Making healthy taste like heaven

Winter is the ultimate time for a comfort-foodie fest. Holiday celebrations and festivities are a welcome excuse for at least two months of guilt- free indulging (or overindulging).

There are treats everywhere you look: baked goods at the office, foodie gifts from friends, classroom parties and family dinners. I believe life is meant to be savored ... until the day I have to drag out the pliers and jump around the bedroom trying to pull the zipper up on the jeans that fit me perfectly last month.

Reality sets in long before the New Year's resolutions leave the lips. Can I really be a healthier me next year? Atkins? South Beach? Mediterranean? Keto? Vegan? Which diet/nutrition changes can I actually live with? I was thinking about my health when I heard about Faithfully Fed.

Faithfully Fed's website describes the fare as "handcrafted food, using healthy, organic, natural choices" and quotes Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." We all know it is true -- what we fuel our bodies with matters. With that in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to see if the pros could make healthy palatable.

The girl behind the counter was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the ingredients and nutritional value of each menu item. I wasn't quite sure what to order, so she suggested one of her favorites, a meatless Reuben, and I selected one of mine, chicken tortilla soup. The Reuben is not one of my favorite sandwiches, so I admit I wasn't expecting too much from the meatless version. I bit into the toasted bread and immediately enjoyed the flavor of roasted mushrooms, onion, and seasonings. Hats off to the chef; he has made me a believer in the possibility of adopting meatless Mondays to my meal planning. Baby steps.

I moved on to heaping bowl of chicken tortilla soup. I could see the steam rising and detected the earthy scent of cumin right away. My first spoonful was a warm, flavorful and well-seasoned mixture of chicken, onions and black beans. It was just like homemade without the wait. The biggest lesson learned? Healthy does not have to mean bland and boring. If you want rich, flavorful food that leaves you feeling like you did something good for your body I suggest adding a visit to Faithfully Fed to your list of New Year's Resolutions. If you are anything like me, you may leave full, satisfied and inspired to make 2019 your best one yet.