Wow. So I really did not want to write this blog post, but I called Belinda and she said, “Go for it!” so here it is.  For quite awhile I have known that we were not eating very healthy.  Sure, we’d eat veggies, fruits, salads and use whole wheat pastas/breads.  But I knew we were eating a lot of empty calories and I was not paying very much attention to labels.  This week we decided it had to stop.  Our baby boy is starting in on his first feedings, our 2 year old asks for snacks…a lot and our oldest girls are getting to the age where they notice how we eat.  Because we make sure the kids get their fruits and veggies.

My husband and I discussed it and we decided to eliminate most processed foods from our diets.  Now, I want to state a few things up front.  The “green” community can be pretty aggressive at times.  I consider our family to be ecofriendly…but not militant.  We use cloth diapers, we do our own compost, we have a garden, we can our produce, we recycle and we reuse when possible.  But not all of our napkins are cloth.  Sometimes we use disposable diapers when we travel.  Some of my favorite cleaners are loaded with chemicals and I am fine with that!  I can readily appreciate people who have made commitments to be 100% green, but that is not what works for us and that is ok!  So you will never find me saying we have eliminated ALL processed foods and you WILL see me blog about getting the occasional meal from Chick-Fil-A or using real bleach to clean.

All that being said, here is what does work for us at this point in our lives.

We buy fresh produce, raw sugar and generally all-natural foods.  I am making an attempt to make our beans from dry beans.  Today I made a huge pot of black beans and those black beans are worked into 4 of our dinners this week: burritos, salads, veggie burgers and homemade salsa!  I wanted Mexican Rice, so I found a natural recipe and my own.  We are eating pizza with freshly grated, truly natural cheese and fresh veggies.  I will be making the pizza crust from scratch. The recipe I am trying will take about 2-3 hours so I have to plan ahead.  The overall goal is to be more intentional.  We have gotten rid of our crackers and other processed items.  And eating more of this:

I don’t want to overwhelm myself so we are making a gradual transition.  The next week or two is about getting rid of artificial sweeteners and processed items.  Next I would like to make our own breads, buns and tortilla shells.  I would love to make our own salad dressings as well.  This is not about making some quick change or a diet.  This is about a lifestyle we hope to adopt and making changes that fit for our family.  We want to be healthy for our kids and we want our kids to have a balanced perspective on food.  We want them to love good, natural, healthy foods and we want them to relax and enjoy homemade cookies or a night out at a restaurant too.  It’s all about balance and moderation.

One more personal goal I have made is to get back into running.  This past weekend I took our girls to a race.

The oldest ran a 5k and the youngest a one mile.  Next year, I want to run the 5k as a family.  Well, minus the baby. LOL! He can ride in a stroller.

I will keep blogging a bit about this transition and what works and what doesn’t  Feel free to ask questions, share advice or offer some encouragement to me.