the real food revolution

i have been trying to figure out how to pin down my particular beliefs about what's nutritious and what's not.  i've never been one for fad diets - i tend to think everything in moderation is decent rule.  well, everything that's real food anyways.

so maybe that sums it up right there - real food.  stuff that was alive in the not-too-distant past and has an origin i can track.  or, at the very least, a list of ingredients i can pronounce and picture in my head.  that's why i'm trying to do more cooking at home - at least i know what goes into that food.  nothing extra to make it last longer or look more colourful or taste more addictive.

to know how much real food you and your family are eating, think about where you do the majority of your grocery shopping - are you an inside aisle or an outside aisle shopper?  the inside aisles contain most of the processed foods - canned, bottled, boxed, and frozen foods.  the outside aisles contain most fresh foods - produce, meats, dairy, and baked goods.  i was so excited to go grocery shopping yesterday and realized i only stepped into the inside aisles twice - once for pasta sauce and once for spices.  my shopping lists keep getting fresher.

i'd love to go even further and become a local foodie - grow or buy local produce, find local meat providers, a local dairy, etc.  but... small town, small valley, limited budget, limited options.  though there are some - when james goes hunting, we can end up with enough fresh, untainted meat to last us for a year.  same with fishing.  in the summer, a fruit truck comes to town from the next valley over and we can get some delicious produce.  or we can go berry picking when we travel.  almost anyone can get to a farmers market, which is absolutely the best place to shop (except at ours which sells furniture and pies and almost nothing that came from a farm or garden).  when we look for them, there are opportunities to choose real food over convenience for little or no difference in price.

as a friend put it the other day, "let's face it, we all basically know what we should or should not be eating".  we should be eating real food prepared by our own hands as often as we can.  you don't have to be a certified dietician to know that fruit and vegetables are good for you - eat lots of those.  whole grains are good for you too, so find more ways to eat them.  people have different opinions about meat and dairy, but they aren't too bad if you eat them in moderation, and you do need the nutrition they contain.   limit your sugar, limit your salt, limit your fat.  don't depend on vitamins and supplements to feed your body things you can get at the grocery store.  refined foods are bad.  processed foods are bad.  fast and convenience foods are bad.  eat real food!