Simplicity of lunch

Mark Twain is one of my favorite writers because he celebrates the mundane. Mr. Twain knew that it was everyday things, and not conspicuous ones, that make our life worth living. What is the use of a mindblowing spiritual experience if we can’t learn to relax while we are stuck in traffic?

My life is more about finding those small simple things than about collecting biger than life bursts of exitement that bring no satisfation in the long run. Lunch time has become one of those awesome small things that I can’t take for granted anymore.

My journey to the perfect lunch started when I began to visualize the origin of my fast food before eating it. I slowly but surelly became disgusted with the preponderance of corn and cruelty contained within each meal. I could not feel good about myself when I knew that each meal was only a bloating rush to get a little bit of low quality glucose in my brain, so I began my journey to a better lunch, and I learned a lot as I explored the culinary possibilities before me. Here are some of my lessons:

1) Things are okay the way they are
Apples, oranges, and carrots are amazing. They have been patiently molded by evolution and selective farming for thousands of years. There is no need to add or to substact from them. If you buy high quality products you will need very little to add to them on order to enjoy them. Fruits and vegetables do not have to belong to a complicated salad in order to be good. Try eating raw vegetables and fruits as they are. I usually take cherry tomatoes, celery, and carrot with me. I love sun crisp apples and clementines too, but grapes and berries are great.

2) Bread goodness and treats are awesome
I discovered nut and raisin bread at the farmer’s market and I’m never going back to sliced commercial bread. Most store bought bread–unless it’s baked in the premisess–is not good. I used to think it was, but it doesn’t satisfy me any more. I’ve learned to enjoy the filling heartiness of a baked loaf. I get mine at my local organic store or at the market. Vegies and fruits are great, but these loaves make the meal. I usually take two or three small slices and some doubliner cheese. I like to take two squares of delicious dark chocolate also. Small thing fill me up.

3) It’s how you pack it
I really wrote this post to tell you about bento boxes. They are lunch boxes from Japan, and amongst other things, they have made it a pleasure to unpack my lunch. Bento boxes are cpmpact and have compartments where you can store and separate your food. They usually have beautiful designs on them, so that your lunch doesn’t only taste good, but looks great. They are also a good way of controlling your portions without having to carry a lot of separate containers. Thermoses are also a good thing. I like to take green tea with soy milk and honey in mine. There are very few things as relaxing as siping tea between the two halves of your workday. I try to bring water with me too, so as you can see, the ability to compress stuff with my bento box comes in very handy. I can always fit vegies, bread, chocolate, and cheese in my boxes. Fruits usually do not require packing.

These lunches have helped me to lose weight and to gain health. I never feel bloated or tired after I have them, but most importantly, they turn a daily activity in to an art form. I trully believe that all life can be art, and that we start to live that way by turning our seemingly mundane tasks in to worthwile authentic moments. I think Mark Twain would agree.