The Thrill + Joy of Naming the Things You Love to Eat

Plus: lots of anti-diet resources

About five years or so ago my spouse Grace and I were driving home from a holiday dinner at a family member’s house. It was late at night and dark and we were tired and bored. Grace asked me “what are some of your favorite things to eat?” and I launched into an impassioned list of foods that make me happy. It remains a joyous memory.

I got so animated and energized. My voice grew louder as I named things like freshly fried tortilla chips with guacamole that hasn’t been overly complicated, an assertive, icy margarita alongside. A generous bowl of matzo ball soup that also has egg noodles and big chunks of soft carrots. Cold shrimp dipped in spicy cocktail sauce. Kimchi-jjigae. Caesar salad with hot, thinly sliced, garlicky grilled chicken. Soft serve vanilla ice cream in a paper cup with hot fudge. Fat asparagus steamed until it just loses its crunch drowned in melted butter. Potato chips with smoked blue fish dip from Larsen’s. The first sip of dirty martini. Full sour pickles. Melted cheddar cheese on a toasted sesame bagel. Any sandwich from Rossi’s. I could go on. That night in the car, I did.

The memory stands out to me because it was one of the first times I was invited to express my love of food and did just that without any disclaimers. You see, at that point I was still in the throes of wrestling my way out of diet culture. I was only beginning to understand that my worth was not tied to my size and was still regularly restricting how much I was eating, especially at occasions like family holiday meals.

Grace’s question felt like a gift. I think a really key part was that Grace asked me about my favorite things, not my favorite thing. In making it plural, Grace made it limitless. The question felt expansive and non-hierarchical. Diet culture thrives on scarcity and restriction. Boundless enthusiasm is a great way to push against it.

It is a thrill and a joy to name the things you love to eat (or just the things you love!) out loud. Tell your loved one or a friend or just yourself. Paid subscribers, you have access to the comments. Tell us some of your favorite things to eat! No limits and no judgement.

Some recent things I have really enjoyed.

If this all sounds intriguing but slightly terrifying to you, here are some great resources that have been incredibly helpful to me + I hope might be for you, too.

• Books:

  • What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

  • The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

  • Belly of The Beast: The Politics Of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’shaun L. Harrison

  • Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia by Sabrina Strings

• Newsletters:

  • Burnt Toast from Virginia Sole-Smith

  • Weight + Healthcare from Ragen Chastain

  • Fattening from Marquisele Mercedes

• Podcasts:

  • Food Heaven

  • Maintenance Phase

  • Rebel Eaters Club

  • Unsolicited: Fatties Talk Back

• TV Shows

  • Lizzo’s ‘Big Grrrls’

  • ‘Shrill’

• Social Media

  • Look at your social feeds + ask yourself if any of the accounts you follow suggest weight loss. Unfollow them. Ask yourself if you’re following people you’re comparing your body to. Unfollow them. You have control over who you follow! Make your feed reflect the world you want to live in.

I’m teaching this Sunday! Class will be such a fun, colorful meal full of comforting and bright Mexican flavors. We’ll start with pomegranate margaritas that you can sip on with the easiest (and best, in my humble opinion…) guacamole. For the main event, chicken tinga that you can make with white or dark meat (or just use the sauce to simmer some beans if you’d like the meal to be vegetarian!). I’ll walk you through how to make the tinga in a pot or in a pressure cooker. On the side, a zippy slaw with jalapeño dressing + cotija cheese. For dessert, super simple tres leches milkshakes because who doesn’t want one of those?!! As always, tons of tips, ideas, make-ahead notes + leftover suggestions offered during class!! MORE INFO + SIGN UP HERE!!!

Thanks for being here. Tell me what you love to eat!

xooxoxox, Julia