Not Bad, Just Different

I’m now into my 4th-5th week of learning to eat gluten-free. It’s going pretty well. My symptoms are improving little by little, and I’m feeling better and better. You can read a bit of the start to my journey into wheat-free eating here.

As I sit here eating lunch and drinking my gluten-free, homemade cream of tomato soup, I’m reminded of a saying I heard years ago: “just because it tastes different doesn’t mean it tastes bad.” And it’s true; the soup actually isn’t that bad, but still, it’s not…. yeah… the good ol’ Campbell’s that I grew up with, of which I have many fond and comforting memories.

The saying “just because it tastes different doesn’t mean it tastes bad” is a paraphrase from an article which I first read going-on 20 years ago now. It’s stayed stuck in my head all this time. It was back in that time-frame when I first started learning to eat healthier and more frugally by learning to cook for my family from scratch. I’d certainly recommend doing the same to anyone. But it’s not honest to say it’s a quick and easy process. I mean, let’s face it, the homemade versions of things often taste very different than the store-bought or restaurant styles to which our tastebuds are accustomed. “Just because it tastes different doesn’t mean it tastes bad” got me through the learning-curve for my tastebuds back then, and here I am- back to the same learning-curve once again, only gluten-free this time.

Truth is tho’, I don’t really want to relearn how to eat and cook at this stage in my life. Lol. Let’s just say (ahem) that gluten-free eating has very many tastes (or lack thereof) and textures and ways of thinking that are very different from conventional cooking. The whole thing’s feeling a l’il overwhelming right now. Folks, I’m 50 years old (you know.. the old dog, new trick thing). I was looking forward to settling down and eating healthy while keeping a few of my comfort foods on the back burner….you know.. like Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Soup. (Wah. Lol). But Life had other plans. In the end, I know learning curves are good, and I know I’ll adjust eventually, and be all the healthier for it. So, it’s worth it. But..

..for your own journey into healthy eating, remember.. just cuz a homemade food or a dish doesn’t taste the same as store-bought… doesn’t mean it tastes bad- just different. Ok? Ok. 😉

~mary

update: it’s now about 9 or 10 years later, and homemade tomato soup is now a favorite of mine. I don’t even think of Mr. Campbell any more or notice the difference. 🙂

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