The Generosity of Plants: Reconnecting with the Earth to Heal your Relationship with Food
I have always felt held by plants. As a child, I would slip behind an overgrown hedgerow into a quiet, forgotten field, clutching a bag of sweets I had secretly bought with my pocket money. There, hidden among the wheat stubble and wild overgrowth, I would eat past fullness, seeking comfort in sugar and solitude. And then, I would cry.
This was how I learned to cope with emotions too big for my small body. In that field, away from prying eyes and judgment, I felt safe—held by the stillness of the plants around me and the soothing presence of carbohydrate-rich foods.
Our Forgotten Connection to Plants
Humans have long lived in reciprocity with plants—they have sheltered, shaded, fed, healed, soothed, and carried us, all while animating us with oxygen and carbohydrates.
In a world that has severed our connection to nature—and to ourselves—it’s no surprise that carbohydrates, which we find only in plants, are now demonized.
When I see how carbohydrates are shunned as unnecessary, I mourn the loss of gratitude. As a biomedically trained dietitian, I know plants don’t think like us, yet I wonder if they, too, mourn our distance. Where at one time we honoured them as revered persons growing among us, to whom we have a duty of care as much as they care for us, today they are shunned, exploited, or used as ornaments.
Carbohydrates as a Gift from the Earth
We have grown afraid of the grains that make our bread and birthday cakes, the starchy roots that have long sustained us, the pasta and peaches we once enjoyed. We have been tricked into seeing plants as threats rather than reminders of belonging.
What if we viewed carbohydrates differently—through the lens of gratitude for the plants that gift them to us? Holding ourselves in the knowledge that each crisp bite of an apple, slice of hot buttered toast, or sip of orange juice is a sacred communion with the apple tree, the wheat field, and the orange grove. In a world that distances us from our food’s source, perhaps reclaiming this connection is the key to feeling safe, rooted, and deserving of nature’s abundant care.
All Food is Earth’s Harvest
We may feel disconnected from the Earth, as if food must come from a farmer’s market to be worthy. But this is neither true nor helpful. For many, the most accessible harvest comes from supermarket shelves, in packaged and affordable forms. As such, we can hold compassion for ourselves in a system that prioritizes profit over well-being. Whether a sandwich is made with Ezekiel bread or Wonder White, it still comes from this good Earth—each bite a quiet communion with the natural world.
Reclaiming Gratitude for the Plants That Nourish Us
Perhaps true nourishment is about permission—to remind ourselves that our bodies are good and that we belong here, alongside our kin, the plants, with whom we share an inseparable bond. We are created from plants, and when we return to the Earth, we nourish them in turn. We are part of this good Earth. We belong here.
As we reflect on the generosity of plants, I wonder how we can bring more gratitude into our daily lives. Is it saying thanks for the food on your table? Tenderly caring for the plants in your home, office, or garden? Noticing the ways your life depends on plants? Pausing to breathe in the scent of fresh-cut grass or a blooming flower? Incorporating plants into your creative pursuits or tending a small garden, whether it's a balcony plant or a community garden?
What do you need to feel reconnected to your birthright as kindred beings of the plants, whose generosity surrounds you?
Ready to reconnect to your sacred birthright?
This is exactly the work we do in nutrition therapy: rewiring your nervous system so you can feel safe, empowered, and peaceful around food—rather than overwhelmed, guilty, and anxious.