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Ladies Who Lunch (and breakfast and dinner)

I’m afraid that those who obsess over what they eat online can be divided into two groups: food dorks and the eating disordered. The dreaded cheese sandwich crew and the girls who could stand to eat a grilled cheese.

Obviously, I’m not in the latter camp. Lady-style competitive eating—attempting to eat less than the women around you—disturbs me. This isn’t how I live and I can’t imagine being friends with anyone who freaks out over what’s on my plate or theirs.

Not that being judged for what you eat isn’t an unfounded fear. A study cited in the Allure article linked above had women read fake food diaries and rate the keepers. Unshockingly, the less a lady ate the more attractive and feminine she was deemed.

Perhaps that’s why unabashed eaters fascinate me. Food blogs have opened a window onto what people eat, but they really only show part of the equation, what the author wants you to see. I’ll admit that there’s a part of me that’s always been a little jealous and suspicious when I read about all the wonderful goodies ladies are enjoying (even more so now that I’m a frakking diabetic—oops, I can’t be the only one watching Battlestar Galactica, right?). What I call the Padma paradox. Are womenfolk really plowing through pork belly, tacos, ramen and macarons on a regular basis? I kind of hope not because that would be kind of depressing (for me, not them). What goes on off the blog, anyway?
 
To satisfy my nosiness and serve as an antidote to the salad, dressing on the side existence that is the American feminine ideal, I am starting a project, Ladies Who Lunch (and breakfast and dinner) to share what women who like to eat actually eat.

I’m not the most community-minded blogger but I would love to round up a variety of participants to showcase here weekly (and will be soliciting volunteers shortly). I will kick this week off myself because I have no shame, but this isn’t meant as a self-indulgent solo effort. I don’t care if you’re organic-only or a junk food glutton, I just want to focus on women who aren’t afraid of food.

Me0308
Name: Krista Garcia
Age: 35
Occupation: Researcher/Writer
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Blog: Goodies First (duh)




Tuesday

Coffee and peanuts

7:57am I’m not normally awake this early and don’t eat until I’m at
the office but I had to get my blood taken at 9am and I’m a minor freak
about needles (though a hundred times better than I was in my teens) so
illogically I thought eating a few peanuts might keep me from getting
light headed. Black coffee.

Coffee and granola bar

11:28am Kashi TLC trail mix bar and extra large black coffee.
Normally, I go to the Bulgarian coffee cart guy in front of Starbucks
but my morning was all screwed up because of a doctors appointment and
coming from the 5 train put me at a Latino-run cart with Styrofoam
cups. Odd (the cups and the owners—I’ve always had middle
Eastern/Eastern European coffee guys). I swear I saw my coffee guy see
me getting coffee on the opposite corner or maybe I just have coffee
cart loyalty guilt.

Green apple

1:32pm This apple was disgusting, mealy with skin that was peeling
off. I don’t even like fruit on a good day so this bad specimen wasn’t
doing his ilk any favors.

Yogurt and agave

3:44pm Greek yogurt with a drizzle of agave sweetener. I guess this
is my lunch though it doesn’t feel very substantial. I will be sorry
later that I didn’t leave my desk for something tastier.

Cheese and crackers

5:35pm I call Wasa crackers giraffe crackers because when I was kid
you could buy crackers to feed giraffes from vending machines at the
zoo, and I swear they looked like this. They probably tasted better,
too. I eat a lot of giraffe crackers because I’m laying off the bread
but I probably overcompensate imagining that all the fiber somehow
makes it ok.

Salami hummus crackers

7:05pm Piece of salami, slice of manchego, two more giraffe crackers and some hummus remnants.

Red cooked chicken boy choy rice

8:57pm Leftovers from last night. Red-cooked chicken, bok choy sautéed with garlic and chile bean oil and brown rice.

One Comment Post a comment
  1. laura #

    I do not live in fear of food. We have a healthy relationship.

    May 22, 2008

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