If you have ever had the opportunity to eat a fresh vegetable picked that day, you know how good it can be. Maybe something you’d never forget. But these opportunities are few and far between. Don’t let the quest for them wreck your diet.

Will I Find Perfect Peas Again?

My grandfather had a wonderful garden in Connecticut and at some point in the summer, peas would be ready for eating.

Peas are a big job. My grandfather put in a lot of hours growing them. Then they had to be picked. Even I as a little kid was required to pull a few pods off the vine.

Then they needed to be shucked. Everyone was called upon to shuck. It seemed like an eternity for the little peas to fill the bowl with enough for ten of us to eat.

I didn’t like peas, or at least I thought I didn’t like them.

But when that bowl filled with steaming peas and butter came by me at the table, I spooned several large portions into the little bowl designated for the peas and butter.

They were perfect!

Were they good? I can still taste them and would give anything for another dish of fresh picked peas.

But that probably ain’t happening. My last bowl was over 70 years ago. Where am I going to find fresh peas today?

Don’t Let Perfection Destroy Your Quest for Vegetable

Let’s face it. The biggest pain in assembling a healthy diet is vegetables. When fresh they take the most time, washing, chopping and cooking.

Don’t make it worse by insisting on the best.

Veggies out of a can are many, many times better than no veggies at all. Nutrition wise, frozen veggies might be even better than fresh.

My pea experience was as close to a perfect food experience as I will ever get.

Too often people are stymied in their healthy eating quest by the perfect.

The food must be organic and cooked fresh.

This is not possible for most of us in the modern world.

Frozen Peas Are a Great Option

They are probably picked fresh by a machine and washed and flash frozen. Not as appealing as my family chipping in to pick peas and shuck the shells.

But a good industrial process retains much of the flavor and nutrition.

If you like peas, enjoy frozen peas cooked with butter and enjoy the feeling that you’ve done something good for yourself.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Photo: https://www.tasteofhome.com/