Food exists at a lot of intersections. Traditional food can help us connect with our culture across the globe and across time. Food at a block party can help us connect with our neighbors across the street. Food nourishes our bodies for healthy functioning. Food can bring us joy adding decadence to a celebration. That’s a lot. Frankly, I think it’s too much.

It’s inspiring to think about being connected to our forerunners while we make dishes passed down through generations. And it’s a task to find all of the specific ingredients. It can take more time and energy to find the right ingredients. Eating traditional foods can be taxing on our brain space and planning, especially when we consider how many things people are balancing these days.

Eating with others is key to fellowship and community building. It’s so enriching to connect with others over food. Walls come down, stories flow and relationships flourish. But the logistics? Have you tried planning a dinner party? Linking schedules is so hard. Why is everyone so busy? We can use food to connect with each other, but at what cost?

Food is meant to nourish us. Eating more veggies is a fun challenge. But getting solid nutrition advice is not always easy. It seems like half the articles about food and nutrition are trying to scare me. Am I supposed to eat for my blood type? Am I supposed to eat 30 different plants a week? Am I supposed to eat like a caveman, a carnivore, or a rabbit? Food is meant to nourish us, but so much advice seems just to distract us.

I’m tired. I need a cookie. Food can give us joy and comfort. I’ve had hard days where some nice food restored my soul. Food can perk me up when I’m down in the dumps. But at what cost? A food that makes me feel better probably isn’t the most nourishing. I’ve heard these are called “quality of life foods.” That phrase makes me smile. It reaffirms that joy is a valuable dimension of food. Food is not only for nutrients; it’s also for joy. Also feels like the key here.

These four ‘food values’ of Culture, Community, Nutrition and Joy each enrich our lives. They can all also tempt us into thinking about food wrong. When we only focus on one way our food can enrich us, we can end up losing the others. Focusing on nutrition to the detriment of tradition can leave us feeling alienated from our humanity. Focusing on decadence and never sharing food can lead us to alienation from our neighbors. If every food we ate was for quality of life, we might work against our health. If every bit of food has to  maximize nutrients, we might become too restrictive and end up hurting our mental health. Each food value has a place in our menu. I think food enriches us the most when we try to hit multiple values at once.

One way I like to hit Community, Nutrition, and Joy is by making a big batch of Protein Pancakes and inviting everyone over!

Protein Pancakes 

This recipe makes 6 pancakes.

Wet ingredients:

2 tablespoons oat milk 
¼ teaspoon oil
3 tablespoons applesauce
3 eggs
1 banana

Dry ingredients:
1 tablespoon high-gluten flour
1 ½ tablespoons oat flour
3 tablespoons pea protein
1 tablespoon ground psyllium husks
1 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions:
1. Beat the wet ingredients until fluffy.
2. Add and blend dry ingredients until even.
3. Blend dry and wet ingredients until there are no lumps left. (Do not fear overbeating.)
4. Let sit for 5 minutes and preheat skillet to low. 
5. Place ⅓ cup-scoops of batter on an ungreased skillet. 
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.