Hi Friends,
What do Mary Poppins and Dr. John McDougall have in common?
Probably not a question you expected me to ask.
One carried an umbrella. The other carried a stethoscope.
One sang about medicine. The other prescribed potatoes.
Yet they both understood something profound:
People are far more likely to do what’s good for them if it’s enjoyable.
As many of you know, on Monday, I did an impromptu live reading of my June 14 newsletter, “I Added Sugar, Oil and Salt to My Diet. Here’s What Happened.” About 500 people joined me live, and within the first 24 hours, the replay had been viewed more than 20,000 times.
If you’d like to hear my thoughts in their full context, you can watch the replay here:
The response was overwhelmingly thoughtful and supportive. But, as expected, some people misunderstood my message. They believed I was encouraging people to eat sugar, oil, and salt – or suggesting those foods are healthy.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The conversation isn’t really about sugar.
It’s about sustainability.
It’s about finding a way of eating that nourishes our bodies without consuming our lives.
And it led me to ask myself a question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately:
When does the pursuit of perfection stop helping us and start hurting us?
For years, many of us in the whole-food, plant-based community – including me – treated health as though it required perfection.
But one of Dr. McDougall’s greatest gifts was giving people permission to make healthy eating livable.
He often said that if a small amount of sugar or salt helped someone enjoy a diet centered on starches, vegetables, and fruit, it was a worthwhile tradeoff.
His goal was never perfection.
His goal was to help people succeed for a lifetime.
That’s exactly the message behind Mary Poppins’ famous song.
“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”
The sugar isn’t the point.
The medicine is.
Maybe we’ve spent so much time arguing about the spoon that we’ve forgotten about the medicine.
To me, that’s a powerful metaphor for healthy living.
If adding a teaspoon of brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup to oatmeal helps someone stop eating donuts or sugary boxed cereal every morning, that’s a win.
If a flavorful sauce with a little salt or sugar encourages someone to eat a vegetable and rice dish instead of fast food, that’s a win.
If ketchup, mustard, or barbecue sauce helps someone actually enjoy baked or air-fried potatoes instead of reaching for ultra-processed foods, that’s a win.
(As always… condiment responsibly. 🤣)
If allowing a little flexibility keeps someone eating whole-plant foods for decades rather than quitting after two weeks, that’s a huge win.
That doesn’t make sugar or salt health foods.
It reminds us that perfection isn’t the goal. Consistency is.
Please don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not saying sugar is good for you.
I’m not telling anyone they should start eating sugar, oil, or salt.
My message is much simpler than that.
Sometimes a very small compromise can help someone achieve a much bigger goal.
The healthiest diet isn’t the one that’s hardest to follow.
It’s the one you’ll happily follow for the rest of your life.
That’s what I believe Dr. McDougall understood so well.
And maybe that’s what Mary Poppins was trying to teach us, too.
I spent many years believing every ingredient had to be perfect.
If a food contained even a tiny amount of sugar, oil, or salt, I felt like I had somehow failed.
Today I see things differently.
I still believe nutrition matters tremendously.
But I also believe that living with constant fear around food isn’t healthy either.
Ironically, letting go of perfection has made it easier-not harder-for me to eat healthfully. And far more joyful.
My mission has never been to get people to eat more sugar.
My mission has always been to help people eat more whole plant foods.
If letting go of dietary perfection helps someone do that with less fear, less guilt, and more joy, then I think that’s a conversation worth having.
Even though Dr. McDougall is no longer with us, his wisdom continues to shape how I think about food – and about life.
Sometimes I like to imagine him looking down, smiling, and saying,
“AJ… what took you so long?”
I wish I had understood this lesson years ago.
It might have saved me a lot of unnecessary fear.
Thankfully, it’s never too late to learn.
So what do Mary Poppins and Dr. McDougall have in common?
They both understood that if you want people to embrace something that’s good for them, you have to make it enjoyable enough that they’ll actually stick with it.
And sometimes…
A spoonful of sugar isn’t really about the sugar.
It’s about helping the medicine go down.
In the most delightful way. 😊
Love & Potatoes,
Chef AJ
A Newsletter Inspired by Mary Poppins, it Seemed Only Fitting to Add a Little Sweetness
This recipe isn’t about encouraging anyone to eat more sugar. It’s a reminder that food should nourish us, bring us joy, and be something we can happily live with for the long haul.
Sometimes the smallest amount of something “imperfect” can help us achieve something much more important:
Actually sticking with it.
I hope you enjoy these Vegan Rice Krispie Treats as much as I do.
The BEST 4-Ingredient Vegan Rice Krispie Treats! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Growing up, one of my favorite summer treats was Rice Krispy Squares. Now they’re every bit as delicious – completely vegan!
The secret? Vegan marshmallows, vegan rainbow sprinkles, and creamy raw cashew butter instead of butter or margarine. They’re soft, gooey, colorful, and guaranteed to disappear fast!
🌈 The BEST Vegan Rice Krispy Treats Ever 🏅
Ingredients:
* 12 ounces vegan marshmallows (more than one 10-ounce bag)
* 1 (8.4-ounce) bag organic crispy rice cereal
* 5 tablespoons raw cashew butter
* Optional: ½ of a 2.75-ounce bottle vegan rainbow sprinkles
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder
* Pinch of salt (optional—but it makes every dessert better!)
* Up to 2 tablespoons water, if needed
Instructions:
1. Evenly sprinkle half the vegan rainbow sprinkles into a 9-inch silicone baking pan, if using. No parchment paper needed! Silicone bakeware is reusable, less wasteful, and nothing sticks.
2. In a large bowl, combine the crispy rice cereal with the vanilla bean powder and salt, if using.
3. In a large nonstick pot, melt the marshmallows and cashew butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Vegan marshmallows take longer to melt, so be patient. Resist turning up the heat.
4. If needed, add water 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons total) to help everything melt smoothly. Any more than that and you’ll have Rice Soggy Treats! 😉
5. Once completely smooth, remove from the heat and gently fold in the cereal until evenly coated.
6. Press the mixture into the prepared silicone pan using slightly wet hands.
7. Freeze until firm, then cut into 16 squares.
You’re welcome! 😄
If you make these, I’d love to see your photos! Tag me and let me know what you think.