I love to talk about food! Who knew it could be so controversial? There is so much to think about. Organic vs. conventional. GMO. Cloned. Processed. Fast food. Downers. Cage free. CRAZY!
Where we are:
I buy organic at home with rare exceptions. We eat out about twice a month and we happily accept invites to eat with friends and family. I strive for a completely clean diet with more than average amounts of protein, lots of produce, a moderate amount of whole grains and complex carbs and very few sugary treats. (I am currently working on cutting back sugary treats. We have far too many lollipops and ice cream treats.)
Where we were 6 years ago:
I was pregnant with Katie and John eating DQ foot longs with chili, cheese and jalapenos. I washed it down with Coke and Capri Sun. I could wax poetic about a great batch of McDonalds' fries. I didn't know a thing about organics or GMOs.
Our path from there to here:
When it was time to feed Katie and John something other than breastmilk I was adamant that the foods be organic. I have no recollection of learning about organics or even of making the decision for us. I simply remember saying that it would be so - and so it was! A bit later when Katie and John were ready for more than jarred food I sent off a note to a cousin I admire and asked what her her personal rules are when choosing foods for her kids. She avoids trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. That is where we started. When the kiddos were ready to drink milk we switched that to organic. We were already regularly eating whole grain bread. I started switching the rest of our grains from white to the healthier stuff. That step took me a long time. I had to learn to cook the pasta and rice. Overcooked whole grain pasta is nasty. Brown rice with the wrong ratio of liquid is equally awful. White went completely out of our diets once I mastered those. Around Katie and John's fourth birthday we made the switch to all organic. It was the next logical step for us and the resources to do so became available locally.
Popular places to start (pick the one that feels easiest!):
1. Getting rid of the processed stuff. It is easily identified. I don't suggest a clean sweep. A more gentle transition worked for us. Oreos changed to Newman-Os then to homemade oatmeal flax cookies. Bisquick waffles with Aunt Jemima changed to whole grain pre-mix with real maple syrup then to homemade with fruit and a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or Greek yogurt. Sweet packs of yogurt changed to plain Greek yogurt blended with fruit and honey then to plain Greek yogurt blended with just fruit or layered parfait style with fruit. Cheerios changed to Gorilla Puffs (I don't know what they are really called) then to organic Kashi or plain oatmeal with fruit.
2. Switching grains. Most of us ingest more grains and starches than any other food group which may mean that we get the majority of our pesticide ingestion from them. So it makes some sense to switch those foods to organic first.
3. Switching produce. The foods known as the dirty dozen have more pesticide residue than most (or all) others. They include most produce we eat the flesh from: apples, tomatoes, grapes, berries. We ingest a higher ratio of pesticide to amount of food when we eat them hence the argument to start there.
4. Switching dairy. Milk is a no-brainer. There is so much chatter these days about purulent cow udders, antibiotics and synthetic hormones. What about cheese? And yogurt? They are just as contaminated. The cheese probably more so as it is essentially very concentrated milk which likely means very concentrated contaminants.
I happened upon the term 'clean eating' long after we adapted this way of eating. It is popular in cooking literature right now. I suggest making a $4 investment the next time you are at the grocer and pick up the latest issue of Clean Eating magazine. Somewhere near the front it will outline the principles. Basically, if you could grow it you should eat it. (Produce, meat, and dairy included.) If it requires the by product of some super processing event you shouldn't eat it.
A more thorough resource (and my favorite to recommend) is Tosca Reno's family book for clean eating. I would love to link it, but in the comedy of errors that this has become I am now typing off line with no connectivity. Ahhhhh, technology!
I have been schooled by my BFF and am well aware that Wikipedia is not a citable source. Regardless, I find the information there worthy of a read and further research. Search for 'monsanto' there and have a good read. You may also be intrigued by their notes on many of the ingredients we find listed on our packaged foods, even the organic ones.
Notes of interest:
The crops most likely grown from GMO are corn, soy, canola and cotton. If a product contains any derivative of these I assume it is GMO unless otherwise labeled. Derivatives include lecithin, HFCS, corn syrup, dextrose, dextrin, and on and on and on...
Pick up any of the clean eating books or periodicals from your library.
Where we are:
I buy organic at home with rare exceptions. We eat out about twice a month and we happily accept invites to eat with friends and family. I strive for a completely clean diet with more than average amounts of protein, lots of produce, a moderate amount of whole grains and complex carbs and very few sugary treats. (I am currently working on cutting back sugary treats. We have far too many lollipops and ice cream treats.)
Where we were 6 years ago:
I was pregnant with Katie and John eating DQ foot longs with chili, cheese and jalapenos. I washed it down with Coke and Capri Sun. I could wax poetic about a great batch of McDonalds' fries. I didn't know a thing about organics or GMOs.
Our path from there to here:
When it was time to feed Katie and John something other than breastmilk I was adamant that the foods be organic. I have no recollection of learning about organics or even of making the decision for us. I simply remember saying that it would be so - and so it was! A bit later when Katie and John were ready for more than jarred food I sent off a note to a cousin I admire and asked what her her personal rules are when choosing foods for her kids. She avoids trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. That is where we started. When the kiddos were ready to drink milk we switched that to organic. We were already regularly eating whole grain bread. I started switching the rest of our grains from white to the healthier stuff. That step took me a long time. I had to learn to cook the pasta and rice. Overcooked whole grain pasta is nasty. Brown rice with the wrong ratio of liquid is equally awful. White went completely out of our diets once I mastered those. Around Katie and John's fourth birthday we made the switch to all organic. It was the next logical step for us and the resources to do so became available locally.
Popular places to start (pick the one that feels easiest!):
1. Getting rid of the processed stuff. It is easily identified. I don't suggest a clean sweep. A more gentle transition worked for us. Oreos changed to Newman-Os then to homemade oatmeal flax cookies. Bisquick waffles with Aunt Jemima changed to whole grain pre-mix with real maple syrup then to homemade with fruit and a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or Greek yogurt. Sweet packs of yogurt changed to plain Greek yogurt blended with fruit and honey then to plain Greek yogurt blended with just fruit or layered parfait style with fruit. Cheerios changed to Gorilla Puffs (I don't know what they are really called) then to organic Kashi or plain oatmeal with fruit.
2. Switching grains. Most of us ingest more grains and starches than any other food group which may mean that we get the majority of our pesticide ingestion from them. So it makes some sense to switch those foods to organic first.
3. Switching produce. The foods known as the dirty dozen have more pesticide residue than most (or all) others. They include most produce we eat the flesh from: apples, tomatoes, grapes, berries. We ingest a higher ratio of pesticide to amount of food when we eat them hence the argument to start there.
4. Switching dairy. Milk is a no-brainer. There is so much chatter these days about purulent cow udders, antibiotics and synthetic hormones. What about cheese? And yogurt? They are just as contaminated. The cheese probably more so as it is essentially very concentrated milk which likely means very concentrated contaminants.
I happened upon the term 'clean eating' long after we adapted this way of eating. It is popular in cooking literature right now. I suggest making a $4 investment the next time you are at the grocer and pick up the latest issue of Clean Eating magazine. Somewhere near the front it will outline the principles. Basically, if you could grow it you should eat it. (Produce, meat, and dairy included.) If it requires the by product of some super processing event you shouldn't eat it.
A more thorough resource (and my favorite to recommend) is Tosca Reno's family book for clean eating. I would love to link it, but in the comedy of errors that this has become I am now typing off line with no connectivity. Ahhhhh, technology!
I have been schooled by my BFF and am well aware that Wikipedia is not a citable source. Regardless, I find the information there worthy of a read and further research. Search for 'monsanto' there and have a good read. You may also be intrigued by their notes on many of the ingredients we find listed on our packaged foods, even the organic ones.
Notes of interest:
The crops most likely grown from GMO are corn, soy, canola and cotton. If a product contains any derivative of these I assume it is GMO unless otherwise labeled. Derivatives include lecithin, HFCS, corn syrup, dextrose, dextrin, and on and on and on...
Pick up any of the clean eating books or periodicals from your library.
If it is fast food (Chipotle is an exception!) or in a convenient package it is likely GMO!
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