Let's Eat!

It seems that I have turned into a little foodie lately.  A friend sent this wonderful blog (http://healthnutfoodie.blogspot.com) over a month ago about healthy eating and living and it really got me thinking.  I’m not completely unhealthy with my diet, but I don’t spend a lot of time making sure the food that I am eating/serving is actually benefiting my body.  That is until I read this blog and others like it to learn how to shop and cook for my family that will benefit our health, help with our energy levels, keep unwanted pounds away and eat some darn good food! 

As I’ve been reading this information, it’s really been an education on how poor the American diet is and how extremely frustrating it is that the FDA allows certain “food” items to sit on our grocery store shelves for consumption.  It is very frustrating that I can’t go to the grocery store and have a plethora of affordable food available to me that is not loaded with chemicals, pesticides, artificial sweeteners, artificial fillers, etc. 

We’ve decided to take action and improve our diet.  We are not going for perfection.  I’m not going to be the crazy mom that never lets her child enjoy a cupcake or McDonald’s french fries.  But the truth of the matter is cooking in a healthy way does not mean that you must deny yourself pleasurable food.  Healthy, clean food is full of great flavor!  I feel better knowing that I am feeding my kids FOOD that actually fuels their growing bodies. 

Here are some changes that we’ve made that really seem to be paying off: 

o     Sourcing organic produce where it makes sense.  Trying to be budget conscience, I only buy organic produce that made the “dirty dozen” list.  These are fruits/vegetables that have tested with the highest amounts of pesticide/chemical residue.  (http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/06/14/environment-group-releases-dirty-dozen-produce-list)  

o     Eliminating high fructose corn syrup as much as possible (this means giving up my beloved, daily soda pop!)

o     Eliminating nitrates/nitrites (often found in hot dogs, bacon, etc.  You can find nitrate/nitrite free options, usually a bit more expensive).

o     Eliminating partially hydrogenated oils
o     Eliminating food with dyes (i.e. red 3 or yellow 6)o     Using heart healthy oils to cook with (i.e. olive oil, coconut oil)

o     Sourcing grass fed beef from a local farmer

o     Sourcing the internet for easy, affordable, healthy recipes to feed my family (we’ve made lots of yummy things over the past month…pumpkin lasagna, quinoa risotto, pumpkin pancakes, homemade applesauce…)

Again, we’re not going for perfection, we’re just trying to make better choices in our overall diet.  I’m not going to freak out if I have an occasional soda or my favorite dessert (double stuffed Oreos).  I am however not going to purchase these items on a regular basis.  My biggest threat to the food industry is where I spend my $ so I want to make sure that I’m spending the majority on actual, clean FOOD!  Like anything, it’s easy to become obsessive and put your security in the food you eat.  I just want to do the best I can for my growing family!