All posts tagged real food confessions

Today we are featuring Jenni of Mom Essentials for our final Real Food Confession!  I hope you’ve enjoyed this series!

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

I completely changed my diet 12 years ago, when I realized that many of the foods I had eaten all my life were making me sick. I didn’t know how to make anything, and so I just started learning how to make things from scratch. We lived on brown rice and steamed veggies for about 2 months (my husband lost a bunch of weight) and all the food allergies I had been struggling with, disappeared. So I have continued to make many foods from scratch, but it’s harder now that I have 7 kids. The biggest tradition I’ve established in my family is to make a big fruit smoothie with greens every afternoon. I feel it’s important to have plenty of raw foods in a normal, healthy diet, and this is how I more easily accomplish this goal in my home.

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

Sprouted bread or tortillas. I just can’t make this one happen.

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

We probably eat about 70% homemade. I made bread from scratch for a while, but now I buy healthy brands instead. We eat out occasionally and I try hard to keep it on the healthy side. What I don’t want to make myself, I buy either organic or healthy versions.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

We LOVE making our own homemade pizza! The veggie pepperoni I buy is highly processed and contains soy, of which I don’t buy or eat much. But since we only eat this dish once a week and it fills our cravings for unhealthy pizza, I feel that it’s just fine for us.

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

Oh, french fries, pizza, ice cream… I don’t know. I decided many years ago that I didn’t want to be a complete food Nazi, looking over my growing children’s shoulders constantly. I’ve worked out a trade system with them and try to encourage them to make healthy choices as much as possible. I feel that if our diet is 80-90% healthy, that is what really matters in having a strong foundation of health. When we splurge here and there (mainly when we are at social gatherings), it’s okay because our bodies have that healthy foundation so that relatively small amount isn’t going to do a lot of harm.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

I will not buy or keep white flour, white sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated fat, soda pop or any products laden with chemical sweeteners or preservatives in my pantry. We get offered foods with these ingredients enough outside my home, that I want a solid foundation of real foods inside my home. This is one thing I CAN control, so I want to make the most of it. I’ve figured out how to make plenty of yummy foods without these ingredients. We have less sickness and I feel better when I don’t use these things, so I’m perfectly happy living without them.

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Don’t sacrifice relationships over food choices. Just educate yourself and do the best you can in your circumstances and areas of influence.

Jenni is passionate about real food and natural medicine. She is a happily married, mother of seven energetic kids. She wanted to know how to treat her family naturally, so she pursued a master herbalist degree and is now learning aromatherapy! She teaches classes and is passionate about empowering people, especially women, to be teachers, chefs, and doctors in their own homes. You can find her real food recipes and natural medicine stories at her blog: MomEssentials.net, and her Mom Essentials Facebook page.

Today we have Jerri Ann from  Sharing My Simple Dreams and Joanna from Plus Other Good Stuff!  You can also find both of them over at Modern Alternative Kitchen!

Jerri Ann of Sharing My Dreams Military Wife

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

Only in the last year, I guess since getting married have I become more dedicated to what is on our plates. I don’t have children and I’m only working part-time, but I still can’t find the time to make everything I would like from scratch. I would say though that with the exception of the whole wheat pasta and dairy in our diet, I make a lot of what we eat. We don’t buy storebought desserts except ice cream. I make all of our breads, applesauce, vegetable broth, pizza sauce, cookies, pies, granola bars. Oh, and my husband makes the best guacamole ever, my family will watch over his shoulder to find out his secret!

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

I have tried making whole wheat tortillas several times and I can’t seem to perfect the method. One time they were too thick and “gummy,” another they were too thin so I made them into chips. When the texture was right, the taste was too bland for me. I have also been wanting to try making my own yogurt, but have been too afraid to try thus far!

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

If I had to give a percentage I would say at least 75% of what we eat we have made ourselves. We learned to limit our restaurant endeavors when money was tight in college and at the same time I learned more about whole foods and it turned out to be a nice gradual shift in our eating habits. I learned to avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store and only dive in for things like flour, olives, and some canned fruits and veggies. When you don’t see it, you are not as tempted to buy it.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

The Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic in a box. It’s so easy, and we actually like the way it tastes, I will bulk it up with tons of fresh veggies so it’s a little healthier, but it still came from a box.

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

I personally think the worst thing we have eaten would be store-bought sweets. We don’t eat a lot of sweets anyway, so when we do they taste extremely sweet to us. Sugar is addictive, so once we start eating these highly processed, sugar packed things the homemade sweets I make don’t always suffice the sweet tooth. We almost never store bought sweets in our house, but when we go to visit family and they it, we almost feel bad for not having a little bit.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

Whole wheat sandwich bread! I have always eaten whole wheat bread thinking I was making a healthier choice, but when I was shopping around for the “best store bought bread” I was so overwhelmed by the long list of ingredients on every package, I searched and tweaked a recipe until I got it just right. It is pretty easy, I can make two loaves at once, and it’s delicious. The method I use doesn’t require a very long rise time, so that helps. I will bake and slice, then freeze the whole thing, taking out the slices as I need them. Unlike store bought bread that is full of artificial preservatives so it will keep for a few weeks, homemade bread will begin to mold after 3-4 days.

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Limit the amount in which you eat at restaurants, especially chain restaurants. When they are cooking meals for potentially hundreds of people a day, it is nearly impossible to use whole food ingredients. Eat locally, by choosing local places to eat that tend to be less busy, you can feel better about what’s in your meal. Also, get to know the owner, ask him or her about their cooking techniques and view on food. In the same way you should get to know your farmer, you should get to know your chef.

Jerri Ann married her Marine in June 2011 and in their first year of marriage they have moved 3 times. While they both grew up in the Midwest, their newest home is in San Diego, CA. After leaving high school and the life of athletics, Jerri Ann decided it was time to give her diet an overhaul. The last 3 years have been a time of great transition.  She is vegetarian, but lives with an omnivore so creating meals that are well-balanced and whole can sometimes be a challenge. She loves all things simple: mason jars, lace, books, green tea, sunshine, all things homemade, and antiquing. Check out her latest creations over at Sharing My Simple Dreams.

Joanna of Plus Other Good Stuff

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

We’ve been into real food for about 6 years, but have eased our way into the Weston Price way of eating over that time. I’ve been making soaked/ sourdough baked goods from scratch for about 3 years. I try to make most of our own bread, snacks, and granola. We buy local, grass-fed beef and pastured chicken and eggs, and mostly local produce. We don’t buy everything organic, but we try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible.

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

I wish could make cereal from scratch that was light and flaky like store-bought, because my husband loves cereal. Sometimes we need a change of pace from my (delicious) homemade granola.

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

Normally, most of it is. But I just had a baby a month ago and we’ve compromised a lot more because of that. Our parents have taken us out to eat several times, friends have brought over meals, and we’ve relied on store-bought crackers, hummus, bread, and granola.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

We like to keep a couple (usually “all-natural”) frozen pizzas in the freezer for emergencies. And when we haven’t made any homemade ice cream but we have a craving, we buy some Breyers.

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

In the first couple weeks after our daughter was born, my husband did the grocery shopping, and came home with msg-laden sausages. I couldn’t get too mad, because he was doing the shopping, which he hates to do.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

We always compromise when we’re not in charge of the food, for example at someone else’s house or at a church potluck. So far, though, we’ve managed to keep artificially-colored popsicles and all forms of candy out of our 2 ½ year-old’s mouth. And as for what I buy at the store, I never touch anything with trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors.

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Buy less at the grocery store and more from farmers and whole-food co-ops.

Joanna is the wife of a future pastor and the mother of two adorable kids, Caedmon and Esther. In 2006, around the same time that she got married, she began to realize that the kind of food we eat really does matter! She has been feeding her family a steady diet of raw milk, grass-fed meat, properly prepared whole grains, and local produce ever since. In addition to food and nutrition, she is passionate about Jesus, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, non-toxic living, and the art of dance. As a mostly stay-at-home-mom, she currently spends her days covered in spit-up and surrounded by Tinkertoys. She writes about real food in a positive and welcoming way at Plus Other Good Stuff.

Today we have Katie from RiddleLove to share her real food confessions!

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

I started cooking “real food” seven years ago.  Although I’ve always cooked from scratch, traditional cooking was a huge change from instant yeast, white flour and sugar.  I wanted this change to be permanet so I’ve been baby-stepping it to a total real food kitchen ever since.  Now I make our own sourdough, milk and water kefirs, kombucha, creme fraiche, and soak all the grains, nuts, and seeds we eat.  Baby steps!

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

I’ve taken a break from making sourdough loaves and am sticking with other quicker and easier sourdough breads like English muffins, pancakes, crepes, and the like.  My loaves are always really dense and it’s hard to get my family to eat them.

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

Like I said, it’s taken me a  l o n g  time to get here, but I am up to making 90% of what we eat.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

Chocolate chips.  My criptonite.

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

We just had our fifth baby and when this mama doesn’t get enough sleep, we have been known to drive through In-N-Out (a local burger joint) on occasion.  Eek.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

I won’t compromise on milk.  We have been buying raw milk from grass-fed cows from a nearby family farm for over two years now, and have had the least-sick cold/flu seasons ever since.  If we go on trips, I either freeze some and bring it, bight the bullet and pay up the wazoo for some at a health food store, or we simply do without until we return home.  I also bring jars filled with sourdough starter, kefir grains, and kombucha scoby and feel like quite the mad kitchen scientist that can’t let go of her work.

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Eat as real (and as simple!) as you can at home.  That way, when you’re invited to a Standard American Diet gathering, you can eat whatever you are served without having to freak out.  We do our best to nourish at home, but no one likes a food snob and we teach our children to embrace a thankful spirit when we are offered food; even if it’s not something we are used to eating.

Katie has been happily married to singer/songwriter/pastor Jeremy Riddle for thirteen years and counting.  After living in a fifth-wheel for nine months to get out of debt and save for a home, they now live on a mini-ranch with their five home-schooling children where they raise sheep, chickens, barn cats and guard dogs and are starting an orchard and large garden.  Katie began her real food journey seven years ago and strongly believes in baby steps when it comes to permanently changing diet and lifestyle.  She writes about her adventures as a new homesteader, shares weekly menu plans, recipes, and family goings-on at her blog, Riddlelove.

Today we have Katie from Kitchen Stewardship joining us to share her real food confessions!

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

Although by most standards, my mother cooked from scratch a lot, and I even made things like homemade chicken stock and homemade spaghetti sauce (although with Campbell’s tomato soup as the base) in college, my transition to “true” real food has been happening since my first pregnancy eight years ago.

I always tell people, when food comes up, that I make everything from scratch, and in case they don’t believe me, I list things like homemade yogurt, homemade crackers, and even homemade salad dressings.

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

I don’t do pasta (did it once, just TOO much work for me!) and I don’t do tortilla chips, for pretty much the same reason. I know I could make tasty ones, but I haven’t nixtamalized my own corn yet either, so the organic tortilla chips from the store are probably only slightly worse for me than homemade would be (although I would use a healthier fat, which is a big deal, I suppose).

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

Hmmmm…good question. Probably 60-80%, depending on what’s going on around here! And it depends on if you count things like butter, which I can’t make enough homemade for all my recipes.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

Tortilla chips (and ice cream – no room in the freezer for an ice cream maker bucket!)

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

Probably the one-quarter of a doughnut I let my kids have after church on Sunday! Ugh, white flour, sugar, and trans fats, the trifecta of food evils.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

Artificial sweeteners. Because I have to have ONE line that I’m a total jerk about, right? These guys have no purpose whatsoever and should be easy to avoid. I wish I could say “trans fats” too, but I’m just not there yet, sadly. I won’t make anything with trans fats, but they sneak into things so easily….

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Focus on fruits, vegetables and meat when you’re eating out. At home, just find great recipes and do your best, and don’t beat yourself up about the times you fudge it.

Katie Kimball is a mother of three who spends a ton of time in the kitchen making real food with whole ingredients and then blogs about her successes and failures at Kitchen Stewardship. She also tries to balance the green lifestyle on a single-income family budget and teaches others to do the same with weekly Monday Mission challenges. Katie is the author of four eBooks: Healthy Snacks to Go, Smart Sweets, The Family Camping Handbook, and The Everything Beans Book. Visit KS for real food and natural living dished out in chewable, baby step portions.