So this is what a snack looks like to me now. (photo above)

If there is one single symbol of my new relationship with food, it would have to be the new snack jar waiting for me in the refrigerator every time I go looking for a snack between my smoothies and vegetable stit-frys.

For me, snacks always looked quite different, although I’ve been moving away from red meat, sugar, and processed foods for years. But I’ve never gone quite this farm. By Mayo Clinic Food And Diet program has pushed me over the edge.

Maria very graciously volunteered to make me a snack jar. She loves to chop up vegetables; it is somehow therapeutic for her. And the strange thing is that I love these snack jars; they are fresh, crispy, flavorful, and healthy. And I can eat as many of them as I want.

Maria is always an artist, every minute of every day. Notice the careful arrangement of the veggie sticks, by size and color.

First suggested on the Mayo weight plan, these veggie snacks have been a significant factor in my new relationship with food. They keep me from going hungry in my new diet plan and keep my stomach full and content. There are no longer any other kinds of snacks around the house, except for a jar of sugar-free cookies; I have one each day for dessert.

I see that over time, my body adjusts to the new way of eating. I don’t eat as much, or as often. And vegetables, a category of food I avoided, really taste good. This, I see, is at the core of being healthy. I just had to and have to take responsibility for myself and for what I eat.

Hail the snack jar.