Fall Flavors and Intuitive Eating: A Sweet Journey
Baking brings me so much joy. Whether it's the creative process, the enticing aroma that fills the kitchen, or the satisfaction of enjoying the final product, I just love it. However, I haven’t been baking much lately because I sometimes hear that little voice in my head telling me it’s unhealthy. But this past weekend I decided to get back on the baking wagon, and told that little voice to “shut it!…and I’m so glad I did!
Like so many others, I follow multiple people on Instagram who share different interests and stories. My favorite accounts are those that create and share recipes — I'm always in awe of their creativity. One person I follow has been posting so many delicious-looking foods recently that I couldn’t help myself. Case in point: pumpkin zucchini chocolate chip bread. I looked at the recipe several times, and even though it’s definitely not Fall here in Lisbon, I was craving something full of warm spices, and this recipe checked all the boxes.
So, I headed to the large grocery store near our place to gather the ingredients, with the main one being canned pumpkin pureé. Armed with my trusty translator (I’m still working on my Portuguese!) I inquired about the pumpkin for my Fall treat. To my dismay, they only had pumpkin pureé in the baby food aisle, combined with rice - not exactly what I was looking for! Thankfully, peeled pumpkin chunks are readily available in Lisbon grocery stores so I decided to make my own pureé.
With all my ingredients in hand, I set off to make my delicious treat. The first step was roasting the pumpkin, which was much easier than I anticipated. With the help of my immersion blender, I whipped up a delicious purée after 45 minutes of roasting. Then, I moved on to the other ingredients and popped everything into the oven. (A quick side note: they don’t sell pumpkin spice here, so I made my own blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice—it was perfect. But I still miss my local Trader Joe’s!)
As I had hoped, as soon as the batter was in the oven, my kitchen quickly filled with the heavenly scent of spices. Even though it was over 80°F outside, I was excited for a treat that’s typically enjoyed in much cooler weather, wearing a sweater, jeans, and cozy socks.
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “Why am I reading an intuitive eating blog about making pumpkin zucchini chocolate chip bread?”. Well, I’ll answer that for you now.
First, here is the link to this amazing treat: Pumpkin Zucchini Bread, ta-da! And second, I’m sharing this story because we all have our setbacks. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still have those days when the food police creep into my brain, telling me I shouldn’t make or eat something because I didn’t burn enough calories that day. Being an intuitive eater and resisting the diet mentality is sometimes a daily struggle for me too. But I know I have the tools to help me on those tough days, and being honest with myself is something I’m very proud of — a strength I didn’t have in the past. I don’t see these days as setbacks; I see them as learning opportunities, not just for me, but for helping you too. We’re all human. We can’t just snap our fingers and instantly know how to listen to our body. It takes work and time, but the effort is totally worth it in the end.
Now, back to the good stuff!
I am VERY happy to report that I savored every bite of that bread, guilt-free! This still surprises me a bit because the old me would have felt incredibly guilty for making and eating this, and would probably have had a second or third slice just because I had already “ruined” my diet for the day. But this time, my brain didn’t go there. I was in the moment, enjoying my efforts, and feeling ready for Fall (even if that doesn’t happen around here until November!)
