Oh, yeah, there was butter on that popcorn!
Actually, I'm not that unhealthy an eater. A lot of times when I go out to eat, I want to go somewhere I can get vegetables and often get a veggie plate. I do admit, however, that carbohydrates call out to me - big time! My biggest problem (besides Diet Coke) is being consistent. I'll do a great job for a few weeks then slide back into not paying attention. Even then, I don't do that badly...but it nags at me.
Gary and I followed an elimination diet a few years ago. The food was good. We tried some things we don't typically eat - including ostrich (don't recommend it). Lamb became a favorite. I did alternate-flour pancakes (with fruit v syrup) and muffins. It isn't that difficult; it just takes planning and paying attention. Of course, it also eliminates a lot of restaurants unless you eat salad and baked potato everywhere you go. Fast food restaurants, though, now have salads and potatoes, so it's possible even on the run.
During the elimination diet, my husband and I went with friends on a dinner-train ride. We actually ate only what was allowed on the diet - leaving a good bit of food on our plates, passing up dessert, and having friends looking on in amazement that we "wasted" all that good (expensive) food! Not sure I'd be so strict next time around, but we didn't want to venture off the diet; we were trying to see if it made a difference in how we felt. It did - but I guess not enough for me to continue cooking that way. Eating out - constant thinking/planning - friends feeding you - it's just a more difficult way to eat.
Why am I doing this? I'm interested (as I stated previously) in getting healthy and reducing the impact of my little self on this earth. I do have some health problems that are causing me to pick particular foods. I won't go into those here (if you want to discuss health, send me your email address, and we can discuss) (and if you know about my health problems, I'd appreciate you not mentioning them), but I'll let you know if I feel any better in general after this month. Everything I read says - eliminate processed food (for health as well as environment), sugars, and limit meat intake. All of that will help the environment as well as your body. Read some of the books out there - Fast Food Nation, Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.
I did manage to do a two-week stint eating organic only. It's not that difficult - just more expensive. All the books comment on how we want cheap food, yet we'll spend $10-$14 on a movie ticket for a brief 90-minute entertainment session! Silly us. If we eliminate meat, we'll save on groceries, you know. Dried beans don't cost much. I have a recipe that is meat-free and great.
Packaging, processing, transportation - they are all in the cost of your food - both with your dollars and the impact on the environment.
Buying local - that is a bit more difficult. Last year we did a CSA (community supported agriculture). Someone I know offers this. It was $400 for the season (it went up this year). We picked up a basket of vegetables each week. Made me get creative - you can only eat so many batches of sauteed greens! Their delivery schedule didn't work out for us this year (I'm out of town too much). It's a great service - all organic and local. Maybe next year.
We do have a great farmer's market. My plan one year is to buy bushels of food from local farmers in the summer and can/freeze them for the year. That way I can eat locally all year. I just haven't invested in the canning supplies. Of course, not all local farmers are organic.
We also have a local beef source my son-in-law's parents found. We got 1/4 cow. The meat is good. More expensive than buying in the grocery, but local and grass-fed. A little unnerving when I knew the day it was going to be slaughtered. At least the cow didn't have a name (that I knew of).
I keep thinking about how my grandparents, parents, and aunt and uncle ate. They all lived/are living to be in their mid 80s (except my mom who died from complications of empysema). They didn't worry about organic, local, low-fat, processed foods. But...our food system has drastically changed in these past years with farm manufacturing, additives, antibiotics, etc. I don't think I can expect the same nutrition they got from food from our foods today.
It seems it comes down to some simple questions when eating:
- Ask yourself - is this food (i.e., not processed)
- Am I eating as close to the bottom of the food pyramid as I can
- Is it organic
- Is it local
Then you can figure out the calories, fat, cholesterol, etc. But those few questions, will automatically eliminate bunches of food. When I was following the elimination diet, I truly did shop the margins of the grocery store - produce, dairy, and some meat. Didn't have to go down the canned food, cereal, baking, bread aisles!
I also have access to a local food co-op (I belong to it). Local and organic foods are available there. It just isn't in my part of the city, so I find it difficult to make myself venture across town. I need to get better about it. I like the concept of a local food co-op more than a Whole Foods (which we have).
Omnivore's Dilemma points out, however, that even organic foods have an impact - and the majority of organic vegetables in stores (like Whole Foods) comes from California.....produced by big-company farmers. Alas and alack!
First task: stop centering a meal around meat! It's what my mom did, it's what I was taught, and I live with a meat-eater.
I'm off to continue reading Living Vegetarian for Dummies (love these books). Sadly, I clicked on Amazon to find the correct name of the book v getting up and going into the other room to look at the book itself. Well, that's ok - tomorrow is the start of getting healthy - not tonight!
