Have you ever thought about how funny it is that we have a "relationship" with food? I think that's funny. But I also think it's sort of disturbing how much of my life revolves around food. If you've seen the movie Over the Hedge, think back to the part where the raccoon is explaining the humans' food to all the other animals--not only do they eat it, but they buy it, cook it, pay people to take away the trash, spend hours working off the calories, taking anti-acids when they eat too much, etc.
With two little kids, a lot of my day is spent just feeding people. And making food, and cleaning it up. And I've also found that I have the habit of turning to food when I want to exercise a little creativity, or when I want to say "I love you, and I'm sorry you had a rough week" to Neil (hence the photo of the peach pie at the top of the post), simply because it's an affordable option.
However, this is really starting to irk me. I've lost every one of the 17 lbs I gained with Juliet (plus six more! hurrah for nursing) so I'm not trying to diet, but I don't feel as healthy as I'd like to be in my eating habits. I don't like feeling like I negate an hour running on the treadmill with five minutes of eating!
However, this is really starting to irk me. I've lost every one of the 17 lbs I gained with Juliet (plus six more! hurrah for nursing) so I'm not trying to diet, but I don't feel as healthy as I'd like to be in my eating habits. I don't like feeling like I negate an hour running on the treadmill with five minutes of eating!
What I find really interesting is how some of the new food trends are becoming almost a constant topic of conversation among the women that I know. I've literally spent hours lately with my friends discussing high fructose corn syrup, reducing meat consumption, going "raw," etc. I've always been pretty conscious of what I'm feeding my family, but lately I've decided that we can step it up. For instance, we're only eating animal meat 3 times a week these days (and fish once), and we haven't bought any "junk" food (i.e. chips, pretzels, Oreos, ice cream) since January. (Which basically just means Neil bakes cookies like a maniac.)
Mostly, I'm just dying for it to be spring already, so I can get out and start digging around in the garden again. I hate spending $50 on produce alone every time I go to the grocery store. I can't even tell you how much I loathe the grocery store when I have to pay $2.69/lb for tomatoes. Tomatoes!!!
So what I am really, really, really curious about, and this means that IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU SHOULD COMMENT!!! because I really want a lot of feedback on this because I'm trying to figure out all this myself...is what you do when it comes to food. Do you buy organic? Are you a vegetarian? Or vegan? Do you eat meat and potatoes at every meal? Do you buy whatever's on sale and not worry about it? Do you bake your own bread? Olive oil and butter, or vegetable oil and margarine? White or wheat flour? Do you use applesauce when you bake instead of oil? Or do you think all this kerfluffle about food is just kerfluffle? Do you like tofu, or (like my husband) does the thought of slimy bean curd make you gag?
And please, if you have any good vegetarian recipes to share, please, please, please share them. Please. I'm begging you.
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22 comments:
My mom was vegetarian while I was growing up and Josh has been for about 8 years, so I don't really have a taste for meat and don't eat it very often. However, I love fish and I will make chicken once in a while. I can't remember ever cooking beef, really. We make sure to get protein by eating lots of eggs, beans, and nuts combined with the right veggies, etc. We buy organic when we can and especially when it comes to the staples--milk and eggs. I wish I baked my own bread and I will someday, but not right now. We eat Spelt bread, which is a really yummy whole grain bread that tastes lighter than whole wheat. Whole grains pretty much dominate (couscous being one of my absolute favs). Love the olive oil!! If I'm using veggie oil, it's always Canola. Grew up on margarine and prefer its taste to butter, even though I don't think it's actually better for you (and maybe it's worse?). Applesauce substitutions and the like are great as long as they don't alter flavor too much, but I'm not against having fatty treats once in a while (okay, more than once in a while sometimes). I'll share vegetarian recipes sometime, but I don't have any on me (or exactly memorized). Also, I guess I feel like we eat the same things as everyone else, just without the meat (i.e. lasagne, spaghetti, etc.)
I'll be back to give you a good answer. Promise.
Here's my two cents. I think it's important to be healthy but also not to obsess about food. Obsession is not healthy either. There's more important things to worry about in my life than food. Mind what you eat, eat proper porportions don't gorge on junk food. That's my philosophy. My challenge lately is eating with food allergies. It adds a whole new twist. My opinion about soy milk, in case you wanted to know, is that it tastes gross. Rice milk actually tastes better to me. But I do feel like I'm missing out on important nutriets without my milk and cheese and eggs. (sniffle, sniffle) and to answer your other ?'s: white bread, store bought, light margarine, olive oil and sometimes veg oil, and no tofu for me please. ok I'm done. This is all just my opinion and I hope I didn't offend. To each his own right?
Hey! You know, I have been cleaning out my pantry, trying to make room for food storage, and it has made me consider posting about what we eat. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks. So now I think I will! Just check in sometime soon.
I have to agree with becca (i don't know you but i feel the same) it is important to watch what you eat, but i don't think denying yourself is healthy either. I happen to love to be active so I figure if i just watch my portions intake and continue to be active I will be healthy. I don't buy a lot of junk food b/c it is just me and my poor roommates suffer when i do go through my splurges b/c then it is for all of us and i am constantly trying to give it away, hehe but sometimes i just need something sweet. I love meat, in winter i do eat more meat probably 5 portions a week of either chicken, beef, or fish. I think there is something you can only get from meat - all the substitutes just can't replace, no matter how close it may come. I do think it should be consumed sparingly, but would rather just give my body what it wants instead of trying to fool it with substitutes. In the summer i tend to not eat as much meat simply b/c it is summer and i just don't naturally eat as much. One thing that i think is overlooked in this whole food obsession era is the importance of water and getting the correct amount. I heard once that you need to drink as much water as 1/2 your weight in ounces, so i live by that and i think it has kept me healthier and hydrated. So there is my tid bit :) do with it what you will
I'm no vegetarian or anything. Actually, we eat meat with almost every dinner meal. Usually chicken or ground beef because it's cheapest. We're also looking forward to our first garden and can't waith for all those yummy veggies (which is surprising coming from me). To my credit, I do bake my own bread because it's cheaper and better and really not that hard. We let our kids eat treats after dinner as long as they had enough good stuff. And I personally don't count pretzals as a bad food. They are a staple around here. As are cereal, animal crackers, and peanut butter crackers.
I do weight watchers, and while I don't want this to be a huge advertisement for weight watchers, I really do like their concepts. Basically, eat healthy. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, make sure you drink enough water, be conscious but not obsessed! I agree with Becca. It's important to be aware, but not obsessed. Sometimes I wonder if all the effort is really making our life better (health wise) or just more stressful (mentally). Moderation in all things. My husband LOVES meat. I once made a dish with no meat and he said "umm...last I checked, I'm not a vegetarian' So, that's not really an option for us. I do use a lot of chicken dishes, and usually don't put quite all the meat the recipe calls for. I too, sometimes get sick of how much I find myself discussing food and weight. I think we just need to remember to try to be healthy, without taking it overboard. That's just my two cents. (ps I really like your blog. You're so good at writing. It makes it enjoyable to read!!)
Moderation in all things.
Corndogs have been my preferred food of late. Also, Amy likes those frozen taquitos. Kristina eats quesadillas microwaved with american cheese. How does all that sound??
A few have already touched on what I was going to say, but here it is, I was reading a financial book once and the author hypothesized that those who obsess about money never make any. I think the same thing applies to eating: those who obsess about caloric intake never lose weight. Rachael, I think your body weight is great, and I'm no dietician, but I suggest just not buying any junk food (which you said you already do) and not making sweets as much. I chose the same approach as you with pies and treats as cheering up tools or whatnot. Really, it's what I would want. But after Paul complained that that was basically ALL I was ever making (I love baking, hate cooking) I have seriously curtailed my sweets making. If I jusy don't make it, or buy it, then I don't eat it. I'm not perfect, BUT I have felt such a change and rarely crave those items anymore. But coming up with a wide variety of healthy meal ideas has been a real struggle for me. Maybe you should start a blog about that.
Ok, so I agree with what others have said that it's all about moderation. From everything you've said I think you guys are eating healthy enough to enjoy life. I definitely couldn't live without ice cream and baked goods every once in awhile! But you don't want to go overboard either.
You know that we are mostly vegetarian in our house. We eat fish and shrimp at least a couple times a week, but we never buy other types of meat. I occasionally will get beef when we go out. (Well, it's only been like 4 times in the past couple years.) But sometimes I just need a real hamburger! Since cutting back my meat so much, I have felt way healthier. It just worked for me without me really trying. I don't miss meat really. But I think to go meatless you have to really like beans. Luckily I do! I eat some form of beans almost every day.
We also eat tofu a couple times a week. The trick to tofu is draining it really well before you cook it. You want to get as much of the moisture out as you can. You should squeeze it with paper towels to soak up more. We have tofu in stirfrys a lot. Cook the tofu first in a little olive oil so it's get a little crispy and chewy. Jared also makes "Buffalo Tofu". This is one of our favorite meals. It's tofu with buffalo wings sauce. You have to fry the tofu for awhile in a little oil and get all nice and crisp. Then toss it in the sauce. SO good! Dip it in ranch or bleu cheese dressing.
As for some of your other questions. I use real butter and olive oil. But I use vegetable oil for baking. We aren't strict with organic stuff. It's expensive. We usually buy Eggland Best eggs because they are vegetarian fed chickens. We buy organic whole wheat bread from Whole Foods. It's only about 2 bucks a loaf. Someday I'd like to make our bread, but I don't have time now. If I could afford to buy all organic I would, but it's just not practical for us. Sometimes we buy organic milk--it's good! But twice the cost and milk isn't cheap these days anyway.
I'm supposed to leave a comment, cuz i'll get in trouble. I am also excited for gardening because that means fresh salsa time. I love fresh salsa. And tomato pesto sandwiches. . . . Now I'm hungry
we actually have meat and potatoes quite often, but that's mostly because david's a die-hard carnivore and could probably stand to eat twice as much as he does. the boy's metabolism is phenomenal. i can't feed him "girly" meals very often or he resorts to eating buckets of ice cream after i go to bed. our breakfasts and lunches are usually pretty small, though, so dinner is a major production. (by the way: multi-grain club crackers + muenster cheese + avocado + apple juice = best lunch ever.)
i try to mix things up: chicken at least every other day, fish or shrimp once a week or so. i've tried tofu but can't stand it. i actually eat very small portions of red meat when we do have it. and i make a point of always having fresh produce on hand. i want to figure out how phoenix gardening works so i can grow my own and cut down our grocery bills.
canola oil for baking, olive oil and butter for other cooking. we don't eat bread very often, but if we did, i'd like to try baking it rather than buying it.
my recent cold aside, we've been healthier in the last six months than we have been in years. david's gaining weight (slowly) and i'm not (thankfully). i figure i must be doing something right. maybe not perfect--there's always room for improvement--but i feel good about our eating habits.
I'm so excited to be getting into our house in a week or less! We are definitely having a garden. I feel like we never have fresh veggies because they're so expensive. Tomatoes are ridiculous to buy at the store. My dream is to one day have a green house with at least 10 avocado trees. Maybe it's a pregnancy craving, but I LOVE AVOCADOS!!
It's funny how different wards have different diet fads. It seems like all I've heard about lately is going vegitarian. I talked to Jared aout it and he basically told me to not even try it. I ike chicken, he likes more beef and pork, so I try to balance both of or likes. When we were in Utah and had access to my parents yearly fishing trip supply of Alaskan salmon and halibut we ate more fish-not because I like it-but because it's good for me.
However, after having digestive problems for years I saw a specialist who told me to cut out all processed foods for about 6 months, meaning no white sugar, no white flour,no white rice. I did it and I can't tell you how much better my digestive system works. tr to be or moderate now. Still trying to eat more whole grains and fruits and vegitables, but allowng forsome treats as well.
I think you can only be cool and healthy once you're married, because it's kind of weird just cooking for yourself. (Or your dinner group.) Also I want a garden, but the pots on the porch will have to do for now...
So, um. I try to eat healthy, but it's still really in the "try" stages. I stopped buying bread about two months ago, and I'm eating much more bread now than I ever did before, because it's delicious and because I love making it. I eat very little red meat--probably because of the expense--and more fish and chicken. Lots and lots of carbs... Rice, bread, pasta, etc. Okay, so that's not the healthiest, but bread's the staff of life and all, isn't it?
I buy milk from the Creamery. It's not organic, but it's cheaper than anywhere else in the continental US.
About treats and stuff... I prefer fruit pies to stuff like cake or brownies or other sweets, possibly because they're more fun to make and eat. I tend not to have crackers or anything around, although I love chocolate and have a hard time not having it a couple of times a week.
If I run into any fun recipes, I'll share 'em on my LJ. <3
Once in a while I buy organic products, but it just depends. It isn't something I do on a regular basis. As for eating meat sparingly, I used to. Lately we've had it with 5/7 dinners a week. We like chicken, and ground sirloin, etc., but aren't big fish eaters (it's terrible, I know, because fish is healthy for you). I buy whatever I need for a recipe or that I am craving. I love fresh fruit SO much! Veggies, we need to work on having more of those. I prefer wheat flour, but I am guilty of using white. I don't use applesauce instead of oil, unless a recipe already calls for it. I am still breaking in to the baking scene, and wouldn't want to ruin a recipe's taste. I buy bread (wheat, never white...although I love potato bread!). I like tofu, but I don't think Brian goes for it. I haven't used it myself, but my Mom used to make all sorts of great meals and used it in some of them. Maybe I can get some of her recipes sometime and send them your way. Overall, it's something I need to work on(eating healthier), especially now that I have baby weight to lose. Olive oil is great, but I have used veggie oil too. Basically, I am still not overly healthy yet, and it's something I have to work on. For example, I am guilty of making Pioneer Woman's apple dumplings and M.M.'s Favorite Sandwich the other day. So good...but so not healthy!! :D
Ok, Rach, I'm done. You can go check out my thoughts.
I think that just cooking most of your food from scratch is a good way to be more healthy. It's funny, because its getting harder to do that anymore. My mom really taught me to cook that way, but now grocery stores are set up for quick, semi-homemade instead (lots of mixes and prepackaged stuff etc.) Anyway, I agree with most everyone else about moderation etc. I just try to focus on eating lots of the right foods, and not worry too much about not eating anything fattening. I think things like diet cookies and fat free chemical chips are just weird...and will probably give us cancer some day;) OOh and my mom makes these really yummy applesauce cookies. I'll try to get the recipe. They are so good.
Rachael,
I have been thinking a lot about this lately too. I am trying some new healthier foods, but I'm not committing ourselves to that lifestyle. I do believe moderation is the key. My grandpa often put bacon grease in his whole wheat pancakes. . .but he also put in a full day's work on the farm everyday and lived to 90. Life is different now--we have to try a lot harder to keep our bodies in shape and there are more processed foods available. So I personally don't think meat is the culprit (as long as it isn't eaten excessively); I think processed foods and lack of exercise are. Tyler and I both grew up on homemade food and I try to avoid too many pre-packaged foods and cook from scratch. I feel this keeps us healthy and a good cookie or brownie once in awhile is totally fine at our house. :)
You don't know me, but I really liked your blog. I think you are doing a really good job of eating healthy. I think I'll try to incorporate some of your ideas. I'm a big fan of organic dairy products. They are more expensive, and so that can be a problem for the budget...but I am very concerned about the overuse of antibiotics in our environment and non-organic dairy products really contribute to that problem. I just thought you might enjoy a vegetarian recipe that my family really enjoyed. Here it is:
POTATO ENCHILADAS
2 cups diced cooked potatoes (I use frozen Ore-Ida diced potatoes!)
2 cups shredded Jack cheese
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 small can diced green chilis
3 chopped green onions
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour cream
8 corn tortillas
3 cups green chile sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small can sliced black olives
Combine first seven ingredients in a bowl. Soften tortillas in heated chile sauce (Dip them in the sauce). Spoon equal amounts of potato mixture onto tortillas and roll up. Place enchiladas seam-side down in a shallow baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheddar dheese. Garnish with olives and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.
They are especially good if you make your own green chili sauce. Here is the recipe for that:
GREEN CHILE SAUCE
1 pound tomatillos
8 fresh roasted and peeled green chilis, chopped--(I used the canned whole green chilis for this)
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
Husk and wash tomatillos. Slice into wedges. In a saucepan combine tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic, broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour into blender and pulse to desired consistency. Makes about 4 cups.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hey Rachel, this is Kristin Hanson from the 85th ward.... I must admit that I've been blurking for a while :) Your girls are adorable!
I was raised by a mom who was a health food fanatic, so my childhood was filled with healthy food. The only set back was that I have no self control when it comes to sweets, like Ashley. However, I try to do the same with my own family. But I am gluten intolerant so I've had to really fight to stay healthy and still eat food I think is yummy. Basically, I eat as much whole grain as I can (ie popcorn and brown rice), veggies, and fruit. We aren't vegan or vegetarian because of my gluten intolerance, but I don't fix a lot of pork or beef. Honestly, I hate chickens and see nothing wrong in eating them :) Meat is really good for your body, my hubby says, and so are whole grains. Anyways, that's my two bits! If you want to see our blog, shoot me an email (Kristin has it)
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