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Ashley E. Rodriguez sees life through food-tinted glasses, and she shares it all on one of the world’s best food blogs: Not Without Salt. Ashley is always thinking about food, and it’s much more about following a recipe to reach a desired product. According to Ashley, she is “completely and utterly obsessed with food because of its effect on the people who consume it, grow it, produce it, enjoy it, and live for it. Food is culture, it nourishes our bodies, it is passion, it is hard work, and for many it is their livelihood.” She blogs to inspire readers to think beyond the recipes (and cook them, of course).
Ashley took the time to answer our Best Food Bloggers on Health Q&A, to tell us how she keeps healthy while eating her way through the days:
Do you have a food philosophy or set of rules – healthy or not – that you live by?
While it doesn’t happen perfectly everyday, I strive to eat “real” food. What is “real” food you ask? Well, if my great-grandmother were to take a tour of my pantry my hope would be that she would be able to recognize everything in sight. I also make it a general rule that I can pronounce all of the ingredients listed on the label.
I am first and foremost a baker and one who doesn’t shy away from white flour and sugar. I limit my family’s intake of this stuff and happily share our treats with friends and family. I feel so much better about feeding my family homemade baked goods, even if they don’t contain whole wheat flour and such, because I know exactly what’s going in there and my kids are learning the joy of creating our own food.
I view food as a wonderful gift. I try to honor it, learn more about it everyday and instill in my children that same joy and passion.
You obviously love food, but how important is health to you when it comes to your daily diet?
I have a growing family to care for so I think about their health quite a bit. I try to offer them a variety of produce so that they become familiar with all the possibilities. And while they don’t eat it all at least they are trying it and are familiar with it.
I am by no means a health fanatic, but we try to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet that is heavy in fruits and vegetables.
I find cooking with vegetables to be so fun and limitless. Because of this, more often than not, our meals are vegetarian.
Do you have any specific tips for foodies who want to stay healthy?
I have found that my love and respect for food has taught me how to live a healthy lifestyle. I get so much joy from the process of cooking and baking that I tend not to overeat or overindulge. I also get much satisfaction with sharing the things I create in the kitchen – often this is more pleasurable than actually eating the food myself.
It’s also all about balance. If we have a particularly “heavy” meal one day, than the next I’ll try to prepare lighter foods such as a simple pasta with roasted vegetables or a nice soup with homemade bread.
I try not to stress about it too much. I went through a season in my life where I over-thought what I ate and it became an obsession to the point of being very unhealthy. That period taught me so much about myself and food. It also led me to my new philosophy of truly finding joy in food using all my senses. We are so blessed with the bounty of incredible ingredients that surround us.
I am no expert on healthy living but for me this has really helped my family and I live a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle.
What is your favorite healthy treat, and your favorite indulgence?
Seasonal fruit – nature’s candy. A heaping bowl of cream-top yogurt studded with fresh fruit is very satisfying and feels so indulgent.
Lately my “naughty” foods have been Grapefruit gummy candies and hefty bowls of ice cream. Being pregnant I know I should be eating extra healthy but I have a hard time denying myself. If I’m craving it surely that means the baby NEEDS it, right?!
What’s one thing you can’t wait to eat this summer?
Strawberries and raspberries are my absolute favorite summer flavors. I’ve planned my small garden around things that I can just pick and eat – sugar snap peas, sungold tomatoes, ground cherries and of course a variety of strawberries.
Nothing is more satisfying then picking fresh produce that you’ve nurtured since it was a seed. Its flavor punctuated by the warmth of the sun. That is summer.
I am also very excited to whip of batches of batches of fresh sorbets and ice cream using summer fruits and herbs. I simply blend up frozen berries with a simple syrup that can be flavored and it’s instant ice cream without needing to haul out the ice cream machine. I did this a lot with the kids last summer and the possibilities are endless.
Follow Ashley on Twitter and visit her blog at notwithoutsalt.com.
