usvi-on-line
book- In defense of food- have you read?
book- In defense of food- have you read?
I read this book this weekend, I realize it has been out for a while-I'm always behind the curve.
Anyways, did anyone else read this and does anyone live/eat this way? It made me seriously re-evaluate things.
Basically the premise is that lots of what we eat now is not really food anymore, just foodlike products. Think snack bars, frozen meals, packaged anything. So many things added to the original ingredient.
And that we should buy food in its normal state, cook it ourselves. Cut down on meat. More vegetables. Common sense. Farmers market stuff.
We are fairly healthy here (at least compared to my friends whose kids live off chicken nuggets) but we can do better. Much better.
I have never been on the organic bandwagon or even remotely worried about additives. But something here struck a chord.
I was wondering if there is anyone who eats this way and could give me some pointers. Particularly with breakfast for the kids as they usually eat cereal or frozen waffles
And family friendly dinners. I know I can make plain vegetables, but looking for something more tasty.
I think I am going to do this, but need to ease into it I think or I will burn out. It sounds pretty time consuming.
Anyways, did anyone else read this and does anyone live/eat this way? It made me seriously re-evaluate things.
Basically the premise is that lots of what we eat now is not really food anymore, just foodlike products. Think snack bars, frozen meals, packaged anything. So many things added to the original ingredient.
And that we should buy food in its normal state, cook it ourselves. Cut down on meat. More vegetables. Common sense. Farmers market stuff.
We are fairly healthy here (at least compared to my friends whose kids live off chicken nuggets) but we can do better. Much better.
I have never been on the organic bandwagon or even remotely worried about additives. But something here struck a chord.
I was wondering if there is anyone who eats this way and could give me some pointers. Particularly with breakfast for the kids as they usually eat cereal or frozen waffles
And family friendly dinners. I know I can make plain vegetables, but looking for something more tasty.
I think I am going to do this, but need to ease into it I think or I will burn out. It sounds pretty time consuming.
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
I've been making an effort to eat this way for a few years now. It takes a little extra planning and lately I've fallen into my old bad habits.
I joined a food co-op that has (semi) locally raised organic grass fed meat and eggs. Raw milk and cheese products. They also have greens. Price isn't too bad on the meats.
There is another co-op that has really excellent organic vegetables and fruits delivered right to my door on a schedule I choose. Not all locally grown though. I gave this co-op up because I can't eat a lot of fruit, and the veggies included a lot of things that just weren't right for my metabolic type. But if I chose the particular items I wanted instead of buying the general order, it got expensive.
The local farmer's market here mainly looks like crates of stuff from a grocery store put out under a tent to make it more appealing. It's a disappointment.
Lately I've been eating take out and processed foods and I've started putting weight back on. I'm kind of in a rut.
I joined a food co-op that has (semi) locally raised organic grass fed meat and eggs. Raw milk and cheese products. They also have greens. Price isn't too bad on the meats.
There is another co-op that has really excellent organic vegetables and fruits delivered right to my door on a schedule I choose. Not all locally grown though. I gave this co-op up because I can't eat a lot of fruit, and the veggies included a lot of things that just weren't right for my metabolic type. But if I chose the particular items I wanted instead of buying the general order, it got expensive.
The local farmer's market here mainly looks like crates of stuff from a grocery store put out under a tent to make it more appealing. It's a disappointment.
Lately I've been eating take out and processed foods and I've started putting weight back on. I'm kind of in a rut.
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California Girl
Susan, although I fail a lot of the time when it comes to eating right, I do know how! Here's a great breakfast that's healthy and tastes great!
1 whole wheat English Muffin. toasted
1 egg (fried without grease or poached)
1 slice cheese
1 slice of Canadian Bacon
This is a lot like a MickeyD egg McMuffin, only it's way healthy!
The problem with staying on any diet is the time consuming preparation. That's what always kills it for me.
1 whole wheat English Muffin. toasted
1 egg (fried without grease or poached)
1 slice cheese
1 slice of Canadian Bacon
This is a lot like a MickeyD egg McMuffin, only it's way healthy!
The problem with staying on any diet is the time consuming preparation. That's what always kills it for me.
One of my two year old's favorite breakfasts is a honey wheat english muffin with a little smear of butter and a drizzle of honey. He calls it his "oney fin" - honey muffin for those who don't speak 2 year old. I give him a 1/2 a banana or a handful of grapes and he's happy as a clam.
My kids also very much like most of the kashi cereals and will even snack on it by the handfuls.
As for tasty veggies, I roast anything - peppers and onions, baby carrots, little tomatoes. Toss them in a little olive oil and some sea salt. YUM.
Sweet potatoes are a favorite in my house now too.
Trader Joe's has also become one of my favorite places on earth to get tasty stuff that isn't HORRIBLE for us.
My kids also very much like most of the kashi cereals and will even snack on it by the handfuls.
As for tasty veggies, I roast anything - peppers and onions, baby carrots, little tomatoes. Toss them in a little olive oil and some sea salt. YUM.
Sweet potatoes are a favorite in my house now too.
Trader Joe's has also become one of my favorite places on earth to get tasty stuff that isn't HORRIBLE for us.
DjMOM: I haven't read this book but I have read other books that have convinced me that part of the problem with America's health and weight is tied to the chemicals/preservatives used to make what we are eating.
I am far from perfect but I have been eating more "clean" foods and less preservatives. I have changed what my kids eat but not as much as I would like. They have no idea that I have changed anything.
My boys love eggs--I don't buy organic and I am not convinced that is important when it comes to eggs. I was our fruit and vegetables--buy some at the farmer's market but the bulk comes from the stores.
I still eat packaged oatmeal. I love it. It is heart smart blueberry oatmeal. Maybe someday I will try to make my own but it is so easy--high fiber--yummy.
Lunch and dinner I make a lot of soup this time of year and grill meat.
There are a few websites with recipes--look for clean eating. Also, I use books like south beach diet or the sonoma diet (my favorite) and look for recipes without faux food. I get a lot of meat marinades, vegetables (agree with roasting--yum), and healthy oils.
As I think of it--the sonoma diet book is pretty healthy and might help you with the "how to" eat right--knowing it is important to eat less processed foods isn't enough--sonoma might help with "how to" eat less processed food.
I also drink milk and our store doesn't sell organic (rural Iowa). I really wish they would because I believe that is important.
Gina
I am far from perfect but I have been eating more "clean" foods and less preservatives. I have changed what my kids eat but not as much as I would like. They have no idea that I have changed anything.
My boys love eggs--I don't buy organic and I am not convinced that is important when it comes to eggs. I was our fruit and vegetables--buy some at the farmer's market but the bulk comes from the stores.
I still eat packaged oatmeal. I love it. It is heart smart blueberry oatmeal. Maybe someday I will try to make my own but it is so easy--high fiber--yummy.
Lunch and dinner I make a lot of soup this time of year and grill meat.
There are a few websites with recipes--look for clean eating. Also, I use books like south beach diet or the sonoma diet (my favorite) and look for recipes without faux food. I get a lot of meat marinades, vegetables (agree with roasting--yum), and healthy oils.
As I think of it--the sonoma diet book is pretty healthy and might help you with the "how to" eat right--knowing it is important to eat less processed foods isn't enough--sonoma might help with "how to" eat less processed food.
I also drink milk and our store doesn't sell organic (rural Iowa). I really wish they would because I believe that is important.
Gina
See this book is kindof saying to stay away from bread and cheeses too. Is that just getting too wacky? 
I just made a loaf of pumpkin bread- I figured at least it has some nutrition in it and this recipe had only a tiny bit of sugar and then some honey. I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat. Hope that doesn't turn the loaf into a brick.
If nothing else the house will smell good and Ned will think I am useful.
I like the muffin ideas, especially the egg mcmuffin- maybe I can find some healthier english muffins. This guy was dissing commercial breads, yogurts pretty hard.
There is only one CSA here and it runs through October, but we do have some vendors at the farmers market that are local. Lots are like what Ifloat says though with stuff that even has stickers and bar codes on it!
I just made a loaf of pumpkin bread- I figured at least it has some nutrition in it and this recipe had only a tiny bit of sugar and then some honey. I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat. Hope that doesn't turn the loaf into a brick.
If nothing else the house will smell good and Ned will think I am useful.
I like the muffin ideas, especially the egg mcmuffin- maybe I can find some healthier english muffins. This guy was dissing commercial breads, yogurts pretty hard.
There is only one CSA here and it runs through October, but we do have some vendors at the farmers market that are local. Lots are like what Ifloat says though with stuff that even has stickers and bar codes on it!
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
Gina, I might get that book because this one tells you how evil everything is but no recipes.
There are some great catch phrases in there to help you remember things (like "don't eat food that is incapable of rotting", "don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food".
But now I need some guidance. I have some recipe books in this area but they are kind of dated.
There are some great catch phrases in there to help you remember things (like "don't eat food that is incapable of rotting", "don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food".
But now I need some guidance. I have some recipe books in this area but they are kind of dated.
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
I have two more weeks left on my CSA. It is wonderful, although this year they didn't give me nearly as much produce that I liked as last year. I think they oversold on the shares, to be honest with you. Next year I will probably just work it into my schedule to go to the farmer's market and pick out what I want.
And Dave Matthews will still be proud of me for supporting family farms.
I do like getting the organic meat and eggs, because when I was home that's what I ate off my parents' farm. They have beef cattle, pigs and chickens, so I very rarely buy meat from the store. And when I do, I am disappointed in the quality and the price.
I still eat junk, and lately I have been having a real fast food problem, but I do notice that when I eat the stuff from the CSA it tastes ten million times better. Whoever said there was no flavor wasn't eating the right stuff.
But I did take my pumpkins and use them for decorations, because last year I cooked them up and that was a lot of hard work and didn't taste as good as Libby's.
And Dave Matthews will still be proud of me for supporting family farms.
I do like getting the organic meat and eggs, because when I was home that's what I ate off my parents' farm. They have beef cattle, pigs and chickens, so I very rarely buy meat from the store. And when I do, I am disappointed in the quality and the price.
I still eat junk, and lately I have been having a real fast food problem, but I do notice that when I eat the stuff from the CSA it tastes ten million times better. Whoever said there was no flavor wasn't eating the right stuff.
But I did take my pumpkins and use them for decorations, because last year I cooked them up and that was a lot of hard work and didn't taste as good as Libby's.
I have not read the book mentioned by the OP but several others. Over the past 5 years I have stopped eating fast food (except when there is not other choice) and anything prepared/processed.
I get where you are coming from LuLu.
My grandfather was a self-sustaining farmer and I doubt anyone in my family ever purchased meat at a store. Chicken and beef came from the family farm. There was hog farmed down the road for hams. Add to that all the men in the family were also avid hunters and we had more meat than we knew what to do with.
I have a beef aging right now (at the butcher) that was raised in a pasture right down the road by the FIL and son's a friend.
Seeing your food alive on a regular basis and knowing where it is coming from and how it is raised does influence one's preferences.
I get where you are coming from LuLu.
My grandfather was a self-sustaining farmer and I doubt anyone in my family ever purchased meat at a store. Chicken and beef came from the family farm. There was hog farmed down the road for hams. Add to that all the men in the family were also avid hunters and we had more meat than we knew what to do with.
I have a beef aging right now (at the butcher) that was raised in a pasture right down the road by the FIL and son's a friend.
Seeing your food alive on a regular basis and knowing where it is coming from and how it is raised does influence one's preferences.
had the book in my hands this weekend and i didnt buy it because i bought a few months ago; jillian michaels "master your metabolism" . basically she says the same as the book your reading. we also saw the movie food inc. we took our daughter (16) to try to make her understand why were taking such a strong approach on this subject. At first our friends and family laughed at us and our daughter was upset.
Our food in this country is not to be taken lightly. we take trips up to canada a lot and i checked the back of there ketchup bottle; interesting thing was they make ketchup with no high frutose corn syrup, in our country it's in about everything processed we buy. the list goes on and on with everyday foods we consume.
another thing to watch for is the gmo's ( Genetically modified (GM) foods) that has taken over our soy crops and corn. basically; we don't know what effect's these gmo's are going to have on us.
my daughter eats oatmeal in the morning and we buy cascadian farms cereal no gmo's or high frutose corn syrup. i always buy organic apples; grapes; berries; peaches, nectarines, coffee.. sometimes bananas...
listen if you have any questions give me pm; i can help you with menu's for the kids an you.
lot's of luck to a life change,
Sam
Our food in this country is not to be taken lightly. we take trips up to canada a lot and i checked the back of there ketchup bottle; interesting thing was they make ketchup with no high frutose corn syrup, in our country it's in about everything processed we buy. the list goes on and on with everyday foods we consume.
another thing to watch for is the gmo's ( Genetically modified (GM) foods) that has taken over our soy crops and corn. basically; we don't know what effect's these gmo's are going to have on us.
my daughter eats oatmeal in the morning and we buy cascadian farms cereal no gmo's or high frutose corn syrup. i always buy organic apples; grapes; berries; peaches, nectarines, coffee.. sometimes bananas...
listen if you have any questions give me pm; i can help you with menu's for the kids an you.
lot's of luck to a life change,
Sam
-
California Girl
Oh... another healthy breakfast I make is yogurt parfaits! I bought some clear plastic cups with lids (like a take-out drink might be in) and first I put in a little bit of Quaker granola - about an inch worth (look for a granola that is low in sugar and salt), then I put in a heaping spoonful or two of vanilla yogurt, then I top that with cut-up fresh strawberries, whole raspberries and blueberries... and once in a while some cut up banana. (You can modify this based on what's available during the year). Then I top all that with some more granola, vanilla yogurt and more berries. It looks beautiful, it's healthy and yummy, and fun to eat! 
When it's all made, I put the lid on it and send it to work with hubby so he'll eat something good and healthy, instead of coffee and donuts!
When it's all made, I put the lid on it and send it to work with hubby so he'll eat something good and healthy, instead of coffee and donuts!
I am also a big fan of roasting veggies. The flavors are awesome, the prep & cook time is easy-peasy and if you thrown down some reynold's wrap, the clean up is simple-dimple.
I throw on
olive oil, salt, pepper
olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic
olive oil, salt pepper, herbs du provence
olive oil, salt pepper, balsamic
sesame oil, salt pepper
butter, salt pepper
The best part is, you really and truly only need a tiny bit of oil. The veggies release their own goodness and sugars while roasting and ths flavor them selves up!
I throw on
olive oil, salt, pepper
olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic
olive oil, salt pepper, herbs du provence
olive oil, salt pepper, balsamic
sesame oil, salt pepper
butter, salt pepper
The best part is, you really and truly only need a tiny bit of oil. The veggies release their own goodness and sugars while roasting and ths flavor them selves up!
-
California Girl