REAL Food

By now, if you haven't questioned the processed foods in your diet, you must have been away from earth for the past few years (like the kid in Disney's Flight of the Navigator, and yes I am a child of the 80s) or at least the U.S.  I can't turn on the news, open a paper or log on to facebook or twitter without seeing a new study linking something else in the American diet to another chronic disease.  Several of the most popular diets (including the Paleo Diet and Michael Pollan's diet) focus on eliminating the popular processed foods. 

I understand that many of these claims need more investigation, but what these doctors and nutritionists are saying makes sense to me.  Why do I think it is okay to load my body with chemicals and various other non-foods that are designed never to rot?  Why wouldn't it be healthier to eat food closer to its natural state - that is the way God created it?

(from our community garden)

 



The Proverbs 31 woman provided food for her family (v15), brought good to her family - not harm (v12) and she had wisdom (v26).  She didn't have to navigate the modern day grocery stores and restaurants filled with so many products masquerading as "food" that actually do more harm than good to the body.  So, I don't know how she would have approached this dilemma.  But I would love to eliminate processed foods, aiming at a healthier mama and family.

However, I've realized that this is HARD!  Never picking up a pizza or a quesadilla on the way home for dinner?  Never adding chicken and feta cheese to some Near East Couscous for a quick dinner (a staple in my house)?

Originally inspired by my warrior of a cousin who kicked a Stage 3 Brease Cancer Diagnosis in part by changing her diet, I once attempted "Clean Eating" by removing all processed foods from my diet.  I don't think I lasted a single day!  YIKES!  (I didn't realize how much I was attached to Rotel Tomatoes ... I really do think I use them in every soup, stew or chili that I make.)

So, this time around I am limiting my processed foods to 25% of my weekly diet, with particular attention to artificial sugars and dyes.  To make it easier on days when I'm working on projects while juggling a baby and my March volunteer commitments, I took advantage of slow cooker recipes (and yes, I did add Rotel Tomatoes to a couple of them). 

 

My original plan was to bake my own whole wheat bread for sandwiches, but who the heck has time for that? Instead, I am trying to stick with breads containing 5 ingredients or less (or at least ingredients that I understand).

This REAL FOOD website has been amazingly helpful in defining processed foods and providing recipes.  Later in the spring, I plan to attempt completely eliminating processed foods once again with their 10-Day Pledge.  But for now ... baby steps.