***Nope you aren't in the wrong place...I'm just in the middle of updating the look of things around here! Please be patient as I'm sure this will be a work in progress for awhile.***
Our family has started a new diet around here. It was prompted by the Making Babies book, but really it's been something I've wanted to do for some time now and just hadn't taken the leap. It's called the whole foods diet or real foods diet...however you want to refer to it. I'm by no means an expert and we are just in week two of this, but I'd love to share with you the changes we are making.
Eliminate Processed Foods
This means cutting out foods that have more than 5 ingredients listed on the side of the product as well as any food that have ingredients you can't pronounce. No artificial sweeteners, flavors or coloring. No white flour or sugar that has been refined.
Last week I was so inspired I jumped in head first. I knew the majority of our issues were with breakfast and snack items. We used bread, instant oatmeal, granola bars, cereals and yogurt that did not make the whole foods cut. I made 4 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread as well as my own homemade granola. I also bought real oatmeal, organic cereal and a big container of plain yogurt that I dress up with honey, vanilla and fruit. Yep, it's a tad more labor intensive, but it's really not that bad. I'm fairly certain our bread will last 3-4 weeks (I froze it of course) and our granola will last us 2 weeks.
Choose Organic Foods
This is all about eliminating the amount of hormones and pesticides you take in through foods.
I have to admit we haven't made this leap yet due to budget constraints. I do hope to implement this one slowly though. I found a list of the "dirty dozen" foods that you should definitely eat organic so I plan on starting there. Starting this week, Ethan will be drinking organic milk. It is a budget buster at $5.79 a gallon when our regular milk cost us $2.99, but since it's the majority of his diet I think it's important to make the switch.
It's also encouraged to eat organic meat as most meat contains hormones. I've decided that we will just reduce the amount of meat we are eating. No we are not going vegetarian, but it will be more of an occasional food instead of always being the center of our meal. We are now getting out protein from eggs, nuts and beans.
Cut out Fast Foods
This is a tough one. I do cook the majority of our meals, but we are busy like everyone else and sometimes have to get food on the go. We haven't figured out exactly how to avoid fast food completely, but are currently brainstorming ideas. I know we can freeze meals, but sometimes you don't even have time for that so we still have to work that one out. We will be trying to eat fast food salads instead of fries and of course trying to eat as little meat from there as possible. You just never know what you are really eating when you eat out. For example here is what is makes up a bun from Wendy's. Information found here.
Bun, Sandwich: Enriched Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, thiamine mononi- trate, riboflavin, niacin, iron, folic acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: soybean, cottonseed, canola), Yeast, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Contains 2% or less of the following: Dough Conditioners (contains one or more of the following: sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono and diglycerides, DATEM, enzymes), Yeast Nutrients (may contain one or more of the following: monocalcium phosphate, calci- um sulfate, calcium carbonate, ammonium sulfate), Turmeric, Paprika, Annatto, Nat- ural Flavor, Calcium Silicate, Calcium Propionate (preservative). CONTAINS: WHEAT.
Can you pronounce all of that? I can't. In fact, I don't know what most of it is and that's just bread. Supposedly.
Let's Get Real
Is this hard to do? (Don't you love how I pretend you guys have asked questions?)
Actually no. I haven't missed processed foods at all. In fact, I am loving the fact that I know exactly what I am eating and I feel so good about it! I'd say the hardest part is finding a substitution for fast food.
Where have you found your information?
Honestly, I've found most if not all of my information from this site. If you want to see some of the recipes I'm trying you should follow my whole foods pin board. I'm trying to update my thoughts on them once I test them!
Has this increased your food budget?
Well, it's increased my grocery budget for sure, but remember we are also cutting out fast food so....I'm hoping it will stay the same. Only time will tell. This is just week two, but once I find my normal maybe I can post some money saving tips. For now, I'm shopping the sale ads and using coupons when I can.
Can you pronounce all of that? I can't. In fact, I don't know what most of it is and that's just bread. Supposedly.
Let's Get Real
Is this hard to do? (Don't you love how I pretend you guys have asked questions?)
Actually no. I haven't missed processed foods at all. In fact, I am loving the fact that I know exactly what I am eating and I feel so good about it! I'd say the hardest part is finding a substitution for fast food.
Where have you found your information?
Honestly, I've found most if not all of my information from this site. If you want to see some of the recipes I'm trying you should follow my whole foods pin board. I'm trying to update my thoughts on them once I test them!
Has this increased your food budget?
Well, it's increased my grocery budget for sure, but remember we are also cutting out fast food so....I'm hoping it will stay the same. Only time will tell. This is just week two, but once I find my normal maybe I can post some money saving tips. For now, I'm shopping the sale ads and using coupons when I can.
Any other questions, tips, thoughts? Share away!
Good for you for putting so much effort forth! Can;t wait to hear how the rest of your whole food diet goes. And I'm LOVING the new look around here!
ReplyDeleteIt IS a big change! I'm already starting to notice a difference in the way I feel - well worth it!
ReplyDeleteBTW - I *heart* your Whole Foods pins on Pinterest, haha!
Thank you for this inspiration! We are right there with you only further behind - ha ha! But I am determined to make lasting changes and am therefore trying to put things into practice slowly. I love this idea of making granola and bread in particular. What cheese do you buy? I love cheese on sandwiches and don't drink milk, but any research you've done there?
ReplyDeleteI love that you made a whole foods pin board! That was a great idea and I am now following it!
ReplyDeleteI have been eating a whole foods diet for about 3 years now. I lost 45 lbs in that time. I feel amazing. It can be hard to learn how to cook without what most people consider convienient food, but I actually find that with practice it is not a burden at all.
ReplyDeleteI have been posting some of my recipes on a blog
http://mywholefoodsdiet.wordpress.com/
check it out sometime.
Good luck with everything! It will be the best thing you ever did for yourself and your family