Making Healthier Choices

In a perfect world, I would buy organic fruit, milk, and meat for my family. Heck, in a really perfect world, I would buy organic everything! Since the last time I checked, Aldi doesn't have an organic section, I've been doing my best to find other ways to make healthier food options for us as a family.

To be perfectly honest, I love McDonald's. And Dunkin' Donuts. And Pizza Hut. Ooo! And Chinese take-out! My initial motivation to start cooking more and making things from scratch was simply that I thought it was cool. (I know, kind of pathetic.) I liked all of my mason jars lined up on my shelves with ingredients like oats, flax seed, and  wheat germ. But it was very intimidating to actually use these ingredients in ways my family (cough...Steve...cough) would actually eat. 

I'm a firm believer that if no one thinks it tastes good, it's not a habit that will last, but most of the websites I checked out were all-or-nothing. They made me feel like I was poisoning my family if we didn't eat 100% homemade, from-scratch, organic, farm-raised foods at all times. 

Here are my two favorite resources:

• Online: 100 Days Of Real Food (www.100daysofrealfood.com). This is going to sound like a weird promo to a very small audience, but I love this website! She eats way more organic and healthy options than I do, but this woman has educated me greatly on how to take baby steps towards healthier eating. If I can only change a few things at a time, I still feel like I'm doing good! Plus, she has a bajillion recipes for kids' lunches, easy breakfasts, all that jazz, and she writes everything in a very laid-back, down-to-earth, and non-judgmental way. I have a serious crush on this website. 

• Book: The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making. This cookbook fits in the category of "the woman I would like to be" while at the same time, inspiring me to make changes where I can. You have to know your own limits and what you actually want to do, because she includes everything from making your own oatmeal (Score!) to making your own ricotta cheese. (Something I care 0% about.) Oh, and she also lives on a pretty large farm, so I've learned to take things with a grain of salt. So far, I've made my own crackers (I didn't roll them thin enough and they came out like really dry biscuits.), granola, and I'm dying to make my own peanut butter. For me, cost is a huge factor, so I'm looking for things that we eat a lot of that I can make myself for less money, while also being a little healthier in the process. 

 

I still drink coke and buy fries. I still forget to plan ahead and grab donuts for Bella and I on the way to preschool. (You're welcome, Ms. Cheryl!)  But, baby steps! Steve now takes almonds in his lunch instead of Cheetos, and he keeps carrots and hummus (Homemade! What up!) at his desk in case he's starving. I cook dinner 5 nights a week. It may be macaroni and cheese or pizza, but it's homemade and 80% from scratch. 

 

I still really struggle with breakfast options for Bella and I on preschool mornings, especially foods that won't make a mess in the car! (Because, you know, sugar donuts are so clean.) But I've gotten better and better at planning ahead and finding options Bella will actually eat. I also (finally!) learned that if I offer the healthy option multiple times and don't have anything else for her, she'll eventually eat it (about 70% of the time).

So, there you go! It's not perfect, but it's working for us! My goal is to get more comfortable with making things from scratch like peanut butter, salad dressings, and bread. I'd like to be able to do it without feeling like it's such a big process. I think my TV infomercial is done! Thanks for listening!