Eating Meals in the Summer (or Whenever)

With the whole “parasite lettuce” scare, I was recently reminded of a perspective shift that occurred for me a few years ago when a client described how she manages summer time meals for her kids and herself. I was contemplating making a big salad, but feeling annoyed about the lettuce thing – not so much because I love lettuce (it’s mid, at best), but because of how often we have to think about what’s OK to eat or not to eat in the U.S. Yesterday, I was in a restaurant and the server asked me if I wanted the soup or the salad. I said, “the salad – wait, no, I don’t want the salad. I’ll have the soup.” Because, lettuce. Anyway, this post isn’t about lettuce, really. It’s supposed to be about how my client helped me with a perspective shift.

How she described the way she thinks about meals in the summertime, and how she labels them in her mind, struck me as creative and positive. It’s hot outside, lots of people are busy with activities, and many people just don’t want to cook. So, she puts together meals that consist of sandwiches, crackers and cheese, fruit, veggies, and snacks and call it a “picnic.” The picnic part is key and takes it from a mindset of, “I’m not cooking (and I’m lazy), therefore, this meal doesn’t have the same value” to “I’ve thought about how to make this meal easy, but also a little bit special,” with the acknowledgement that taking care of herself also matters.

I realized recently that, for a few months now, I’ve been cobbling together most meals because I really don’t want to cook. It’s hot outside and I’d just rather spend my time doing other things. What I noticed, though, is that I’d been judging myself as being low effort instead of someone who is prioritizing their free time and using simplicity as self care. As soon as I started reframing these meals as a picnic, that mindset shifted. I realized that I really was making a picnic – sandwiches, salads, cheese, boiled/deviled eggs, fruit, veggies, desserts – and that it was actually fantastic. I’ve also recently heard these kinds of meals being called “girl dinners.” I think that refers to just being able to eat what you like without the pressure of making it more than it needs to be, and without having to think about what other family members might think or expect.

To be clear, a full home cooked meal is desirable, and cooking them (and eating them), can be pleasant. I’m just at a phase in life where I don’t want to spend the time all that often, cooking and cleaning, to achieve that, and being reminded of my client’s perspective shift also shifted my own. This week, when I do my grocery shopping, I’m going to be thoughtful about choosing things that reflect this, and without judging myself for not doing “more.”