Carb Loading

Kids lined up twenty deep in anticipation of the annual spaghetti dinner the night before their all-city swim meet. Large pans held spaghetti, red sauce with fresh basil, alfredo sauce, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. At the end of the line, more platters from parents held delicious desserts, fruits and bread to mop up any leftover sauce. 

Sure, the annual spaghetti dinner is billed as the perfect “fuel” or carbo load pre-event meal, but it’s much more than that. 

It’s about the kids celebrating their hard work all season. 
It’s about parents celebrating that they don’t have to convince their kids to get out of bed early in the morning and into a (sometimes very cold) pool. 
It’s about the joy of being together as a team and community. 
It’s about the pleasure that a good meal brings. 
It’s about tradition because every kid and parent I know looks forward to this event.

Food isn’t just about fuel. It’s about so much more. 

Maybe it’s time to rethink diet culture’s idea of food as fuel alone. Sure, food gives our body fuel, but it also gives us celebration, joy, pleasure, tradition and community which are all equally important as fuel.