I think it's time for a change. I'm talking a big change. A change that might rock my family to its very core. I'm talking about... asignificant change in how we eat. (Yes, I have been watching too many food documentaries on NetFlix. Which may or may not be a good thing. But good or bad, it had gotten me thinking about our diet.)
Compared to many "typical" American diets, I think we're doing pretty well. I've been trying to reduce our dependence on processed foods. We don't eat a lot of red meat, but when I think about how much poultry we probably eat in a year - well, honestly, I don't want to think about how much poultry we probably eat in a year. Or dairy products, especially cheese. We eat a LOT of cheese. There is definitely much room for improvement.
I'm not talking about anything too drastic. We aren't going to suddenly become vegans. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! If you have a vegan lifestyle - more power to you! I just don't think we're ready for that.)
I do think I am going to begin with an experiment to limit our dairy intake, and reduce our meals containing meats to about 2 days a week. And begin eliminating processed sugar. And I fully expect there to be some shock to the system. And some grumbling and restlessness among the natives (mostly of the 14 year old boy variety)
Will this be successful? I certainly hope so. Time (and probably a few blog posts) will tell...
Compared to many "typical" American diets, I think we're doing pretty well. I've been trying to reduce our dependence on processed foods. We don't eat a lot of red meat, but when I think about how much poultry we probably eat in a year - well, honestly, I don't want to think about how much poultry we probably eat in a year. Or dairy products, especially cheese. We eat a LOT of cheese. There is definitely much room for improvement.
I'm not talking about anything too drastic. We aren't going to suddenly become vegans. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! If you have a vegan lifestyle - more power to you! I just don't think we're ready for that.)
I do think I am going to begin with an experiment to limit our dairy intake, and reduce our meals containing meats to about 2 days a week. And begin eliminating processed sugar. And I fully expect there to be some shock to the system. And some grumbling and restlessness among the natives (mostly of the 14 year old boy variety)
Will this be successful? I certainly hope so. Time (and probably a few blog posts) will tell...
Wow, my hat goes off to you making changes like this with children :)
ReplyDeleteDietary changes are so daunting, aren't they? And then I get all this black and white thinking going on where I feel like if I don't totally cut something out STRAIGHT AWAY then I am failing. Which is really silly.
I think there are so many changes that need to be made in the western diet that we really only can go slowly, otherwise it's too easy to just let it slide because it's too hard.
Best wishes for all your changes :)
Thank you Sue! I agree that if you go too far, too fast it's easy to backslide because you overwhelm yourself. So, we'll start with these steps and see where we go from here.
DeleteI had a friend whose family gave up processed sugar and fast food and fried foods and they all lost lots of weight and felt good. Good luck with your changes; small steps seem like a good way to go rather than changing everything all at once!
ReplyDeletebetty
Thank you! I think if I went for one huge change there would absolutely be some sort of revolt. Even from my own body! LOL
DeleteAll the best as you embark on this journey. I don't eat much processed food, but I do eat meat and poultry. I had cut the red meat down at dinner to a few nights a week and added more poultry. I will try cutting down more and adding more veggies. It is a work in process.
ReplyDeleteHi Winnie! Thank you for sharing your journey so far. I think I'm going to try to add more fish also. Three of us like fish so it won't be a big deal for us. The male offspring... meh - not so much.
DeleteGood luck to you! I'm sure you will discover some great recipes that your family will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope so! The males in the home are less than enthusiastic about the whole thing at this point.
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