Hi, my name is Christina. I am thrilled that you stopped by this blog because it means you have an interest in healthy living for your family and Real Food. Until May 2012, my family survived by eating mostly fast food and food that came from a box. You know the stuff I am talking about. Just open this can add in this packet of unknown substances and stir. As long as I got through a meal without one of the kids throwing a fit over the meal presented to them I was thrilled and thought I was doing a good job providing for them. I didn’t know that Real Food was actually a movement in this country, hadn’t heard of a CSA and thought the farmer’s market was the place you went to get kettle corn. By the way…..the farmer’s market is a great place to get kettle corn, but so much more as well.
How bad did our nutrition and eating habits get? Probably worse than you could possibly imagine. We are a family of 4 kids who as of the time I am writing this range from college age to preschool, Dad and Mom. Mom and Dad both work full time outside of the house and then have to race back across town each evening to run the kids to their events. The kids have schedules that often leave us double and triple booked and falling into bed with exhaustion each night. I love that they are little over-achievers, but boy is that hard to keep up with. Nutrition was the farthest thing from my mind back then. I was just glad that I fed them something, really anything. We would often grab something like sugary cereal or toaster pastries for breakfast for the kids. Mom and Dad would often drive through a fast food restaurant for a quick bite to eat on the way to work. Lunch for the kids happened at school and who cares what they actually ate. Dinner was another trip to fast food alley. Often making multiple stops to make everyone happy. Nuts, huh?
Still……..I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong! Never was my plan to poison my family with unknown chemicals and food additives. I really felt like I was just feeding my family like everyone else I knew that worked all day and then had to go to dance, scouts, baseball, football, cheer leading, band competitions, and Sunday school. I’m a good Mom who wants nothing but the best for my children and this is how I was feeding them. Oh boy! Did I have a lot to learn.
Are you a processed food eater or do you prefer to keep it real? How do you make your meal decisions? Are you a planner or do you just wing it?
Don’t despair! Next time………….we begin our road to recovery. I set out to prove that Juggling Real Food and Real Life is possible. No matter how busy your family is, I invite you to join us on this journey. I explain how food has changed over the years, share simple real food recipes, and tips for getting meals to the table in a hurry. As this blog develops I plan to share decluttering tips as I have found that a less cluttered home actually allows me to have more time in the kitchen. I also share my love for positive sports parenting and the importance of youth sports nutrition. Come along as we talk Real Food, Real Life, and Real Fun.
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Thanks for sharing Christina! We were just like you. It wasn't until I got sick that we changed our diets. Now we almost entirely real food. We only go out about once a month and it's to a place that locally sources and cooks from scratch. As far as planning, I wing it. Whatever looks good (and is generally on sale) at the market/store is what I buy. I need to plan better and it's on the list of to-do's.