We Should All Share Daphne Oz's Attitude On Food

I grew up loving to cook because it was where I would spend time with my mother and grandmother, learning their recipes and tastes and creating amazing meals our family could celebrate around. Health was a big topic of conversation in our home and at our dinner table, and the way we ate always seemed to marry food as both medicine and pleasure.

For me, the biggest hurdle was learning how to snack smarter. For the most part, my meals were in the right place (though perhaps I enjoyed them a little too much), but it was really learning how to snack and eat consciously that let me lose the extra 40 lbs I was carrying around from childhood and pursue health as a priority and not an obsession while keeping my love of food front and center. (I wrote all about this journey in my first book, The Dorm Room Diet.)

For the most part, I don’t snack standing up or on the go. I try to bring things from home so I don’t fall into the rut of prepackaged foods. If I am traveling or in a bind, I’ll rely on low-sugar protein bars or a mix of nuts and seeds with a bit of dried fruit or an apple with almond butter or carrots with hummus as my usual fixes. At home, I love Persian cucumbers with yogurt, dill and olive oil, GG crackers with almond butter and raisins, some cheese, tomatoes and fresh herbs, or fresh arugula salad with olive oil and lemon juice…I keep it simple and always look for easy ways to elevate.

The trick to happy eating (think: European eating) is that you should never feel like you’re trading away. I’m not giving anything up. The idea should be that something is delicious first and foremost so that the fact it’s also good for you is an afterthought and a bonus.