Healthy Eating

I've been reading Laura's journey to healthy eating over at her blog (Heavenly Homemakers). She has written about how she went from being a coupon-clipping frozen-food eating Pepsi-guzzling eater to a whole and natural food eater. She was spurred on by a son with major allergies and her own asthma issues, but now has healthy eating down to a science. I'm so grateful she shares all her wonderful ideas. This is a mom of four boys who needs things inexpensive, fast, easy, and yummy for the kids. She posts her weekly menus and includes tons of recipes.

Most of all, I like that she doesn't make me feel terrible if my ideas differ from hers. Personally, I could never give up breakfast cereals, no matter how terrible I know they are for me. I just love them. I could eat (and have eaten, in my university days) cereal three meals a day. It's easy, and, for me, yummy. If James is up and at it, he'll often make pancakes. Me, bring out the boxes.

That being said, I have certainly learned a lot this past year or two about healthy eating. And no, I don't mean low-fat or calorie counting eating. I just mean trying to eat fresh, whole and natural foods wherever possible. Yes, I have frozen pizzas in the freezer, and yes, a newborn makes things much more difficult. I do my best, and on days when things fall apart I take advantage of the easier but less healthier options out there.

We eat things I never thought would be favourites: asparagus, salads, sweet potato, fresh green beans. My grocery cart was 90% full of fruits and veggies this past week. A salad (with a toasted bagel and cheese) is my current go-to lunch. More than anything, I'm grateful for tastebuds and a constitution that loves healthy eating. I know both James and Caleb are bread-men, picking at veggies last, if there is nothing else. I get that that is their natural preference. I don't like the idea of eating foods I don't love, so I can't imagine how difficult it is to make fruits and vegetables the major part of your diet if you don't have a natural affinity for them. Luckily for me, I can tell the food industry to take their processed foods and fake sugars and stuff it! Which is hard for many people to do, because these foods are engineered to be addictive. Best to stay away completely, that's for sure.