Food for Thought

We're going to be talking a lot (a LOT!) about food around here.  I love learning about food.  How to grow it, how to cook it, how to preserve it.  How it grows, why it's healthy (or not!), what it does for (or against!) our bodies.  I would have described us as eating "pretty healthy" for a long time.  Lean meats, very rarely fried food, fruit/veggies on hand for snacks, "healthy" breakfast cereals, pretzels and Chex Mix instead of potato chips, string cheese and GoGurt, 100 calorie pack microwave popcorn...and low fat spread - no butter!  Then I started learning things...and the things I've learned have changed the way I will think about food forever.

Expect future posts to deal more specifically with some of these topics, but for now, here is a general idea of the things we are working toward removing from our diet:

• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), also known as Genetically Engineered (GE) Foods.  The process of altering foods at the genetic level by manipulating DNA is also referred to as biotechnology.
• The majority of corn, soybean and canola products produced in the United States are GMO.
• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) - Research has shown this to be bad stuff in more ways than one.  
• Try to find processed foods without this little gem on the ingredient list.
• Processed Meats - the sodium nitrites used to preserve most processed meats have been linked time and time again to cancer-causing free radicals.
• Bacon, hot dogs, packaged lunch meat, sausage links, etc. 
• Nitrite-Free options for preserving meat include using celery juice, a natural preservative and is beginning to pop up in more "mainstream" brands.  We've had the Oscar Meyer Natural hot dogs and they were very good.  I've heard that OM has a Natural bacon as well, but have not seen/tried it myself.
• Soy products - this one could set off a pretty strong debate, so I'm going to say little here and save it for a future post.  Let's just say that most soy is GMO and call that reason enough to avoid it. (Or go read this)
• Soybean oil or soy lecithin can be found in almost every processed food.  If you're lucky enough to find one without HFCS you can bet you'll find one of these.
• That "vegetable" oil in your pantry?  Check the label - I was surprised to see mine said 100% soybean oil.
•  MSG - Okay, truth time:  I don't even know why this stuff is bad for you.  Everyone says it is but no one ever says why.  I'll find out.  Give me time.  To be continued...

There are lots of other things that "should" probably be on that list (white sugar!).  A wise friend recently said she refuses to live her life dictated by "should" - and I have to embrace that when it comes to food.  I can't change every single thing overnight, that is unrealistic - and expensive!  A gradual change seems to be working best for the Hillbilly Budget.

I refuse to be one of "those moms" that won't let the kids eat anything that might be bad for them.  That is unrealistic and foolish.  Grandma and Grandpa are always going to buy them cookies...or candy...or cake.  And I'm not going to say "no" to everything.  Is the corn in those Doritos GMO?  Yep!  Am I going to obsess about it?  No.  There will be times when eating wholesome food is just not an option - and this Hillbilly Bride is flexible enough to be okay with that.