Over the past few months I have been trying to slowly switch my family to more organic & healthy foods from eating foods that are high in fat and calories. The switches have been small, but every little change we make is a step in the right direction.
I have been weaning us off of whole milk slowly. I started by going to 2% milk for a couple weeks, and now we are drinking 1% milk. I have plans to move us to skim milk very soon.
I have also quit using vegetable oil. We now use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola. We have also made a change in the butter we use. We have starting using (sparingly) a buttery spread made with EVOO. I have been using less salt in my cooking as well & learning to season foods with other types of seasonings.
I have also been trying to prepare more made from scratch meals & trying to stay away from pre-packaged foods. We have been eating more fruits and vegetables. Now, don't get me wrong sometimes I am lazy and prepare a meal from a box, but I am trying to limit that to 1 meal a week. I feel like it is my job as a stay at home mom to ensure that my family is eating healthy. I have the time to prepare a healthy made from scratch meal, so I should be doing it!
Another change we have made (and one I consider to be a big change) is switching from eating regular pork bacon to turkey bacon. I say this is a big change, because I used to be completely grossed out by turkey bacon. I am on a diet, and I had started craving bacon, so I decided to bite the bullet and try turkey bacon. Much to my surprise it was delicious! Of course I don't eat it every day, but it's a much healthier option than regular bacon. In the future I hope to change from using hamburger to using ground turkey. We have also given up regular hot dogs. When we have a craving for a hot dog we eat lean or fat free turkey dogs. I also try to steer clean of ham when choosing deli meat. I also opt for cheese that is 2%.
We have also switch from eating regular white bread to 100% whole grain (sometimes just whole wheat) bread.
We are also combating our addiction to soda. We try to drink more juices (real fruit juice not that sugary type) and lots more water. It is a slow struggle, but one day we will over come it!
I have also been trying to go for fruits, vegetables, and other things that are organic. I have read different opinions on the organic label on foods, but I feel that ,after examining the label of regular foods with those that "claim" to be organic, organic foods are a better option.
Now when I go to the grocery store I find myself coming home with tons of fruits and vegetables and less cookies, chips, and other junk food. We have also started eating spinach & arugula for our salads instead of regular iceberg lettuce. Our salads consist of more veggies and a smaller serving of dressing, croutons, and cheese. We have plans to plant a huge garden next year (we had so much going on this spring that we never got time to do our garden). Thankfully, my dad and grandparents have a garden & having been sharing lots of their crops with us.
Like I said the changes may seem small, but every little change we make is a step in the right direction. Our next battle is giving up our habit to dine out a couple times a week. We have a long way to go, but I am happy and proud of the changes we have already made.
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