So just to recap everything that we have gone over for the last three weeks. Clean eating is eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Eating foods without additives, and staying away from processed foods. This is really simple to do in itself, it is when you get into the political part of it that it becomes tricky. I am not saying this is how everyone should eat. I bought velveeta this week for mac and cheese. Just saying.
I will say though that if you are looking to change your lifestyle, looking to lose weight and to be healthier this is a good place to start. When I changed my diet and started following the as close to natural state as possible I finally started seeing results with my weight loss goals. I ended up losing 36 pounds, when I did this I also changed most of the boys diets, though Hubby was reluctant. After deciding that he needed to lose a few pounds to though he changed to my diet. In the last week he dropped 5+ pounds. So there is something to be said for eating close to a foods natural state.
Do the best you can with what you have. Good luck!
For being so good and listening to me ramble about this for the last three weeks...I am sorry, but I do have some good things in store for you. Tomorrow I have a special quick homemade treat for you, it is something you can throw together in a snap and everyone will love it. Then next week my review (so exciting), and a give away too.
Showing posts with label Clean Eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clean Eating. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Clean Eating Vol 3
Today I am covering fruits and vegetables. From everything that I have read this is pretty simple, purchase produce that is local and if you can organic. This isn't always easy, at least not for me. This one has been much harder for me to write. I am a "nice" girl so I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but this one might.
First, I think I need to let you in on little about my life. I live in rural america. It takes me 30+ to get to the grocery store, and that being a town that is less than 40,000 people to get any bigger than that I have to drive for an hour and I just don't do that very often. I go to town twice a week, because we run out of milk if I don't. Sometimes more if I need to run errands for the shop or the farm. I drive a Suburban, because you can't drive a car into a field without catching something on fire and that is BAD. You get a lot of trouble for that. I also love my Suburban. It is mine. It takes me anywhere I want to go and I feel safe in it. It can haul me, my three boys and a huge Costco load without a problem. Second, I grew up on a farm, yes we had animals, but we are a grass seed farm. We grow grass. We had some livestock off and on growing up, cows, sheep, chickens, goats, ducks, cats, and lots of dogs. We vaccinate and spray things with chemicals. It is what we do.
Now according to the books and articles that I have read all your produce/meat/ect. needs to be local and organic. Well that doesn't work for me. In the summer that is easy with farmers market, but in the winter it just doesn't happen. I am not about to pay three times the amount for an apple that looks bad (although still good) because it is organic. Well it isn't local so how is that helping anything. I buy regular produce from the store. I spend the extra and buy fresh rather than frozen. There is nothing wrong with the frozen I just prefer the fresh.
Now I don't want this to sound like I have something against organic produce. I don't. I just think that at times people put way to into it. Yes I am sure you could show me all the data to suggest that it is so much better for you. I have seen the data. Thanks. Honestly it comes down to this. It costs a lot to be an organic farmer, and it takes a lot of time to become certified organic. Those costs get passed on to you the consumer. It costs more because they can't spray and it is highly labor intensive. On the flip side we have local farmers that are doing the best they can, but they aren't organic. They don't have the capital to put in order to be organic; they don't have the money to lose taking fields out of production. So for the small guy that is doing something he loves, and is trying to support a family sometimes they just can't afford to take that risk. Shouldn't we be supporting them? Anyone who says farmers are rich never met a real one. Yes, they are rich in land, but not in pocket. There are those who come from "old" money but I am not talking about those. It is the ones that have a love of the land and have chosen to do something with that love.
Basically, do what you can with what you have. For those who can get good local and/or organic produce year-round then good for you. That still isn't an option for me. When it is maybe I will change my mind until then I do the best I can with what is available to me. The whole point is to keep the money local to help out your neighbor.
What are your thoughts on clean eating??
First, I think I need to let you in on little about my life. I live in rural america. It takes me 30+ to get to the grocery store, and that being a town that is less than 40,000 people to get any bigger than that I have to drive for an hour and I just don't do that very often. I go to town twice a week, because we run out of milk if I don't. Sometimes more if I need to run errands for the shop or the farm. I drive a Suburban, because you can't drive a car into a field without catching something on fire and that is BAD. You get a lot of trouble for that. I also love my Suburban. It is mine. It takes me anywhere I want to go and I feel safe in it. It can haul me, my three boys and a huge Costco load without a problem. Second, I grew up on a farm, yes we had animals, but we are a grass seed farm. We grow grass. We had some livestock off and on growing up, cows, sheep, chickens, goats, ducks, cats, and lots of dogs. We vaccinate and spray things with chemicals. It is what we do.
Now according to the books and articles that I have read all your produce/meat/ect. needs to be local and organic. Well that doesn't work for me. In the summer that is easy with farmers market, but in the winter it just doesn't happen. I am not about to pay three times the amount for an apple that looks bad (although still good) because it is organic. Well it isn't local so how is that helping anything. I buy regular produce from the store. I spend the extra and buy fresh rather than frozen. There is nothing wrong with the frozen I just prefer the fresh.
Now I don't want this to sound like I have something against organic produce. I don't. I just think that at times people put way to into it. Yes I am sure you could show me all the data to suggest that it is so much better for you. I have seen the data. Thanks. Honestly it comes down to this. It costs a lot to be an organic farmer, and it takes a lot of time to become certified organic. Those costs get passed on to you the consumer. It costs more because they can't spray and it is highly labor intensive. On the flip side we have local farmers that are doing the best they can, but they aren't organic. They don't have the capital to put in order to be organic; they don't have the money to lose taking fields out of production. So for the small guy that is doing something he loves, and is trying to support a family sometimes they just can't afford to take that risk. Shouldn't we be supporting them? Anyone who says farmers are rich never met a real one. Yes, they are rich in land, but not in pocket. There are those who come from "old" money but I am not talking about those. It is the ones that have a love of the land and have chosen to do something with that love.
Basically, do what you can with what you have. For those who can get good local and/or organic produce year-round then good for you. That still isn't an option for me. When it is maybe I will change my mind until then I do the best I can with what is available to me. The whole point is to keep the money local to help out your neighbor.
What are your thoughts on clean eating??
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Clean Eating - Vol 2
Today I am going to cover meat, poultry, fish and shell-fish.
In my family we hunt. It is what we do, I grew up doing it. My Dad is an avid hunter/fisherman. He taught me how to as well as my Mom. We enjoy going out, and I am not going to make excuses for that. As a result of hunting as well as growing up on the farm I know where my food comes from, which is very important.
Many people eat much more protein at any meal than they really need. A serving should only be 3-4 ounces, that is about the size of a deck of cards. Most people eat three to four times this amount. It doesn't help that if you go out for a steak they only offer you a 8 or 12 ounce, so that is what you get, and without thinking about it you have eaten the whole thing. It is not my intention to say what you should be eating or not eating. I am just giving my opinion of what I am doing. My point is that it is important to watch portion sizes. When we do have a steak and on the rare occasion that I have one I almost always cut it in thirds, save the other two-thirds for fajitas the next night or a stir fry.
Beef: we eat mostly hamburger (the boys really aren't into steaks yet) this I call and order (from the slaughterhouse) the leanest that he can get it. You can also do this at your local butcher shop or even your grocery store. The nice part about the slaughterhouse is that I know where it is coming from and it is cheaper than going to the store. I usually buy about 100 pounds at a time, this helps cut down on the cost.
Vension or Deer: all of this has come from animals have harvested ourselves. We cut and wrap the steaks ourselves and for the hamburger are fortunate that we have a friend who helps us with the hamburger. Wild game can be much healthier for you as it is lower in fat and in cholesterol. It is an acquired taste though and not everyone likes it.
Pork: I buy this from the store. It all depends on what I am making, though if it is chops I look for ones that are lean, though you want a bit of fat on them or they will become tough. I don't buy ham anymore it has too much sodium in it, though I do splurge and buy bacon from time to time.
Duck: Again this is something that we harvested (I should say Dad did), we have the meat ground and made into duck-dogs. They are unique and nothing like a hot dog. They have no added fat, and duck is super low in cholesterol. Duck is an aquired taste though, not everyone likes it.
Chicken: I buy all of my chicken from the grocery store. Usually whole fryers though from time to time I will buy the boneless skinless breasts. I have tried organic chickens several times and I have to say I really prefer the regular ones that come from the store. I know bad. It is just my preference. To me the organic ones have a different smell and taste to them that I don't care for.
Fish/shellfish: We have a fish/seafood market in a town near where we live, so I buy a lot of fish there. Sometimes if I am in a rush I do purchase it from the store. I usually buy what ever looks good at the time. I do buy wild caught rather than farmed fish. This sometimes costs a bit more, but it is just what I prefer. When they have a good sale I will buy enough for a couple dinners then freeze the rest for later use.
We do fish in my family as well, but most of the fish that we catch we either pressure can or smoke. When we are canning (especially tuna) we go the coast and purchase off one of the boats. I am still getting up the courage to go out on the boats myself. They go out 50-70 miles sometimes, and that is a long way out. If you buy direct from the fisherman you know it is fresh. When we go over several boats will be selling different fish, so you have your choice as to what you are looking for..
One point that has been highly stressed to me about clean eating is knowing the source of you food. Knowing where it comes from. They even get into how it is handled and how animals are treated. This is all important and I am not an expert on it. I am still learning day by day. Though it does have a good point in know where food comes from. Do you? Do your kids? I have met children before that thought all things came from the grocery store and they didn't have a clue as to where they were from. Education takes time, and if we all do it a little at a time big changes can happen.
Next week............Vol 3
In my family we hunt. It is what we do, I grew up doing it. My Dad is an avid hunter/fisherman. He taught me how to as well as my Mom. We enjoy going out, and I am not going to make excuses for that. As a result of hunting as well as growing up on the farm I know where my food comes from, which is very important.
Many people eat much more protein at any meal than they really need. A serving should only be 3-4 ounces, that is about the size of a deck of cards. Most people eat three to four times this amount. It doesn't help that if you go out for a steak they only offer you a 8 or 12 ounce, so that is what you get, and without thinking about it you have eaten the whole thing. It is not my intention to say what you should be eating or not eating. I am just giving my opinion of what I am doing. My point is that it is important to watch portion sizes. When we do have a steak and on the rare occasion that I have one I almost always cut it in thirds, save the other two-thirds for fajitas the next night or a stir fry.
Beef: we eat mostly hamburger (the boys really aren't into steaks yet) this I call and order (from the slaughterhouse) the leanest that he can get it. You can also do this at your local butcher shop or even your grocery store. The nice part about the slaughterhouse is that I know where it is coming from and it is cheaper than going to the store. I usually buy about 100 pounds at a time, this helps cut down on the cost.
Vension or Deer: all of this has come from animals have harvested ourselves. We cut and wrap the steaks ourselves and for the hamburger are fortunate that we have a friend who helps us with the hamburger. Wild game can be much healthier for you as it is lower in fat and in cholesterol. It is an acquired taste though and not everyone likes it.
Pork: I buy this from the store. It all depends on what I am making, though if it is chops I look for ones that are lean, though you want a bit of fat on them or they will become tough. I don't buy ham anymore it has too much sodium in it, though I do splurge and buy bacon from time to time.
Duck: Again this is something that we harvested (I should say Dad did), we have the meat ground and made into duck-dogs. They are unique and nothing like a hot dog. They have no added fat, and duck is super low in cholesterol. Duck is an aquired taste though, not everyone likes it.
Chicken: I buy all of my chicken from the grocery store. Usually whole fryers though from time to time I will buy the boneless skinless breasts. I have tried organic chickens several times and I have to say I really prefer the regular ones that come from the store. I know bad. It is just my preference. To me the organic ones have a different smell and taste to them that I don't care for.
Fish/shellfish: We have a fish/seafood market in a town near where we live, so I buy a lot of fish there. Sometimes if I am in a rush I do purchase it from the store. I usually buy what ever looks good at the time. I do buy wild caught rather than farmed fish. This sometimes costs a bit more, but it is just what I prefer. When they have a good sale I will buy enough for a couple dinners then freeze the rest for later use.
We do fish in my family as well, but most of the fish that we catch we either pressure can or smoke. When we are canning (especially tuna) we go the coast and purchase off one of the boats. I am still getting up the courage to go out on the boats myself. They go out 50-70 miles sometimes, and that is a long way out. If you buy direct from the fisherman you know it is fresh. When we go over several boats will be selling different fish, so you have your choice as to what you are looking for..
One point that has been highly stressed to me about clean eating is knowing the source of you food. Knowing where it comes from. They even get into how it is handled and how animals are treated. This is all important and I am not an expert on it. I am still learning day by day. Though it does have a good point in know where food comes from. Do you? Do your kids? I have met children before that thought all things came from the grocery store and they didn't have a clue as to where they were from. Education takes time, and if we all do it a little at a time big changes can happen.
Next week............Vol 3
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Clean Eating - vol 1
Last year while I was on the site I use to track my calories for weight loss, several people were posting about clean eating. I didn't think too much about it honestly, I figured it was just another fad, and that isn't my deal. When I started this whole weight loss/healthy thing I said it had to be something that I could do everyday and eat normal foods doing it. Well I have accomplished so much more than I thought I ever would back in May of 2008 when I first started this. I never thought I would weight what I do or that I would be as small as I have become. That said I still have another 5 pounds to go though I would be perfectly happy with 3.
So, clean eating. This may not be a new thing to many people, and it is not a new concept as I really grew up eating rather cleanly. Now though it is a choice that I am making for myself and my family to be more aware of what we eat and were it comes from. To me it is eating whole foods. Eating foods that aren't processed. Making as much as I can myself from scratch. By passing "convenience" foods for something that I can make myself. That being said.....there are things that I still buy so no one would really consider my diet to be clean, but really as this time it is as clean as it is going to get.
Other definitions that I hear are, no refined sugar, carbs, ect. Making sure food is local, organic when possible, not out sourcing, and while I don't have a problem any of those things. I don't have the money to always buy organic and honestly when I am at the grocery store and the non organic looks way better than the organic stuff what do you think I am going to buy. I grew up on a farm, we use sprays here. I know what spray is, that yes it is not always the best for you, but sometimes it doesn't harm you either.
Today I am going to cover the processed foods that I buy and why, and what requirements that they need to have in order for them to come home with me.
-Bread: has to be 100% whole wheat and have a fiber content of 5 grams or more. I haven't yet mastered the art of sandwich bread.
-Hummus: sometimes I just run out of time. When I buy hummus it has to have the fewest ingredients as possible, right now I really like the eating right red pepper hummus from Safeway. It tastes good, the sodium content isn't to high, and it is low in calories.
-Butter: I buy unsalted butter rather than margarine or spreads (though I still have margarine in the house for those special recipes).
-Canned tomatoes: The tomato products that I buy have no salt added to them. This really cuts down on the sodium in a dish, this also gives me the opportunity to add the salt as I see fit to. Next year I am planning on canning my own tomatoes, it's a plan it might not happen.
-Pasta: I still buy regular pasta. We only eat it once a week and I have tried the whole wheat several times and I am sorry I just can't do it.
I do have a stock of soup on hand, they aren't heart friendly, low sodium, they are more for when we don't have power and I need something warm and fast that takes little work. This happens at least a few times a year. In 2008 we didn't have power for a week.
-Cereal: I eat oatmeal almost every day. I buy the old-fashioned Quaker Oats. It really only takes minutes and they fill you up for hours.
There are many other things that I buy and have on hand, but those are for hubby and the boys. I pack lunches every day and while I am getting them to eat cleaner it takes time. I look at it like a marathon rather than a sprint. A new thing once a week, making small changes here and there is what really counts.
Next time meats, fish, and shellfish.
So, clean eating. This may not be a new thing to many people, and it is not a new concept as I really grew up eating rather cleanly. Now though it is a choice that I am making for myself and my family to be more aware of what we eat and were it comes from. To me it is eating whole foods. Eating foods that aren't processed. Making as much as I can myself from scratch. By passing "convenience" foods for something that I can make myself. That being said.....there are things that I still buy so no one would really consider my diet to be clean, but really as this time it is as clean as it is going to get.
Other definitions that I hear are, no refined sugar, carbs, ect. Making sure food is local, organic when possible, not out sourcing, and while I don't have a problem any of those things. I don't have the money to always buy organic and honestly when I am at the grocery store and the non organic looks way better than the organic stuff what do you think I am going to buy. I grew up on a farm, we use sprays here. I know what spray is, that yes it is not always the best for you, but sometimes it doesn't harm you either.
Today I am going to cover the processed foods that I buy and why, and what requirements that they need to have in order for them to come home with me.
-Bread: has to be 100% whole wheat and have a fiber content of 5 grams or more. I haven't yet mastered the art of sandwich bread.
-Hummus: sometimes I just run out of time. When I buy hummus it has to have the fewest ingredients as possible, right now I really like the eating right red pepper hummus from Safeway. It tastes good, the sodium content isn't to high, and it is low in calories.
-Butter: I buy unsalted butter rather than margarine or spreads (though I still have margarine in the house for those special recipes).
-Canned tomatoes: The tomato products that I buy have no salt added to them. This really cuts down on the sodium in a dish, this also gives me the opportunity to add the salt as I see fit to. Next year I am planning on canning my own tomatoes, it's a plan it might not happen.
-Pasta: I still buy regular pasta. We only eat it once a week and I have tried the whole wheat several times and I am sorry I just can't do it.
I do have a stock of soup on hand, they aren't heart friendly, low sodium, they are more for when we don't have power and I need something warm and fast that takes little work. This happens at least a few times a year. In 2008 we didn't have power for a week.
-Cereal: I eat oatmeal almost every day. I buy the old-fashioned Quaker Oats. It really only takes minutes and they fill you up for hours.
There are many other things that I buy and have on hand, but those are for hubby and the boys. I pack lunches every day and while I am getting them to eat cleaner it takes time. I look at it like a marathon rather than a sprint. A new thing once a week, making small changes here and there is what really counts.
Next time meats, fish, and shellfish.
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