(Linking up with Jenn and Laura for today’s WIAW! 🙂 

Conquering major food fears is no easy thing.  I have had SOOO many major, almost, irrational food fears.  I have feared: Cheetos, chips, fried chicken, ice cream, dessert (especially more than once a day), and the list goes on; it doesn’t stop there.  

I’ve had other major fears of baked goods, especially from other places, where I didn’t know how many calories were in them or what ingredients they had.  

For today’s WIAW with Laura and Jenn, I wanted to share some of those foods with you in hopes that it would encourage you that it’s ok and GOOD to be able to enjoy the foods you’re craving without fearing judgment or comparison.  I used to really feel afraid about sharing that I ate potato chips or Cheetos or a donut on my Instagram, but I don’t really experience that any more.  

Romans 8:37 is my verse that has really described what God has done in my life especially around food.  He has made me more than a conqueror, in incredible ways that I never even imagined.  

‘³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.’  

intuitive eating for me has become so much more than eating what I think I ‘have to’ eat.  I used to think I HAD to eat vegetables everyday, but I have to tell you now that I don’t always crave veggies every day.   But . . . I usually crave them in some form, especially roasted or cooked really well (which goes really well with my sensitive stomach).  

Major Recovery/Food Freedom Win #1: Fried chicken.  I used to ALWAYS go for grilled chicken, even though fried chicken would sound good to me.  It didn’t always sound good to me, but there were times I would eat grilled chicken while still really craving fried chicken.  But I reassured myself that i was being ‘healthier’ (while I was still obsessing about wanting fried chicken).  

I’ve realized that ‘everything in moderation’ is so true when it comes to eating.  I probably wouldn’t want a whole bucket of fried chicken every day, but this Chick Fil A salad with fried chicken hit the spot so perfectly.  

Major Recovery/Food Freedom Win #2: Bars with LOTS of calories.  Typically I was used to a bar  that had 150 – 220 calories, and when I first tried a Perfect Bar, my ‘calorie counting’ brain didn’t like the fact it had a good amount of calories.  

The more I’m relearning the gift of NOURISHMENT, the more I see those calories as friends, because they nourish my body.  They nourish the systems in my body that wouldn’t work without them.  

It’s like my deep need for God’s Word.  I NEED God’s Word to keep my soul on fire, to keep me seeking Him, to keep me remembering His incredible love and the power of the gospel.   

In a smaller way, I need that physical nourishment.   And calories are FRIENDS, because they are nourishment.  

Major Food Freedom/Recovery Win #3 – BIG plates of pasta.  i used to feel guilty getting half of my plate filled with pasta, but now I really love a plate filled with spaghetti (half of the plate) with spaghetti sauce and parmesan.  This was a yummy super satisfying plate of turkey alfredo.  

A few other food freedom/recovery wins that I have embraced that have been so wonderful are: 

Microwave Popcorn (I used to be afraid of the salt and the fat).  
Candy 
Cheetos & Chips (I was afraid of the MSG and the salt, and even though I don’t love LOTSS of them, I love to be able to eat some and thank God for them!)  
Baked Goods from other bakeries (Going to Europe always helps me overcome that fear)  (We also just got a bakery in our town about 2-3 months ago, and I really want to challenge myself with some cinnamon roll from there. I have tried a little part, but I need to go for more of it!)
Packaged Snacks or crackers like Ritz Crackers (that aren’t technically ‘whole grain’ or whole wheat) or Cheez-Its.   For some reason, though, now they hit the spot at least twice or three times a week.  

A few other fun eats from this week that I loved that include some of my earliest food fears that are now some of my FAVORITE foods.  I know they’re also some of my other recovery warrior’s favorite foods.  

Peanut Butter.  – Have you ever tried PB Crave?  They have these really unique flavors like: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Raspberry White and Dark Chocolate, Sweet and Dark Chocolate, and Chocolate Banana.  I think I’ve only tried the Cookie Dough and Raspberry White and Dark Chocolate, but both were SCRUMPTIOUS.  

I have so many other favorite peanut butters. . . Wanna hear more about them?  I did the ‘Ultimate Nut Butter Christmas Gift Guide’ to give you a rundown of the different nut butters I’ve tried over the years.   

My top favorites will still always be: 

Naturally Nutty
Georgia Grinders
Me Eat Paleo (I have an affiliate discount code of ‘beautyinchrist.’)  
BHappy Peanut Butter 

Now…. 

On this WIAW, let’s talk about your most favorite peanut butters/nut butters?

What’s the biggest major food fear you’ve conquered?  

Major food fears you still want to overcome?   

(Stay tuned for a podcast on Thursday all about fighting comparison especially when it comes to body image, food, and social media.)