Eat Clean

Eating clean to me is:

(80% of the time) Avoiding: processed foods, artificial colors/flavors/preservatives, refined flours and sugars Enjoying: whole grains, lots of protein, green vegetables, and fruit. I don’t have a pantry full of health-food-store-only-products;I tend to learn towards traditional or “old-fashioned” ingredients.

• We eat whole wheat/grain everything (almost…). I have a wheat grinder (awesome investment…) and grind my own flour for bread, muffins, biscuits, and rolls. We always eat brown rice and whole grain pastas.
• We aren’t afraid of fat; there are way creepier things used in fat-free foods to make them taste OK than the calorie savings are worth.
• I know where most of our meat comes from, and we also enjoy lots of meatless meals. In fact, we are trying our hand at raising our own meat this year (!!)
• Buying local is more important to me than buying organic.
• The more vegetables the merrier. Grow a garden… it’s amazing how much kids LOVE what they have invested themselves in and watched grow!
• I’m scared of artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors. I’m not kidding; avoid them like the plague!
• If I understand what’s in it and/or how it’s made then I generally will eat it.
• Natural sugars like honey and pure maple syrup are worth the cost and are great things to learn how to use. No need to figure out all those crazy natural sweeteners when bees and trees got us covered…
• You don’t need a health food store to eat well… a back to basics approach goes a long long way.

The other 20% is: real life

• I don’t want to eat whole wheat cake with zucchini and agave for my birthday. We enjoy “normal” sugary treats when we have them.
• I’d much rather have my kids eat my butter, sugar, and white flour chocolate chip cookies than anything made with a box of sugar-free Jell-O. I’m more scared of all that fake stuff than normal old flour, sugar, chocolate, and butter.
• I don’t tell my kids they can’t have things when they are out of our house. Fruit snacks at play group? Sure. Cheetos at Grandma’s? Share with Dad. Pop at the friend’s party? Ok. I do however try to make sure what they get in my house is good for them (80% of the time). I don’t buy otter-pops, fruit snacks, or soda. It’s never in the house and we never eat them here.
• I don’t want kids with food issues. I am intentional in my efforts to raise well-rounded kids who will try most anything, enjoy green smoothies, and who will never say no to ring pop. Balance is key.
• Why am I telling you all this? Because it’s something I feel passionately about and want to share with you: I want you to do it, too! Healthy, local, and sustainable food practices are good for you, your family, your community, and our world. What’s not to love?!