Babystep #2 : Pantry
BabyStep #2: Wean yourself of Processed Foods
It seems like an impossible step, and I’m still working on it. Not sure we will ever NOT have something processed in our home, but minimizing is possible. And enjoying fresh, God-foods versus man-foods is enjoyable!
Finding your local farmers’ market is a great step. Trying out foods that actually came out of the ground they toiled over…you will be shocked at how much better the fruits and veggies taste. We are not aware of how the super-market raises our food…there are chemical washes as well as ripening in chemicals. There are also wax polishers that we’re ingesting along with their pesticides. Documentaries like Food, Inc and Fresh are good to watch in learning more about what big companies are doing to our foods. Knowing our farmers helps us to some extent to know where our food comes from. The tastes is so much fuller and satisfying as well.
A great website is www.eatwild.com!! Check it out for grass fed beef, chicken, eggs, and milk in your area.
On a practical KIDNOTE: It takes time, but we started not having snacks in our house that were processed. When the kids come in from playing they are allowed to choose a fruit of veggie as a snack. I keep edamame, carrots, celery, and cucumbers cut up in the fridge and a fruit basket full of apples, bananas, tangerines, and grapes in the freezer. It took them about 6 months, but now they know to come in and ask for a fruit of veggie! They even love a smoothie. I am going to try freezing some protein smoothies into popsicles for the summer.
Real Food Has Curves, a new book written by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, offers a 7-step plan for weaning yourself off processed foods:
Seek true satisfaction. Enjoy genuine flavors, rather than fat, sugar, and salt added to mask the metallic taste of chemical additives.
Read labels wisely. You can find food with “real” ingredients in the supermarket if you read labels carefully.
Relish what’s on your plate. Devote time solely to enjoying the pleasures of eating.
Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and sugar. You can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes like strong spices.
Give your palate time to change. You’ll gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods.
Go for higher-quality foods. Look for products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients.
Treat yourself well by not skipping meals. Try eating three meals a day at fairly regular times, plus a mid-afternoon snack.
Sources: U.S. News & World Report June 4, 2010 and www.mercola.com
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