Thursday, January 24, 2013

Real Food, Real Change


I have been thinking about and experimenting with switching the family to a more "real food" diet. Less processed and artificial foods. More fresh, organic, wholewheat and home made food to be consumed. This is out of character for me. The last 7 years of parenting have often been about survival, which has often meant convenient and easy food, and probably too much take-away. No regrets though. I survived. The kids survived. The husband survived. And they all look healthy enough on the surface. But what's going on inside I wonder?

I have done some reading, but mostly this latest attempt at change is inspired just by common sense. Our bodies must surely function better when we put food in that has a chemical structure close to how it began. And there's a level of sentimentality too... a connection with the nutritional history of humanity since the beginning of time, rather than with the American diet of the last 50 years.

My first project has been switching to wholegrain. Wholegrain bread, pasta, brown rice, wholemeal flour in baking. We have been a white bread family for some time. High fibre white bread, but white never-the-less. So far the family hasn't objected or even noticed. Some other things I have tried:
  • a few family favourites with half and half - a mix of white and brown rice
  • wholegrain wraps instead of white tortillas
  • no store bought biscuits
  • some recipes for biscuits that only use bananas for sweetening
  • natural yoghurt sweetened with maple syrup
  • wholemeal banana pancakes
There are a lot of others out there attempting this kind of change, including 100 days of real food which has been very helpful.

My biggest challenge will be maintaining this when school and kinder and all the associated activities start up again, and I am working 3 days a week.  But, as with all of these things, it's worth trying. If I aim high I might at least get off the ground. Wish me luck.

1 comment:

Cuggles! Kids said...

Good on you Kate! I've given up the blog but still occasionally reading the ol' fav's. Nice to see you soldiering on. We switched to all wholemeal and 'wholesome' too. Kids don't know the difference but hubby certainly did! You may have seen a great book, the 100 mile diet. Very inspirational. Take care, keep up the good work. :) Ps. Emma is right in her comment on previous post, you are a great writer. Easy to read, entertaining, intelligent. Kim.