Don’t get me wrong, as followers of the 2WC know, we’re a fan of food holidays. National Cheeseburger Day — I like mine medium. National Ice Cream Day — two scoops please. But Eat What You Want Day leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Perhaps it’s the implication that you should be eating what you don’t want to eat the rest of the days. But I think it’s most likely the side of guilt with a healthy serving of judgment.
At some point, as a society we forgot the joy of eating. Whether you’re considered a healthy eater, middle of the road, or you can’t remember the last time you had a salad, we’ve all been judged for what or how much we eat.
Most of the comments seem relatively harmless. A word here about how much sugar is in that cupcake you’re enjoying. A fun fact about the hidden calories in salad. Pile enough of them up though, and you have a heaping helping of unwanted and less than helpful opinions on how you should spend your daily allotment of calories.
Now I’m not saying that you should only eat fried food from now on because it makes you happy. I assure you, the long-term effect on your health will greatly outweigh the joy of ignoring your better judgment. But maybe cut yourself (and others) a break when you do indulge.
If you’re not sure how to do that, here are some quick tips. Instead of sharing with the table that you know how bad or healthy a particular dish is (everyone knows that fried cheese curds aren’t part of a healthy diet), comment on the seasoning or the texture. Or, perhaps just enjoy your meal.
…just for fun: