Expand Your Comfort Zone

Guest Blog post by our Administrative and Information Technology Specialist, Jon Harris

For Monday Soup Days, I almost always make chili, because it’s one dish I know I can make well. When I started at Hunger Free Vermont four years ago, I didn’t stray far from my Mom’s recipe - basically beef, beans, tomatoes, peppers and spices.  But my colleagues inspired me with their skills, using vegetables from their CSA shares year-round to make delicious, healthy, and large-quantity soups that were less expensive and just as easy to make as my chili. While I’m not quite ready to share them with a mass audience, I’ve (cautiously) begun to experiment at home with other types of soups and stews, and build confidence cooking at home.  Expanding my cooking “comfort zone” has been a tasty way to eat healthier and save money. While chili is still my “go-to” dish, the main ingredient has changed from beef to peppers, a new favorite food, with as much color and variety as I can find!

This post is part of our month-long blog series in celebration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' "National Nutrition Month." This year's theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," so each of us here at Hunger Free Vermont will take a turn to share a personal goal, story or fact regarding nutrition through daily blog posts throughout the month.