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Sunday, January 10, 2010

I know I will sound like a snob...

And I get made fun of a lot cause of my "food rules"...

And I'm not the healthiest person I know by FAR....

But today I went to the grocery store. Actually, I went to 3. And in each one, I saw parents letting their kids decide what they wanted to buy....

Which means... I saw kids walking around with Capri Suns...Cocoa Pebbles....Pop Tarts....Oreo Cookies....etc.

And while I know that stuff tastes really good....it is just really, really bad for kids. Anything with High Fructose Corn Syrups...added sugars...additional chemicals...that's just not what we're supposed to be putting in our bodies.

DISCLAIMER : I KNOW I DRINK DIET COKE. AND IT IS AWFUL. AND NO, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT UP. But I'm talking about the kids....

I read somewhere this week this statement:

"If it is made from a plant...eat it. If it made IN a PLANT, do not."

This is something I'd like my family to strive for... eating WAY more fruits/veggies/natural foods... way less processed. And while I do eat food that is made in a plant, I do try to choose food that does not have any of the yucky stuff added in. I strive for organic foods and those made with whole grains.

I don't always eat organic fruit/veggies (cause I can't afford it)...but I eat a LOT of fruits/veggies and if they aren't organic, I'm careful to wash them really well.

Another quote for you...

"God made food into a God made body = God made health."

For those spiritual peeps out there... our bodies are God's temple. And if you think about God living in your body.... it definitely affects a lot of the choices we make.

Sorry... didn't mean to go all spiritual spice... Man, I'm totally on a soapbox right now. I'm sorry.

Part of me is just made at our nation for putting crap food out there...advertising it to kids... making it seem irresistible for kids...and making it harder for us parents to convince our children how to make healthier choices.

Which is why if you have little ones...teach them healthy choices now. Put food into their bodies that is wholesome and pure. Not full of junk. You will probably notice a BIG difference in their behavior.

We pulled Haley off of sugar a few weeks ago...and while that was unsuccessful because of the Holidays and other outside forces...we could tell an immediate difference when she had sugar and when she didn't. Try it with your kids...see if it makes a difference.

We can't forget that our kids are watching us and what we eat... so we need to model good choices. If we don't buy into it, they won't either.

Geez, I don't know when I became a nutritionist?!?! I think this blog probably sounds self righteous. I'm sorry if it came across like that. And I should say... I'm all about a special treat here or there...just not a continual diet of junk.

Let's protect our kids...their bodies...their future.

6 comments:

Christie Murray said...

We are trying to do the same thing with our sons. Easy with the 4 month old, not so easy with the 2 year old. :) What is even more frustrating is that all the "junk food" is cheaper, and more easily accessible. It explains the huge link between poverty and obesity. Thank you for sharing/encouraging our plight for healthier, happier kids.

Sarah B. said...

Snob.
Ok, teasing. And I was going to leave the same comment as Christie, why is the bad food cheaper than the healthy food...I would eat so much healthier if it was cheaper. I am that frugal. :) But I might have to take your words as a dare and go one week without sugar and try to see if there is a big difference. I had a friend give it up for Lent last year and he felt so much better he said, he was with you, he could tell the difference.

Kristi said...

Yeah...the price of eating healthy frustrates me too. That's actually why I went to 3 different stores yesterday.

I take the newspaper ads and select the best place to buy the best food. I usually buy my produce at Henry's cause it is local which makes it fresher and cheaper. Sometimes I go to the Farmer's market. Other times GROWERS DIERCT. Other times, I just watch the ads for big supermarket chains that have good deals.

For other food... when it goes on sale... I STOCK UP! It may cost a lot at once but saves money in the long run!!!! P.S. If you are into natural cereals...KASHI is the best and it is on sale at VONS and Target right now. Also - VONS had coupons on the box that made it even cheaper!!!

TRADER JOES is always a winner. Most people think it is pretty pricey BEFORE they go in...but all of their food is NATURAL, and if you were paying for the same food at a grocery store, it would be CRAZY expensive!!! I feel like their food is priced very fairly.

Sometimes I buy my bread at the discounted bread store in HB. Other times I cruise through BIG LOTS and find AWESOME natural foods. SHOCKING, I know. But I even got a box of 18 Bear Naked pure/natural grain ola bars for $8.00 yesterday. You can't beat that deal! AMAZING! :)

All that to say... it takes more work...but it's worth it, I think.

Lisa P said...

This is our journey, and has been for about two years. We aren't totally off processed food, but it really does make a difference. We did last February without sugar and are in the middle of a two-week sugar detox--with 8-, 6-, and 4-year olds. They are starting to get the hang of it, and there are more options out there. But it makes a huge difference in their allergies as well as behavior. Doesn't make it easier or cheaper...

Hang in there--it's a process.

christie walker said...

Amen sista! You know how i feel about this issue. I don't feel that it is a lot more money (but then again I am just buying for Matt and myself) and surprising Ralph's organic produce is usually the same as the "regular"
Hopefully when Sprouts opens it will make it that much easier.

Ang said...

I'm in the process of weening our family off processed foods. Trying to do it gradually. They just recently started catching on. I subscribe to a magazine called "Clean Eating" that has been absolutely amazing. You should check it out. And after many, many talks with my chiropractor on the ill effects of diet soda's on my system I gave them up 3 years ago. In fact, I wont buy anything with artificial sweetners in it - period. I feel a difference as I move towards a chemically free body.