Super slow and sugar free

Sometime ago I read about an Slow-Food Dinner event happening in my local town of Ballarat. It sounded like a chic and swanky event and so sparked my interest in the notion of "slow-food".

Slow food, as the name suggests is the opposite of fast food. It is embracing that good food takes time to grow, nurture and prepare. The slow food movement strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages the farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic to the local Eco-system. You can read more about it here 


Until now, my interest in slow food hasn't progressed any further than the desire to attend that event (which I didn't). However, as a result of giving up sugar, I realise that I have quite organically moved into a semi-slow-food kind of lifestyle.

Photo by Cookiemouse

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For breakfast, I no longer grab a cereal box, I cook my oats on the stove, adding spices and nuts for flavour.


For lunch, I usually prepare a salad of fresh vegetables (usually organic and from Aussie Farmers Direct, who deliver seasonal produce from local growers). Today, I had garlic mushrooms on mutligrain sourdough (also from the folks at Aussie Farmers Direct).


For dinner, instead of opting for meals that use prepackaged sauces, I am experimenting at creating flavours using herbs, juices (eg lemon) and oils. 


Last night I spent in excess of an hour peeling almonds that had been soaking overnight, in order to create my own almond milk.


My snacks are no longer the grab and gobble varieties. I have to spread almond paste on my rice cakes, or toast my multigrain sourdough before smearing it with coconut oil (BTW - delish!). 


I admit I am a long way from the "kill it, cook it, eat it" way of life. But I am certainly stepping away from the prepared, preserved and prepackaged foods we've all grown accustomed to over the last century.