Are You Eating The Real Thing?

I'm making an effort to introduce more "real"/natural/unadulterated foods into my diet, and it's dawned on me that sometimes what we think we've been eating all these years is something completely different:

A recent example is my experiment with maple syrup. I'm a big fan of pancakes and waffles, so I thought I would try "real" maple syrup. I tried a couple of different varieties, and my first impression was-

It doesn't taste like it's "supposed to".

I tried some different kinds, and noticed some differences (for example, the darker the syrup, the stronger the flavor typically), and that Grade A isn't necessarily "better" than Grade B, it's just different. Still, to me, the natural maple syrup mainly tasted sweet, not "maple-y", which started me wondering, what exactly is in most name brand pancake syrups? (and there is a reason they call it "pancake syrup", which we shall see).

After examining several different brands, including Mrs. Butterworth's (our family favorite), it turns out the main ingredient is molasses, not maple syrup (along with the typical assortment of preservatives, artificial flavorings, etc.) Thus, my taste confusion became clear-

I was totally wrong about what maple syrup was "supposed to" taste like because I'd never actually had it.

So, my decision now is to a)get accustomed to the taste of real maple syrup; or b)find a more unadulterated type of molasses to pour on my Sunday waffles, since apparently that's what I've been eating (and liking) all these years.

Just a little object lesson in a world of knock-offs, derivatives, and outright fakes-are you eating the real thing?

You're Not As Hungry As You Think You Are

This may seem like a no-brainer to a lot of people, but I think it's an example of one of those things that you comprehend intellectually, but don't always "get" emotionally, at least not right off the bat.

I feel like I'm finally tuned in to how much food I really need, and what it really feels like to be full. I've basically been having one large meal a day (typically lunch, or a large breakfast on the weekends), with a protein drink or maybe a small amount of other food at the other two meals. I used to pack 2 snacks a day, but I'm finding that I rarely am hungry in the afternoons anymore. I can usually wait until dinner time to eat.

Where I really used to fall down with this was eating out. Restaurants typically serve much larger portions than you need, and for a long time, I felt somewhat obligated to try and eat everything on my plate at a restaurant. To make a bad pun, this was a recipe for trouble. My logic went something like this:

I paid for it.
It's a sin to waste food.

Well, OK, but looking at it differently, I've come to a new perspective on this-

You don't just pay for the food when you eat out-you pay for the convenience and service of someone preparing and serving it to you. That doesn't necessarily obligate you to eat everything in front of you. If the restaurant is a special place, you're also paying for the ambiance/atmosphere in some cases. If you're eating with a loved one or friend, you're paying for service which facilitates your time together; you can relax and enjoy each other's company while someone else cooks and serves.

You aren't the one wasting the food-the restaurant is choosing to offer food in what I've seen described as "industrial" quantities. Just because they choose to give you that much doesn't obligate you to eat all if it. If I can order a smaller portion, by all means I'll do it, but otherwise I feel like I can now order whatever I choose in a restaurant, and fully enjoy as much (or as little) of it as I like without guilt over wasting food, etc.

This feels very liberating.