This new year that’s started has gotten me thinking – been pretty reflective lately. I realized that if it’s true that it’s what’s on the inside that counts my family and I need to clean up our act more than we need to clean up our house.
Convenience food – it’s just so darned – convenient. And while you won’t see us at the fast food drive in on any sort of regular basis I’ve been feeling like, as the meal provider in the family, I’ve been seriously slacking. Okay, to cut myself some slack, my first trimester of pregnancy was a little rough but now that I’ve gotten the second wind that comes with the second trimester I’m ready to get back into the game. I’ve also been totally inspired by my fellow wordpress bloggers delving into eating clean(er), especially those with small kids. I can never get enough hints on how to sneak the good foods into Sofia’s diet!
What does that look like in our house? To ease back into things it means smoothies. We’re lucky, we have a Vitamix but I’ve heard people who seem to be equally in love with their Bullet, Ninja, Kitchenaid Blender, etc. which is great. It’s also a good way to use up those fruits and veggies that are on the verge of that not-so-fresh-feeling or the slightly browning bananas that your toddler refuses to eat because she thinks they’ve gotten “dirty”. Smoothies are also a good way to be sneaky. As mentioned in a earlier posts – I’m not sure how else I would get Sofia to eat kale if not in a smoothie.
The bad part about getting a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies is the freshness lifespan (duh) but also the price. In season or not it can still get pricey. Which you think would be a motivator to make sure you use up all that you purchase but I’ll confess that I’ve thrown out my share of unidentifiable liquified veggies from the bottom of the produce drawer.
The good part about eating fresh, less processed foods: you feel good. I feel better just knowing what I’m putting into my mouth and feeding my family is less processed and more nutrient dense than the processed meal we were eating a few weeks ago that was oh-so-convenient but left me feeling slightly yucky and guilty afterwards.
I think most importantly, is to think long term which is what can be the biggest challenge. Eating fresh and un/lessprocessed takes more work. It takes thought, and planning and time, precious time that I never feel I have enough of. The American food industry definitely caters to convenience, it’s true, so you’re also going against most advertising and public opinion. It’s choosing to do what’s right, what’s best and fighting what’s easy and what’s convenient. And actually, by now, everyone knows what the right choice is – it’s the doing that can be hard – I get that.
Not to say that eating healthy can’t be easy or convenient. There is afterall, the crock pot and meal planning. I’m a lover of the former and a reluctant convert of the latter. Life and meal time really is easier when you plan it out ahead of time! There, I said it.
OK, I’ll admit I’m still in the honeymoon period of my first week of all of this change. BUT, I’m convinced that this is the right thing for me and my family and I’ve loved feeding them new dishes filled with veggies and whole grains, lean meats, etc – you know: the good stuff.
I think it all started with my sister in law coming to dinner once a week before her roller derby practice (I know, how cool is she?!). I put more thought into that meal and thus a transformation has begun – with babysteps. Maybe this strategy would work for you? A regular visitor – who wouldn’t love to come over for a meal? Or at least a designated day of the week. Give it a title: Unprocessed Mondays or Take Charge of Your Diet Tuesday, Oh, oh, oh how about: Fresh Fridays?! Well, you get the point…
What’s the point of a healthy house if the inhabitants aren’t healthy too?
