Christina Ditlof-Nahed finds it easier to eat healthy now that she lives with her husband.Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Before marrying Anthony Nahed in May last year, Christina Ditlof-Nahed was trying to make healthier food choices.
But, like nearly half of Canadians in her age group (20-29), Ditlof-Nahed lived with her parents – so she ended up eating whatever her mom put on the plate: pasta cooked in rich sauces, bread with every meal and red meat that her father enjoyed (he, like many other men of his generation, has an aversion to white meat).
The 29-year-old was in Woodbridge, Ont., a suburb north of Toronto, and relied heavily on her parents’ financial and logistical support, including grocery shopping. Since moving in with her husband in Mississauga, she has become more self-sufficient in the kitchen.
Her husband began cooking after moving for university – largely out of necessity – leveraging the Lebanese recipes his mom taught him growing up, and some impromptu lessons from his friend and roommate who used to work at a pizza shop. Slowly, preparing food became a passion for him.
Ditlof-Nahed never enjoyed cooking before, but making meals alongside her husband gives her a chance to spend quality time with him after a long day.
“We cook together, talk and catch up while we eat our meal together to help us reconnect,” she says.
It has also given her a sense of accountability for what she eats, says Ditlof-Nahed, who has replaced a lot of the beef she grew up eating with chicken, tuna and salmon to reduce her cholesterol.
For breakfast, the couple typically eats oats, yogurt, fruit and granola mix, and lunch is usually eggs with pita bread, hummus and cucumber. She has also replaced the chips she used to eat “mindlessly” while working from home with more nutritious snacks such as kiwis, grapes, apples or dates with peanut butter on top as a sweet treat.
“I’ve had a struggle with my body image and weight throughout my life. Leading up to my wedding, I gained a lot of weight, because I ate quite a bit to deal with stress. I’m rebuilding my relationship with my body and with food,” she says.
Now that the wedding has passed, building their own nuclear family is the couple’s next goal.
“I’m learning to make healthier choices, like less snacking and eating more fruits and vegetables instead of chips, so that I can pass those [habits] on to my children.”
How we save money on groceries: We save money by making our meals at home and buying in bulk. On the days we go into the office – twice a week – we buy lunch. Packing lunch is something we’re still working on.
How we splurge on groceries: Friday nights are our date nights, so we will order a meal or go out to eat. I also like to splurge on nice trays and vessels to display the food I make when I’m hosting people, or when I’m bringing food to an event.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: My husband likes to be creative in the kitchen. The Lebanese food he grew up eating revolves heavily around red meat, so he often feels limited by the options he has when he tries not to consume too much of it.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: Making healthier choices when I was living with my parents was difficult; now I’m able to do that. I’m listening to my body to tell me when it’s satisfied, instead of mindlessly snacking while I’m working from home.
Five items always in my cart:
1. Hummus – Longo’s – $6.99: My husband finds this hummus pretty authentic, close in taste to what his family makes. We eat it pretty often for lunch or with dinner as part of our meals.
2. Diet Coke – $8 for a 12-pack: Since giving up alcohol in January for my health, we look for alternatives. Instead of a glass of wine, I’ll have a Diet Coke on ice with a lime.
3. Tandoori Naan Garlic – CrispyJustBaked – $4.99: It’s pretty standard to have pita with meals in Lebanese culture. This flatbread may not be Lebanese, but it’s tasty, and we have it on the side of most meals.
4. Sumac spice – Cedar – $2.99: We use this spice to make za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice and herb blend with ground thyme that Anthony’s parents bring us from Lebanon. We usually eat it with eggs and pita for some flavour.
5. Dates – Adonis – $22 for one kilogram: We buy Middle Eastern food items from Adonis, as well as spices and olive oil. It’s a big Middle Eastern grocery store not too far from our house, and we go there for our Lebanese staples.
