In Part 1 of “the Rules” we talked about making food decisions for our families. It’s so funny to me how we parents are. We don’t want anyone telling us how to raise our children……….from the food they eat to the clothes they wear…….we want to make the decisions. However, we don’t live in a bubble. We want lots and lots of information to make decisions for our families. We Google, read, and talk with our friends for advice. That is the process my family went through a few years ago. We decided we wanted to eat the most nutrient-dense food we could while eliminating as many “yucky” ingredients as we could.

Part 1 was all about the foods we no longer wanted to eat. Part 2 is all about the foods we decided as a family that we DO want to eat. Our family does not have any food allergies so that made these decisions easier for us. Schedule a family meeting and come up with a plan that your family can live with. Keep in mind that “no vegetables” is probably not a good idea. That was the first rule that my little guy came up with. Nice try sweetie. Focus on teaching your family that food is to nourish their bodies. Think about having a contest to see how may nutrients you can fit into each meal.

Here Is What We DO Eat.

1. Real Beverages: We drink water and milk for the most part. We will drink all natural juices and coffee and tea with natural sweeteners only. Wine and beer are allowed for the adults.

2. Natural Sweeteners: Our Sweeteners are limited to Honey and 100% Real Maple Syrup. These should be consumed in moderation.

3. Whole Foods: Whole Foods that are more a product of nature than science. We like the idea of being able to pronounce what we are eating.

4. Lots of fruits and vegetables: We love going to the Farmer’s Market for these. When you buy local, things are fresher, which means they last longer and taste better. Remember, no more preservatives.

5. 100% whole wheat and whole grains: Find a local bakery for your sandwich bread or make it yourself. Look for 100% whole wheat pasta. We also decided we wanted to try new grains like quinoa, barley, spelt, and others.

6. Dairy Products: We decided to go with Organic milk, unsweetened yogurt, cheese, and eggs. We can really taste the difference and have no desire to go back to conventional.

7. Antibiotic free meats like chicken, beef and pork: Locally raised is preferred. Moderation is also key here. We often will include meatless meals when we plan for the week. Good quality meat is expensive so we usually use meat as an ingredient to a dish rather than as the centerpiece of the meal.

8. Seafood:We don’t eat too much seafood, but when we do wild caught is preferred over farm-raised. Farm-raised is an industry term that refers to mass production. My little guy who is the pickiest eater of them all has decided that he likes salmon. I never would have thought to try it with him, but it turns out that he loves it!

So, that answers the question, “What do you eat?” It’s usually the first question folks ask me when they find out we eat real food. it’s really not rocket science. We pay attention to the ingredients and look for the most “bang for the buck” when it comes to nutrients.

If you are looking for help in making the transition to eating more real food, you should check out the Real Food Experience posts. You can get started at the beginning or jump around the challenges. You can find a complete round-up of the program here. Each week’s challenge is full of terrific advice to help you transition from fast and processed food to a real food diet. Changes that will help you to live a healthy lifestyle and have the energy to keep up with your busy schedule. I would also love for you to join me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on a regular basis. Leave me a comment and let me know you are there. I love to visit with my readers.