the girls go skating.

It's december, let's live that way.


Thanks Riannon for the tag.