Integral Nutrition: "Healthy, Fast and Cheap: The Ultimate College Cookbook"

One of the many rewarding connections I made this weekend was with Seth Braun, an “integral nutritional counselor” who is the author of “Healthy, Fast and Cheap: The Ultimate College Cookbook.” As a budget-busting patron of Whole Foods and the organic food section at Harris-Teeter, I was curious about the notion of an affordable, healthy diet.

My interest was particularly piqued because my elder son, Julian, is soon to graduate from high school and, presumably at some point soon, move out of the house. He, too, is nutrition-conscious, but not particularly versed in the realities of what is involved in making sure the income side of the balance sheet consistently exceeds the expense side.

So, I logged onto Seth’s website and ordered the book for a mere $15. Seth, who was sitting next to me in the Integral Institute workshop, peeked at my laptop’s screen, noticed that I had placed my order (and that my credit card was approved for the purchase!), he rummaged in his bag and pulled out a copy for me. Top that delivery service, Amazon!

What struck me about the book as I read it last evening is that it was truly “integral”, in that it goes well beyond a “behavioral” listing of ingredients and ways to combine them. Rather, Seth explores systems, both economic and human, and the interior experience of the cook (both cultural and intentional, in the language of Integral Theory).

Of course, this busy ten-day trip through Denver, Miami, New York, and Massachusetts won’t allow me to test out the recipes until next month, but a brief scan of them is encouraging. I plan to give Seth’s approach a rigorous test upon my return home, and have high expectations that I’ll emerge from the experiment healthier, happier, and with some extra cash in my pocket.

I’ll let you know how it goes by the time the cherry blossoms emerge in late March and early April.