How many of you buy all of the boxed stuff because you think it's cheaper than buying fresh, whole foods like fruits and vegetables? This blog post is dedicated to comparing prices for you and showing you how to make baby steps to rid your kitchen and pantry of all of those cheap, processed foods; most of which have no nutritional value and won't keep you full for any length of time.
This picture compares items pound for pound (thanks to Deliciously Organic):
I've heard a lot of people say that they can get a meal at a fast food restaurant for about $5, and they can't make the same kind of meal at home for that price. Well, here are some meal ideas for roughly $5, all of which you can make quick and easy right in your own home! (thanks again to Deliciously Organic):
Two eggs, two pieces of
organic
/pastured bacon and a glass of unprocessed milk.
A quarter-pound grass-fed hamburger with a side salad.
A bowl of steel-cut oats with cream and honey.
A pastured,
organic sausage and some steamed vegetables.
A bowl of whole milk yogurt, half a cup of frozen berries and a drizzle of raw honey.
A lettuce, ham and cheese roll-up with hummus and raw vegetables.
I know I've fallen into the drive thru trap many times because I thought it would be faster to go through a drive thru and pick something up than it would be to make myself something at home. In reality, it normally takes just as long to drive to a restaurant and sit in the drive thru line waiting for food than it does if I were to just come home and make myself a quick meal at home. Not to mention that I save money if I wait and eat something at home. Now, am I saying it is NEVER ok to grab fast food when the need arises? No. Just be more mindful of your reasoning and think "Would it be easier/faster/cheaper if I just waited until I got home?" If you prep your food on the weekends, you'll always have something ready to go waiting for you in the fridge. Make a big pot of soup that you can eat off of all week. Have a big bowl of lettuce and fresh veggies chopped and ready to make a bowl of salad at any time. I'll do another blog later on some quick, convenient meals you can make to have ready at any time.
Last thing for today, if you've been wanting to make these changes, but are at a loss as to where to start, follow these simple baby steps from 100 Days of Real Food.
14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges:
- Week 1: Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal – Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.
- Week 2: “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
- Week 3: Meat – All meat consumed this week will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). Meat consumption will also be limited to 3 – 4 servings this week, and when it is eaten meat will not be presented as the “focal point” of the meal. Instead meat will be treated as a side item or simply used to help flavor a dish.
- Week 4: No fast food or deep-fried foods – No fast food or any foods that have been deep-fried in oil.
- Week 5: Try two new whole foods – Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before.
- Week 6: No low-fat, lite or nonfat food products – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”
- Week 7: 100% Whole grain – All grains consumed must be 100% whole-grain.
- Week 8: Stop eating when you feel full – Listen to your internal cues and stop eating when you feel full.
- Week 9: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
- Week 10: No refined oils – No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.
- Week 11: Eat local foods – Eat at least 1 locally grown or raised food at each meal. This includes, but is not limited to: fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, nuts, meats, and sweeteners like honey.
- Week 12: No sweeteners – Avoid all added sweeteners including, but not limited to: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice.
- Week 13: Nothing artificial – Avoid all artificial ingredients including, but not limited to: sweeteners, flavors and colors.
- Week 14: No more than 5-ingredients – Avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients
(taken from 100daysofrealfood.com)
