I’m not sure about you, but I get food choice fatigue rather easily. I also love to eat delicious food. I get straight up bored with the tedium of figuring out what to eat on a daily basis that is:

a) healthful

b) as whole foods-plant-based as possible (I’m no saint, but I do my very best)

c) in season + as local as possible

d) rather quick and easy (unless it’s a weekend or special occasion).

This is where my recipe box, folder, and pile of cookbooks come to the rescue!

Having a tangible (read: old school) method of diving into new/old food ideas is a savior for me. Yes, the internet is most amazing for a landslide of inspirational food ideas, but they don’t often follow the 4 food guidelines (a-d) I try to adhere to for optimal health, to fit within my own time constraints, & for environmental and ethical reasons.

I keep a recipe file folder that’s filled with everything from recipes I’ve discovered, made & tweaked to recipes friends have graciously shared (thanks Kel & Sally!) to weird concoctions I’ve created that turned out delicious.

Then there’s my mom’s bible of Indian home cooking filed away in a plain manila folder. Don't let the bland cover fool you ... it is worth many times its weight in gold. My mom doesn't cook with measuring cups and my brother and I are not so talented at the "throw it all together" method of cooking. And so my brother kindly measured everything out and put this humble but incredible resource together.

And then there’s the cookbook pile - books full of gorgeous glossy photos and endless inspiration. I’ve tried to pare this collection down and have failed miserably. I just can’t get rid of any of them!! (Dear Marie Kondo: they all give me joy!)

Putting this post together and knowing my weekly CSA is coming in a few weeks has given me the inspiration to expand my horizons. From here on out, the Year of Yes installment for the week may be an executed recipe, including photo, ingredients & instructions. Yeah!

Happy Monday!

The Year of Yes is a weekly photo-and-word installment by Dr. Shah written with the purpose of evoking hope, resilience, and a gentle movement toward healthy change in all of us.