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Making
a meal of a melon
May 03, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
What
would you think of eating a cantaloupe for lunch? How about
half of a watermelon or a big bowl of fresh green beans for
dinner?
Welcome to the concept of “mono meals.”
Mono meals are popular among raw foodists – people who
eat diets that consist primarily of uncooked plant foods –
and some vegetarians.
I fondly recall one evening a few years ago sitting across
the table from a friend, Karl, who was chomping away –
one by one – on long green beans he had steamed and
piled into a big bowl. He’d bought them at a nearby
farmer’s market. Karl told me he often ate dinners such
as these. They were easy to prepare, and there was little
mess to clean up, he said.
It was easy to see those advantages.
But is it a healthy way to eat?
We hear a lot about the importance of variety in our diets.
A varied diet – especially one that includes plenty
of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds
– helps ensure that we get the full spectrum of vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients we need to support health.
But eating a varied diet doesn’t mean each individual
meal must include a wide range of foods. Instead, variety
can come by what you choose on a daily – or even weekly
– basis.
And there can be advantages at times to eating meals made
up of only one or two foods. That’s especially true
when the meals consist of fruits and vegetables.
I’ve seen mono meals in practice when I’ve attended
vegetarian nutrition conferences. I’ll never forget
the summer my family accompanied me to one of these events.
On the first day, one attendee drew wide-eyed stares from
the kids when he passed our lunch table carrying a cafeteria
tray heaped high with nothing but purple plums. Another sat
down at our table with the equivalent of an entire watermelon
cut into slabs.
Both of these people were thin, fit and happy.
I’ve talked to mono mealers about why they eat this
way. They say they’re taking a cue from nature in which
most animals eat mono meals. They’ve also told me that
by focusing on only one food, rather than many, they have
a better sense of how much they really need to eat and resist
the tendency to overeat.
Think about the last time you ate at a restaurant buffet or
Thanksgiving dinner. How much did you eat? Compare that to
the amount you’d likely eat if your choices were unlimited
amounts of carrots or fresh orange slices.
If you wanted to try some mono meals, there’s no better
time of year as fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables are
becoming plentiful. We’ll soon be able to find strawberries,
blueberries, melons, green beans, salad greens, bell peppers
and tomatoes, for example, at the farmers market and roadside
stands.
These foods are relatively low in calories, high in fiber,
and full of important nutrients. They’re also devoid
of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Eating these
foods often and in ample amounts makes good sense. They’re
filling and good for you.
Of course, a steady diet of mono meals may not be realistic
for many people. For example, some people, including those
with diabetes, may need a more carefully controlled mix of
nutrients with their meals.
But for most of us, it’s worth considering eating several
mono meals of seasonal, locally grown fruits and vegetables
each week from now through the end of the summer.
If you try it, prepare for some stares.
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