I won't profess to be an expert. There's a lot of stuff out there about food, and there are little grains of truth in everything. I like what the bible has to say about food: "It is not what goes in to a man's mouth, but what comes out of his mouth that makes him holy." This tells us to not be too caught up in what we eat, because it is all temporary and meant to fuel more important things. But God did give us taste buds and a sense of taste, so it must be a good thing to get pleasure out of eating. I like the French philosophies about eating - French cooking is known to be rich and decadent, but they eat small portions and savor each bite. I love how Spanish culture thinks of food as a social event, something to be shared with family and friends. I admire Asian culture, and the way that Buddhism affects thought about food - careful and moderate eating of quality foods. I agree with vegans and vegetarians about the abhorrent conditions of the American Agro-Industrail complex. Perhaps the people I fall in line with most when thinking about food are the new wave farmers - animals have the right to live good full lives, produce should be fresh and local, people should know where thier food comes from. Eating is by nature killing, but it doesn't have to be torture.
Ideally, Husband and I would have our own small-scale farm. I have dreams and plans for that, but it's a long way away, and I jut have to live vicariously through Jenna and Cold Antler Farm, among others. For now, here are the various ways I have combined all of these beliefs and more into what seems to be working for us. You could call it the Modern-American-Socially-Conscious-Busy-Lifestyle-on-a-Budget Diet.
First off, if you go out to eat more than once a week, stop. Even McDonalds is a lot more expensive than the most expensive burgers at the store (I love Morningstar Farm's Spicy Black Bean Burgers - about $3 for four of them, and that's pretty pricey.) Because we have a relatively comfortable budget, we treat ourselves to a date night or lunch out once a week. We eat at restaurants that are not chains unless friends suggest them. This is a great way to get to know your community better and keep your money in the area, too! Find out if restaurants source local foods... many do, and maybe more will if they get enough people asking. I try to look at eating out as a treat done with others - I get what I want to eat, within reason. When you do go out, get water instead of soda. OR go out specifically for soda (I like diet soda and refuse to give it up.) I try to never keep it in the house, though, so I have to go for a walk or bike ride to get it.
Plan ahead dinner-wise - especially when you're starting to eat more perishable goods like fruits and veggies, don't pick them up on a whim or get overexcited. I did that all last year, and our compost bin bulged with all of the excess fruits and veggies that were not eaten by good intentions. See if there is a place that lets you buy things individually instead of packaged - Kroger allows you to bag your own spinach, so I can get a couple of cups of it instead of the huge bag for $4 that most stores carry. Shop local and farmer's markets when you can - but I know that some of the big-city markets can be REALLY expensive because they are so trendy. Maybe try some Asian or Latino markets? Again, learn your community... shopping at locally owned stores is good for everyone involved...
Find a balance that works for your particular eating habits. For me, I have found a pretty good balance with eating a small healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, reasonable snacks (tortilla chips and yogurt, hummus and pita - I am a snacker, so just cutting out chips and cheeses for snacks is making a big difference.), and a normal dinner that uses maybe more veggies then I am used to. I have a couple of family recipes that I have started throwing frozen broccoli into (LOVE it, lasts so much longer than fresh. I always use frozen veggies as stand by sides and only buy fresh when I know exactly what I am going to do with them, and they last for a couple of months and are CHEAP.) I have some really good recipes that are tasty and relatively healthy.
Find recipes you love. If you can find something you love, you can sneak it in to the husband without him even noticing, and then you don't have to worry about having a big "we need to get healthy" conversation.
Go meatless. We have started to go meatless for 2 meals a week, partly for social and ecological reasons, but also because it's a LOT cheaper. We eat seafood another meal of the week, chicken for two meals, and beef or pork for one meal (eating out the other). I love Quorn products (We now regularly use the "ground beef" in tacos... can't tell the difference in flavor and the texture is more pleasant than beef!) Beans are so tasty and good for you, and I am loving the veggie stir fries and pastas that are out there.
Wait for sales. Buy enough meat for 1 or 2 months, then spend the day packaging and marinating it. It makes the evening meal so much easier because you only have to pull it out, and it marinates while it thaws.
Be frugal. Eat when you are hungry. Stop before you are full. We are lucky to live in a country where there will ALWAYS be more food. When you get the urge to munch during the day, drink some water. When you get the urge to munch at night, brush your teeth. Learn your body, learn your eating habits.
That's all I know so far. But it seems to be working for me. Now to get on that exercise train... :)
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