There's more to my life than green smoothies and lentils. There's a little thing I like to call eating happy.
Eating happy is finding the beauty in sharing good food with good friends. It's warming your heart with browned butter walnut ice cream and nourishing your body with avocado toast. It's celebrating food for the happiness it brings to your mind, heart and belly. It's making memories over miso soup. It's learning that there's more to life than eating to live. Sometimes it's living to eat.
It's eating to smile. It's iced coffee with a splash of soy.
It's perfectly seared sea scallops and house-smoked salmon over cucumber noodles.
It's poolside hummus sammies in whole wheat pitas.
It's waffles with extra salted peanut butter.
I didn't care that this key lime pie ice cream wasn't made with organic cane sugar.
I didn't refrain from ordering a bloody mary at 10pm because it was 10pm.
I didn't skip the rice at Hibachi because it wasn't brown.
I didn't eat the serving size.
I didn't go easy on the avocado.
I didn't pass on the house-made chips and salsa.
I'm not a perfect eater, and I don't strive to be.
I don't eat "clean" all the time.
I eat happy.
Robyn @thereallife_RD says
YES YES YES! you're fabulous, spread the happy eating loooveeee!
xo
Jen @ Bagels to Broccoli says
"Eating happy" = what I strive for every day! I get so frustrated when I see in magazines, etc advice that calls to restrict and be miserable, basically. Not good. Life is about so more than what we eat, even though what we eat can affect our quality of life! 🙂
Alexis says
Amen sister! I would pretty much be no one without dark chocolate.
Danielle says
I love this! It's so important to have balance. There's food for the body and then food for the soul, right? 🙂
Alexis says
Exactly! Food for the soul is the perfect way to put it 🙂
Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run says
iced coffee with a splash of soy is my starbucks go-too, too!
Alexis says
I got iced coffee from a new place today and I'm SO jittery....help!!
Sarah Gifford says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this!
Alexis says
Thanks darling!
Cassie says
Love this... if you try to eat clean 100% of the time you miss out on life - and being happy!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says
Yes to the yes power to the Yes degree. Can you tell I agree?
I love this post. Well said, well photographed. It was exactly spot on right.
Alexis says
Thanks so much, Megan!
Lori says
What an amazing post!
Julia says
Woooowee I ate happy over Memorial Day Weekend too! Campfire s'mores for breakfast, beer on the beach, cookies with dinner...it was a real happy eating fest! 🙂 I love this post, lady! It's definitely important to keep it clean, but from time to time, you've got to loosen the controls to keep some balance in life. Kinda envious of your food selections as always 🙂
Alexis says
Mmmmm what I would do for a camp fire smore right about now!!!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
Thank you for makkng me comfortable that when I visit you, I won't be starving.
Alexis says
We won't eat by the clock, either.
Brittany @ Barr & Table says
I love this! I always tell myself that if I really wanted to lose those last couple of lbs, I could. But I'd much prefer to share some fun dishes with my husband, have a couple of drinks, and have some ice cream because that's what makes me happy. And that's way better than losing those last few lbs.
Alexis says
Amen sister! I love your outlook 🙂
Matt @ Runner Savvy says
Looks like some good eats this weekend!
Helen says
I love this post, Alexis! I totally agree with eating this way. There's something called balance and moderation. Don't restrict yourself just because there isn't brown rice. It's okay to eat regular white rice or jasmine rice. By the way, all the food looks delicious! Just wish that the almonds were dark chocolate and not milk chocolate!
Alexis says
Me too! I was seriously bummed that they were milk chocolate...but hey, they were still tasty!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
Love you! Both oatmeal and ice cream make me happy... As do salads and cookies. I remember trying to eat 100% clean for a few years, and not only was I ridiculously unhappy, but unhealthy as well. People seem to forget that our emotional and mental states have a huge impact on our health, and that we're not necessarily doing ourselves any favours by constantly saying no to the foods we love.
Alexis says
Salad makes me happy toooo! And poolside hummus and veggie pitas 🙂 I completely agree with you--worrying to much about health is most definitely detrimental to your health. Eat healthy, and eat happy!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
This is perfect, Alexis! At this time last year I was incredibly unhappy when it came to food. This past weekend I splurged A LOT, but I ate what made me happy and I feel only a little guilt as opposed to a TON. I am loving the progress that I am making and posts like these really help! 🙂
Alexis says
I'm so glad that you've made so much progress! You go girl!
LC says
I appreciate this so much!! Perfect.
Alexis says
Thanks girl!
She Rocks Fitness says
High-Fives Alexis! Lately I cannot get enough of avocado on toast and trust me I am not going light on it. I love to eat, I love to spoil myself, and just enjoy how fortunate we are to eat the amazing foods that are around us. Life is too short to not ENJOY FOOD, the good and the sometimes not so healthy! 😉
Emily @SinfulNutrition says
Happy belly = Happy life 🙂 I think there's a reason why 'moderation' is the catch phrase of us dietitians!
Alexis says
Amen sister!
Kate says
I really like that...eating happy, not healthy. The word Healthy has become so distorted lately, that it is refreshing to see food viewed as happy and not something good or bad. Your weekend eats looked so yummy!
Alexis says
Thanks, Kate! Healthy is SUCH a buzz word today. Sometimes your bod needs a little something else 🙂
Jess @dearhealthyness says
It's so important to enjoy food, but with so many eating rules saying what you should and you should not eat it becomes nearly impossible to eat withou feeling guilty!!! My rule is to enjoy the moment... And to remember myself that as long as I feel good it's ok 😉
Alexis says
I'm really, really trying to just sit back and enjoy the moment. Living in the present is easier said than done!
Emily says
Happy eating is the healthiest eating of all. It's balance. It's life.
Love this so much.
xoxo
Alexis says
I love that, Emily! Well said.
April says
I love this post. And you.
Alexis says
Love you moooooooo.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven says
Do you live in brain?! You always know what I'm thinking! Yesterday I ate chips and salsa for lunch with a freezer for dessert and a green goddess bowl for dinner. Both made me equally as happy. As did the bloody Mary I drank on the lake. Food is both fuel and meant to be enjoyed. People who spend every second of their life worrying about what they're eating are cheating themselves. Everyone needs to chillax and remember that sugar won't kill you!
Alexis says
Chips and salsa for lunch sounds like my jammmmm. I seriously ate more chips last night than I did my dinner. Oops. Sorry I'm not sorry. Bloody mary's for dayzzzzz!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
When davs said she ate chips and salsa, she means lettuce chips and mashed tomatoes
Stephanie says
This post makes me happy because I am all about eating happy!
Alexis says
Wahooo!!!
Rachael@AnAvocadoADay says
You put it perfectly! I always tell my clients the most important thing to consider when choosing food is if they love it and it makes them happy!
Alexis says
That's so great you tell your clients that. Bravooooo!
Brittany says
Love this!!! I'm so with you girl. Balance is key 🙂
Alexis says
Glad to hear it!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
Aw "eat happy" is such a cute way to put it! Looks like you had lots of yummy food this weekend 🙂
Alexis says
Hahaha glad you like it! It just came to me when I was writing and sounded pretty cute 🙂
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan(dot)com says
Yes to days of happy eating! At the end of the day, clean eating has to be balanced out too right? 😉
Now - Walmart has chocolate covered almonds in those big containers? I was there last night looking for chocolate covered almonds but ended up getting cocoa dusted almonds instead...I feel cheated out of chocolate!!!
Alexis says
BOOOOO! These ones were from Costco and it was quite a bummer that they were milk chocolate and not dark.
Lauren says
I love this! Eat happy 🙂 It is all a balance! Those eats look delicious!
Alexis says
Balance is key, right?!
Khushboo says
Like x 1000! Happy eating = happy life!
Alexis says
Amennnnn!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
happy eating is the way to go....