"It's not worth the calories..."

I remember several times hearing my mother use this phrase in relation to some sugary candy, mediocre macaroni, or the like. This is not saying that my mother or I are overly obsessed with counting calories and dieting. Hardly. But now that I am older I realize there is definite truth to this phrase, some food really isn't worth it. If you are only eating it because it's there, because you are bored, because what you really want isn't available at the moment or takes more preparation, or for any other reason than for the simple enjoyment of that particular food, it really isn't "worth the calories."
For several weeks earlier this fall my best friend and I decided to go without sugar, just for the heck of it. I really feel like this experience refined my tastes and made me realize which sweets are worth it and which I would've eaten for any of the above reasons. For example, store-bought cookies are okay, but my mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies are worth the calories every time.
I don't mean to sound like I only ever indulge in foods that are of the highest quality and taste, I am often guilty of eating something just because it is there or because I am too lazy to make what I really want. I think it's also really hard to only eat what you really want because we live in a society surrounded by food. At almost every gathering, there is bound to be an array of mediocre goodies and sweets determined to sneak into the hands and eventually the mouths of unsuspecting guests. The "I'll just have one" mindset rarely finds success at such events.
Anyway, I guess this has sort of turned into a rant about mediocre cuisine (ironic phrase, I know) and I really didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I might need to go on another no-sugar kick in order to purge my body of high fructose corn syrup and refine my cravings once more. Maybe not...
I'm off to eat dinner...and I will probably have ice cream for dessert...but in lieu of this recent post, maybe I'll only have one scoop:).

-LC

ps: still not eating meat....pushing two months...does that mean I should identify myself as a vegetarian?