What’s on your plate? (LOH #236)

Let’s be honest—if taste buds ruled the world, I’d probably be eating shawarma🌯, suya🥩, or a bag of chin-chin for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s just something about junk food: it’s convenient, it’s comforting, and it always seems to hit the spot when you’re tired, stressed, or just don’t feel like adulting. But lately, my body has been staging protests I can’t ignore. And I’ve had to ask myself a tough but necessary question: healthy food or junk—what's really worth it?

It wasn’t a dramatic moment that changed me—no hospital emergency or doctor’s warning⚠️. It was little things. Like how sluggish I’d feel after a big bowl of fries 🍟 and soda 🥤. How my skin would break out randomly. Or how I’d wake up still tired even after a full night’s sleep🥱. Slowly, I started noticing the difference when I ate better—more veggies 🥦, less grease; more water💦, less sugar. It wasn’t magic, but it was real.

Let me be clear though: eating healthy is not always fun. Or easy. Especially when you're on a budget or constantly on the move. Junk food is everywhere. It’s fast, cheap, and sometimes all your brain can think about when you're hungry and there's a Mr. Biggs or roadside akara stand right in front of you. But that convenience comes at a cost—one your body eventually starts to tally.

When I started switching things up, I didn't go extreme. No kale smoothies at dawn or quinoa meal preps (yet). Just simple stuff. Swapping white rice for brown sometimes. Adding grilled plantains instead of fried. Drinking water like it’s my side hustle. I still indulge now and then—I mean, life is too short to never eat puff-puff, but the difference is, now I choose, not just crave.

What I’ve learned is this: healthy food might not always come with the instant gratification that junk offers, but it pays dividends. You feel lighter. Your mind is clearer. Your gut stops fighting you. And there’s something deeply rewarding about knowing you’re taking care of your body—not out of fear, but out of respect.

That said, I don’t shame junk food. It has its place—comfort moments, cheat days, hangouts. But when it becomes a daily lifestyle, that’s when the trouble starts. Because you can’t expect premium performance from your body when you’re feeding it with junkies.

So yeah, I’m a healthy food girl not because I’m trying to be some wellness guru, but because I like how it makes me feel. And honestly, in a world where we can’t control much, that feels like a win!.

Balance is the goal. But if I had to choose? I’d pick the food that loves me back 🥰.

ᵗʰᵉ ⁱᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ
ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏˢ ᶠᵒʳ ʳᵉᵃᵈⁱⁿᵍ ♥︎