Chilaquiles
And Their Aftermath
As my friend’s 3 year old scampered around the play area of the restaurant where we were celebrating the parent’s birthday I made an unusual menu choice. It was only 4 in the afternoon, which is when I usually have a snack to tide me over until dinner, but the offerings were mostly fully plated meals or elaborate desserts. I could have ordered a cappuccino to quell my belly pangs but I realized we’d probably be there for at least an hour and service is pretty slow in this town so I decided to order an early dinner instead. As I scanned the options, I was aware of how carb heavy they were between the various tortilla dishes, French fries, huge hamburger buns, wraps and enchiladas. (Nary a salad in sight!) At the bottom of one column was chicken wings and I thought: “protein, let’s do that! I’m still healing a broken foot and worked out at the gym this morning“ so thought I could gift my muscles and bones with a restorative nutrient.
Then, something about the place reminded me that I’m “not in Kansas” anymore, beholden to the current American Ozempic inspired protein craze that has captured social media and the food industry by the talons. Yes, we all need protein and the re-vamped Food Pyramid designed by R.F.K. Jr. (our current Secretary of Health and Human Services) would have us all eating and drinking cow products every day over soups and salads. But I’m in Mexico and their cuisine has historically featured beans, pumpkin seeds and cheeses as alternative protein sources for many tortilla based dishes. So I decided to lean into the moment and ordered Chilaquiles Verdes with eggs, essentially a plate of corn chips in a green sauce sprinkled with a feta-like cheese accompanied by eggs. I’ve had them before and enjoyed the slightly chewy chips, tart sauce and tangy cheese topping.
Our plates arrived as we chatted and “bought” toy fruits from my friend’s 3 year old; $2,000 dollars for a wooden mango put all my U.S. grocery price complaints to shame! By then I was hungry and dug in with a happy expectation of crunch, salt, spice and the umami of fried egg. However, what I got were a few soggy chips, a few dry chips, no salt, no heat from the green salsa and a single egg with no seasoning. The dish looked good but bite after bite, I sought a taste sensation that I couldn’t find. I should have asked for salt or a more piquante salsa but the restaurant was very busy with no wait person in sight, we were chatting a lot and I just gave in to what was available in the moment. I kept eating, hoping something would shift, until my hunger was sated, but I left with the feeling of wanting something, of slight dissatisfaction, of not quite done.
There happened to be a Mexican equivalent of a 7 - 11 where my friend dropped me off and I popped in to find something sweet to finish off the afternoon. Not sure what I wanted I grabbed a chocolate flavored bran bar, an amaranth cookie, some “crunchy clusters of granola with a chocolate flavored covering” and a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almond bar. I wasn’t planning on eating them all; I just wanted a bite of each. A nip of this and a piece of that and then I opened the bag of granola clusters and my taste buds finally got the excitement I had originally wanted from my dinner. I was only going to eat a few but found myself finishing off the hyper flavored crunch balls with a sense of wonder and dismay. I don’t usually like processed sweets but my dopamine receptors were gobbling up the joy and overriding any executive functioning my brain might have used to temper my consumption. Fortunately, the bag was small and I know myself well enough to not worry about triggering future cravings for a repeat visit. What I re-learned was the importance of honoring the moment to moment experience of eating (should have asked for the salsa!) and how seeking satisfaction can lead to over-eating when pleasure is elusive.
Introduction to Mindful Eating Authentic Living Support
(An Inclusive Place for All Wellness Choices)
Please check out our free weekly group
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026
6 - 7:30pm PST
(Email coachbarbery@gmail.com or visit barberybyfield.com for more info)