Although this blog is not yet two years old, my family is celebrating two years eating real food. It was June 2012 when I decided enough was enough. I was tired of being sick and I was worried about what all the junk food I was feeding my family was doing to their health. We only get one body and one life, you know. Two years ago, my family often ate fast food three times a day. It sounds completely insane to me now, but I didn’t know better. I was busy! I was just glad that we ate three times a day. I’m proud to say that it has been two years since I have eaten at one of my old favorite fast-food restaurants. Although, I will admit to using their restrooms on an emergency basis and buying black coffee every once in a while. Dang! Does that ruin my record?
It has been two years since I found out about GMOs. Genetically Modified Organisms are foods that are created more out of science than of nature. They are NOT hybrid foods. GMOs are organisms who have had their genetic material altered. Corn is no longer corn when it is altered. It looks like corn and tastes like corn, but it is genetically different and able to be patented. Over 60 countries have banned GMOs. The US is not one of those countries. Want to know why there is so much cancer and allergies these days? Perhaps, we should look at what is different about our food.
During the time I have been shopping for real food, I have seen a difference in the food choices and brands at my grocery store. I can’t believe how much it has changed. I choose to vote with my dollars. If I can’t find a real food version of my favorite ingredients, then I don’t buy it. If your kidney beans include sugar or artificial colors…………they are not going in my cart. It has been a bit of a pain at times, but I refuse to give in. My family is that important to me. My local grocery store now doesn’t have a tiny little organic section. It has organic foods throughout the store. It’s nice to have choices again. I like to think that my dollar voting is helping.
How are the kids doing? Better all of the time……….my youngest doesn’t even really remember the names of his old fast food favorites. We played a game the other night. My husband and I named fast food items and asked him which restaurant they were from. McDouble? He had no idea! Interesting……..he doesn’t really like french fries either. Although, he has discovered that he likes homemade fries with lots of vinegar on them. My teenager still wants soda when we go to a restaurant or is offered it elsewhere. He knows it is not allowed in our house. He now has some new favorite real food meals and that makes me happy. My daughter has really taking our real food journey to heart. She has paid attention to what makes her feel good and what doesn’t. She is leading the charge in reducing our overall meat consumption. She is happiest with grains, vegetables, and is obsessed with beans. Her little girl friends must think she is crazy when she gets so excited to find a bean burrito in her lunch box.
Two years has gone by so fast. It’s hard to believe we are the same family that we were two years ago. We haven’t gotten any less busy that is for sure………..tell me how three kids can have 5 activities in one night? Yep! That’s my Wednesday this week. We have pulled together as a family and worked really hard to always have real food at our table. My husband is a master shopper. Nobody can speed read an ingredient label like he can. Sure, we’ve made some mistakes and have a lot to learn still, but we are really doing this!
Thanks so much for being a part of our real food journey. With some luck and a whole lot of determination this time next year, we will meet here again and celebrate three years.
Have you started your real food journey? Why or why not? What is holding you back? How long have you been eating real food?
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Nicky Omohundro says
Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!
Thanks so much Nicky! Feeling better every day.
Congratulations on 2 year! What an amazing change for you and your family!
Thank you Kristen! It has been amazing. I really didn't think it would be possible to make such an enormous change.
I love what you are doing. I have been trying to do this for years. However, every now and then we fall because we are on the go and starving
Every now and then isn't the worst thing in the world, but our once in a while turned into all of the time. We had to stop that. I have found that planning is key so that I don't get to starving and make a choice that I will regret later. Make sure you always have snacks in your car or purse.
Congrats on the 2 years!
Thanks so much Devon! I'm still in shock that it has been 2 years already.
Congratulations! I commend you! I have been doing the same thing since I learned I had fibroids. Sometimes it can be tough but I just take it day by day. It gets easier. You just have to retrain your tastebuds. 🙂
Retraining your tastebuds is a good point. A lot of the foods I used to love taste horrible to me now. That makes them much easier to avoid. Real food is what my body now craves………..and dark chocolate is real food.
Congrats!! I am starting to go gluten free and paleo. Ready to eat healthy! Thanks for motivation!
Gluten free and paleo isn't going to be easy. Good luck! I'm sure you can do anything you set your mind to. The key to eating right is lots and lots of planning.
Wow! How wonderful! Cheers to good food and healthy eating!
Thanks Mary! Eating real food feels good and tastes even better. I can't believe all of the flavors I was missing out on eating fast food all of the time.
Congratulations! It's a tough journey. We tend to take a few steps forward, and then a few backwards. Thanks for the encouragement!
Thanks so much Karen! Healthy living is taking more steps forward than backward. You are doing great when you keep moving forward even if it's just a little bit.
Wow, what a great thing to celebrate. Congrats!!
Thanks so much for your kind words Laura. I love any excuse to celebrate. LOL!
Congrats! You are in inspiration.
That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. I hope to be part of the support system for anyone who needs my help.
Awesome! Congrats on two years! Visiting from the linkup. I hope you are having a great week.
Thanks so much for your sweet words. I hope you come back here to visit often.
Congratulations on your two year anniversary! I haven't eaten fast food in over a year (although my husband and son have) but that's probably as far as I'll go in eating real food. I'm too picky of an eater! LOL
Thank you for your kind words. 1 year is cause to celebrate. My family is very picky also. That's one of the reasons that real food works for us. We eat what we like and don't have to worry about strange chemicals or spices they don't like when I cook real food for them.