Monday, April 4, 2011

Food Changes

Most people that know me IRL, know that I am a selective eater.  I like certain things and am not very adventurous.  My tongue is on fire with spicy foods and texture matters big-time.  I love to eat however.  The problem is that I love to eat mostly the wrong foods.  We've been making changes, however slight, to make more sit down meals with the family or making real mashed potatoes vs out of the box.

I took time this morning to watch Supersize Me and Food, Inc.   And while I have made small changes to eating better or having healthier foods in our home, I know I have yet to truly make changes.  There is a piece in Food, Inc. in which a farmer says (not exact quote) "I have people come up and complain about paying $3.00 for a dozen of organic eggs while they are holding a 75 cent can of pop."  That is so me.  I have done that very thing.  I've talked about walking to the farmer's market in summer and buying produce, but have rarely followed through.

I have yet to discuss this food change plan with my partner in crime, I mean, life.  So we'll see how far I can take this.  He already complains about what I don't eat, but I'm thinking I may eat more things if I know they are healthy and not processed.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I will still have my chips (on occasion) and my processed wheat pizza dough from a national chain.  But change starts small, right?  I've thought about planting a garden and have discounted it due to the deer, squirrels, and rabbits we have traversing through.  I've played with the idea of container gardening, but thought it was too much effort or that it's not really worth it.  But now I'm thinking differently and doing some investigating about it.

So those who do organic, grass-fed food, etc.....got ideas, recipes, and other tidbits to share?

2 comments:

Dawn said...

I think of it like this; everything in moderation, however, thinking of the obesity rate of kids these days, I hate my kids eating crap that will reap havoc on their bodies in years to come. What we feed our kids will make them what they are yet to be. Society and fast food are responsible for the type 2 diabetes that is rampant, especially with younger people.

Fast food is now a rare treat rather than a frequent convenience. If we do a quick dinner, I'll go to Subway instead of McD's so the kids get a sandwich & apple vs. burger & fries. Eating out is so hard to be healthy, so much of it is where you go.

At home, baby steps! I don't buy a lot of chips & desserts anymore because it all ends up in MY belly as well as the kids. I don't bake anymore for the same reason.
We do grill a lot, and I have a food steamer that is fabulous for juicy meats.
Pre-planning is essential. If we take out some steak, chicken or something for dinner, we'll eat healthier than if we fly by the seat of our pants and then 5pm rolls around and we ask "what do you want?" "I dunno...let's just do a pizza". That used to happen a lot, but now pre-planning makes us more accountable and we think about our health goals too when choosing side dishes (greens vs. tater tots).

Our eating has changed dramatically, but it's been years in process. We try to go more for quality than quantity or quickness. I'll pay more for a GOOD pizzeria pizza than $5 Little Caesar's crap.

I could go on with all the little things, but know it's all the little things that add up to make a big difference.
(this is not even mentioning preservatives, artificial sweeteners, & other chemicals that change kids body chemistry & metabolism)

sorry I hijacked your post. ;)

lizo12 said...

I can't afford to do all organic, but there are a few I almost always choose to do. All berries, eggs (they taste way better), spinach and lettuces. I should do more and I probably will as our income grows. I agree that its all about moderation. Last night I ate nearly a bag of potato chips and drank 3 beers while watching t.v. NOT GOOD! So today, I am eating healthy and going to bust my bum at the gym. Its like checks and balances.

Starting small is the best thing. And you can train yourself to like things. At least I have found this to be true. I will eat things over and over again that I dislike. If you eat them a million different ways and over a period of time you will find that your tastebuds adjust and you start to actually like them. Doesn't work for everything but it's worked for me. Best of luck on your healthy adventure! :)