Hi, guys! What a beautiful morning! 
Murphy and I just returned from a longer-than-usual morning walk. Typically, we walk for about 10-15 minutes in the morning, just so he can do his “business.” But, today, we did an extra loop around the block and walked for close to 25 minutes. It was so nice to enjoy the sunshine, hear the birds chirp, and breath crisp, fresh air. I think we both wanted to keep walking, but I needed to get home and start my day.
Breakfast
Mal needed to be at school early this morning, so I was on my own with breakfast. I made myself a big, creamy batch of pumpkin oatmeal.
In the mix:
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1/4 cup spelt flakes
- 1/2 cup vanilla hemp milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 scoops of Nuttzo
- Granola
Nuttzo was easily the star ingredient of this morning’s breakfast. (The company sent me a jar to sample the other day.) I’ve never tasted (or even heard of) a nut butter like it.
Nuttzo is a “omega 3 multi-nut butter” made with peanuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds. I love that it’s a blend of all of those healthy nuts and seeds– and it’s really delicious! 
The flavor it sort of hard to describe– it just tastes like nuts! I guess the peanut and flaxseed (or maybe sunflower seed) flavors come through strongest for me. The consistency is thick and chunky with pieces of nuts and seeds throughout. I’m a big fan!
I always thought that banana oats were my favorite, but maybe it’s pumpkin now?
To drink, I had a mixture of iced coffee, non-fat milk, and chocolate-flavored Amazing Grass.
Feel Great Weight
I didn’t make my husband breakfast this morning, but you can read about how our little ritual has changed my thinking about food: Food Is Love: How Healthy Choices Mean More Than the Number on a Scale
Question of the Day
Do you associate food with love? Why or why not?
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
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Nuttzo is AMAZING. I recently had it with orange marmalade on a sammie, it was the perfect combination of sweet and savory! I associate certain foods with love- my grandmother’s mashed potatoes, for instance! Making meals for other has always been fun for me. I love sharing my healthy new discoveries with loved ones! Have a great day
Never tried Nuttzo!
Yes, being Italian, FOOD IS LOVE! And I am loved…A LOT
Oohh I want to try Nuttzo, it sounds amazing!
I associate food with love, definetly – I always bake for people I love (ie my family), it’s like one of my little ways of saying ‘thankyou and I love you!’. I also like to make my mum’s lunches for work and I’ll cook for her if she’s short on time…all my ways of showing it
Have a great day!
I stumbled onto your blog for a recipe a few weeks ago, and I really appreciate the article you just posted. I wake up with my boyfriend at 5:30 because he is a landscaper and I am a teacher. Someone does the french press while the other toasts english muffins. We split bananas and share foamed milk. It’s one of our loveliest times of the day, because then we each head to work and won’t see each other again until 7 or 8 at night. I also notice I am less anxious about food when I am sharing or letting someone else take care of it for me. I thought that release of control would freak me out, but its actually quite nice. Thanks for the article.
I love pumpkin oatmeal, so filling! As for associating food with love….yeah I do. That really isn’t a good habit either.
I want some Nuttzo so badly!!! I don’t really associated food with love, but I do with some social situations. It has been a tough habit to break!
I want some Nuttzo so badly!!! I don’t really associated food with love, but I do with some social situations. It has been a tough habit to break!
Have you tried the trader joes Valencia peanutbutter with flaxseed, it’s my favorite!
I love nuttzo! I got some through Kath’s promotion, and think it’s just the bomb. It’s so sweet but has no added sugar; Dr. Katz should give it a NuVal score!
Being able to cook with my boyfriend is honestly when we connect the most. So yes, food = love in my book.
I am a huge fan of Nuttzo! I love things that just straight up taste like what they are supposed to!
When I am baking or making large batches of food to freeze I always think about how much my husband is going to love the spaghetti sauce or the chili. He often says he has never eaten so well in his life.
I honestly can say that I love bread. Especially rye and sourdough…too good!
From a very young age I started to associate food with love. My Mother is an excellent cook and my favorite memories are of her and I in the kitchen starting from a very young age. She taught me everything I know about cooking and her love of cooking was definitely passed down to me. She refused to stock our household with processed foods and created each meal with fresh, whole foods. It was pretty amazing, and coming home from school every afternoon to a divine home cooked meal was one of the many ways she showed her love for our family. Now I try and do the same with mine.
Nuttzo sounds incredible! I wonder if you can get in Canada? I am going to have to look – hopefully it’s available here
Next time you use that Nuttzo, can you show a picture of it on a spoon or something so we can see the texture?
sounds like a good morning! I can’t wait for more sunlight so we can take Maggie for longer walks in the morning, too.
I do associate food with love, but only in some circumstances. There are family members that I know put those two together and some that could care less. It’s strange.
Hmmm…I don’t necessary associate food with love, but I associate it with warmth, family, and good times!
O that nutzo sounds so so good! I want to get my hands on it. I don’t really associate food with love but there are some foods that comfort me when I’m sad or sick that my mom used to make me!I do really enjoy cooking for my husband but its more a hobby
I need to find hat nuttzo!! It sounds like a dream
I definitely associate food with love. Growing up in my family, we base all big get togethers around delicious meals and as I’ve grown up I’ve been right there with my mom in the kitchen. Now that I don’t live at home I don’t get to cook for my family as much, but I actually got to make a meal for them last night (since I was home), so I of course went all out and it was totally worth it in the end just to be together and see the enjoyment on their face at the end of dinner!
I loved your article, so true! Hope you have a great day!
I associate food with love because my mom is a really good cook, and I think she shows us she loves us through her cooking (and other things!). Plus I just love some foods- especially ice cream haha.
That Nutzo sounds delicious!
Your article could be describing me and Himself
We take it in turns to make breakfast for each other, and we both wake about an hour earlier than either of us need to so we get that extra time together in the morning.
What a great article on Health, Tina. I think it is SO important to take a step back each day and cook something healthy and fresh for the ones you love. Of course, there are days when you must eat something quick and that’s fine. I just hope that someday when I’m a mom, I can take the time to feed my family nutrtious meals that are good for them and show how much I care!
are you serious about that nut butter? My mind just exploded. BTW I do associate love or any emotion with food.
It’s something I try to work on daily.
I need to buy new nut butter today actually, I wonder if my grocery store has it?!?!
i definitely associate food with love! i actually posted about that last week…it’s just such a great common ground and medium for sharing with the people you love. so many great memories are built around food – the dishes, the textures, the flavors, the smells – all of it brings back great memories of loved ones
here’s the link with a great quote if you need at all for any of your articles… http://heathersdish.com/2010/03/05/foodlove/
I definitely do! When I was living by myself I hardly put any effort into making food, but now that I live with my boyfriend there is nothing better than seeing him enjoy a meal that I made. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to a woman’s is complimenting her food…at least for me =)
I 100% agree that food is love! Meals shared together, recipes passed down for generations, filling your loved ones with wholesome foods…all of it is a way to show you care about others in a very delicious way!
Though I still enjoy the process of cooking and eating and the way it brings people together, I try not to associate food as love anymore. As a disordered eater, I made too many connections with food that just led me down a very unhealthy path. I know that people still express love by trying to cook and share with others so I do try to be polite if food is offered but I just make sure to show my appreciation in other ways.
Pumpkin oats are definitely my favorite. I ran out of pumpkin recently…I need to get to the store!
I don’t know if food is love, but certainly when you care about someone there are times when you make their “favorites” or take them out for a nice meal.
I love to start the day off with a nice long walk with the puppers too. In fact that is where I am headed as soon as I get off the computer!
Nutzo looks awesome! I definitely need to give a shot! Barney Butter has set a pretty high standard so hopefully Nutzo can at least compare b/c it’ll be hard to beat he BB
I don’t associate food with love, exactly, but I do associate it with happy memories. Some of my favorite moments involved cooking/baking with my mom when I was younger. Even now, whenever I visit home, I feel an instinctive pull to the kitchen, where I know my mom and I will have great conversations and laughs. And maybe some wine
I do think that food can be a very nice expression of affection or appreciation–I love cooking for my boyfriend to let him know how much he means to me. And I think he likes cooking me breakfast so he can impress me with his awesome pancake skills
Not love necessarily, but as show of caring- yes. I told my husband the other night I made him dinner to keep him happy…that started an interesting conversation
My step-dad definitely associates food with love- he always orders way too much food at restaurants for everyone because that’s is way of telling you he loves you. (Kinda scary haha)
I definitely link love and food together, mainly because my fiance and I have shared a love of food – trying new things, experimenting in the kitchen, etc. – since we first got together. We also are both very focused on our health so we enjoy taking turns making healthy meals for each other.
That Nuttzo stuff sounds incredible!!
Your pumpkin oats look extra pumpkiny this morning!! I don’t necessarily think that food is love but it can help! You have to have all the other things in place for love to work and then food can sometimes enhance it. It’s a sign of caring when you make it for someone else and it also brings people together.
hang on to that pumpkin!!! we have a shortage here in Cleveland!
To me, my grandmother’s love was always most apparent through her food. She was an amazing cook and she always made special dishes depending on who was visiting. She passed away in December, so I miss that.
Isn’t it interesting how to some people food is love and it’s very fulfilling and for other people, they want to feel that love from food, so they seek it out from empty and meaningless eating?
I can’t wait for nice sunny mornings. Food is love, I make healthy food for my husband every day. It’s a form of love to take care of him and keep him healthy. I also want him to love my cooking.
Yes, I associate nutritious food with love for my body. I try to eat the highest-quality fresh foods and exercise regularly out of love and respect for it. I aim to help it be as healthy and happy as possible.
i really enjoyed your article. i think i associate food with loving memories… family dinners, fun date nights, baking christmas cookies. many of my favorite times involved good food & good company.
Food = TOTAL love for me. I plan one meal, eat it, love it, and am already planning my next meal/snack in my head. I love food, and blogging about it…so it is a match made in heaven. One question…
why were the oats packaged upside down?!?! haha
-Blogger Boy
I haven’t ever thought about t before but I guess I do associate food with love. I love to make meals for my husband and I do it out of love!
Oatmeal looks delicious as usual. Do you have pumpkin left from the fall or have you been able to find it at the store? I miss my pumpkin!
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach right ? ;>
I feel like I can practically smell your pumpkin oats, and now I want pumpkin choc chip cookies
I love long puppy walks in spring weather. Such a simple pleasure!
I didn’t used to, food was strictly fuel. But I do now. I think food should be wholesome and nutritious but also something that makes you feel good inside. If you can cook or enjoy a good meal with someone you love it really says a lot about what you value in life. I would much rather my boyfriend cook me a great meal at home rather than take us to a fancy restaurant, it just shows that they care enough to cook you something and put that effort in.
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