My approach to meals is all about balance. My natural impulse is to create meals that contain a balance of tastes and colors ~ a feast for the senses.

Simplicity is key. I embrace the concept that the more complex our lives are, the simpler our food should be. 

Eating seasonally naturally lends itself to a simpler approach for meals. It means that I’m focusing on what’s abundant ~ winter squash, grains and and sweet potatoes in the colder months, fresh fruits, berries and a diversity of vegetables in the summer, bitter greens, roots and shoots in the spring. 

As I lean on what’s abundant and in season, I’m big on the idea of “variations on a theme.” I’m not interested in obsessing over any approach. But this focus on local, seasonal and simple resonates with the natural intelligence of my own body. It’s my guiding principle and it’s always there to return to whenever I veer off-course.

Humans didn’t evolve being able to reach for foods from different parts of the world at every meal. Rather than embrace a wide array of cuisines from one meal to the next, I tend to seek diversity in my meals in subtler ways: through an array of colors and micronutrients (those are the vitamins and minerals).

I’m 100% not interested in fad diets or in obsessing over getting everything perfect. I can feel how different foods affect me, and if they’re not helping my cause, I listen to the natural intelligence of my own organism to lead me to what’s right.

Balance is where it’s at for me. If one meal doesn’t quite make the mark, I make accommodations in the next. I often look at the 24-48 hour picture instead of getting worked up about each individual meal. I find it a lot more enjoyable this way.