7 Steps We Are Taking Towards Eating Healthier

 These days, eating healthier can be really hard. Let's face it, it is cheaper and quicker to buy prepackaged foods than it is to purchase the healthier options. Especially when you have a large family like ours. With 4 growing children, we have to be conscientious in every shopping trip we make. So here are some steps we took to make our healthier diet less of a dream and more of a reality. 

Buying frozen fruits and vegetables - This has been a tremendous help to us! First off, frozen fruits and vegetables retain more of their benefits because they are frozen soon after being picked. So healthier by default. Also, they don't go bad before I can use them. We use frozen fruits in the smoothies we make. And the vegetables are used in my casseroles as well as sides for other meals. I buy the big store brand bags of the veggies and they last me several meals. I can simply pull out how much I need. 

Making smoothies - This option has multiple uses in our home. We can give the kids smoothies as treats, use them to make popcicles, or even as a meal for just me and my husband. We have found that we can be satisfied with a smoothie as a meal instead of eating. This is helping us with our weight loss goals. And takes the place of a salad - which my husband gets tired of eating often. Even better is that we only need 3 ingredients (though you can add whatever else you may want): fruit, juice and yogurt. We have found that adding heavy whipping cream makes them creamier. 

Checking labels for artificial colors - Hear me out on this one. Have you ever checked the labels of your favorite products? Do you actually know what is in them? Well, we have started. A dear friend of ours is allergic to artificial coloring. So we tried to always serve foods that didn't have them or MSG (another thing she was allergic to). One thing we came to notice is that a lot of prepackaged foods have artificial colors being added. Why is that?? I mean, think about this. Strawberry Poptarts have it. Isn't the strawberry enough to make it red? Oh wait, it is because companies think the coloring isn't strong and vibrant enough to entice people. Breads had caramel coloring added. But what is it made from? Ever consider that? We did. We just had to look it up. The easy way to describe them? They are petroleum products, or byproducts. They are associated with a long list of health issues though. But since no one is doing intensive research on them, they can't get them banned in our country. Some of the biggest things include hyperactivity (especially in children), cancers, allergic reactions, eczema - and that is just beginning. Due to this knowledge, even European manufacturers have begun to remove or replace them in their products. Our own manufacturers here, who export to Europe, will remove them from the products being sent there, but not from the ones sold here! The Yellow #5 comes in snacks, cakes, pickles - you get the picture. It comes from coal tar. And it has been linked to asthma attacks and skin reactions. Norway, Austria and Finland have banned this one. America and Canada are okay with it as long as it is mentioned on the label. We have found that store brands or "off brands" don't usually have dyes in pre-packaged foods. We went to Aldi and found Millville and Black Forest products that use natural things to flavor with, which means the coloring is also natural. Things like real fruit, turmeric, paprika - this is what you want to see in your foods.

Cutting out the junk foods - I can't tell you how much of a struggle this is. Still! We have been skipping the snack aisle for a while. But there are times when we falter. Like today. Those Nutty Bars were calling our names... And we listened! So here is our compromise. Most of you might be like us and might feel the need to have those treats. At least some times. We have agreed that chips are no more than a once-a-week purchase. Our family can polish off 3 bags in 3 meals. And that isn't in the way you do while binge watching Stranger Things during a pandemic. That is Mom distributing chips to each person at lunch, 3 days in a row. By that third day, however, we are at the bits and pieces at the bottom of the bag! I have been amazed to see that my kids will eat less per sitting for the sake of making them stretch longer. And with them being in school, they can last just that much longer. Sweets are to be limited to Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We sometimes mess up when Mom has events to bake for, but for the most part we are keeping to that schedule. It makes it more of a treat then. Also, they have to have 2 plates of dinner before they can have dessert. This way, I know they are eating enough. I have two preteen boys. No way they can try to tell me they aren't hungry enough for 2 plates anymore. If anything, I have to tell them to slow down and let food actually settle in their stomach or I run out of whatever I cooked!

No more buying ground beef products - My husband and I have been having a lot of issues with ground beef products from the grocery store. Severe stomach cramping, upset stomach, diarrhea. So many people we know have given up eating it lately for similar reasons. So we started looking into it. And have even decided to attempt eating it again, but only if it comes from a local meat market or butcher. No more store bought meats that aren't natural anyhow. 

Making our own bread - As I mentioned above, breads come with artificial colors and enough preservatives that you would think it could look fresh forever. So, despite the kids protests, and because my husband gave me a bread maker, I'm making our bread. I make a loaf about every 2 days. This has also helped up save money too. 

Shopping at the local Farmer's Markets - We have been wanting to do this for some time now. We found a small one to hit up about twice a week before the pandemic. Well, now we have two. The large one downtown has a great variety of vendors selling produce, fresh meats, and homemade products. It was amazing! And we are talking about making this a weekly thing we do. We got fresh bread (jalapeno and cheese), jams (strawberry lemonade was the best!), ground beef and bacon, tomatoes, bell peppers, and even cheeses!

What other ways are you getting healthy?