How Do You Eat?

ok, please don't send me messages or attack me for this. but i'm being honest. i don't eat like that. i never have, i don't really strive to eat like that. i love my beef, and chicken and pork. we make many things out of boxes and bags from the freezer. i know all the nutrition things that you learn in classes, but, i honestly couldn't care less right now. i'd rather live and enjoy my life than worry about everything. yes we eat out often, that's how i was raised and i enjoy it.

what bothers me most is how people look down on me because i don't strive to be like everyone else eat eat organic and things like that. i want my kids to be healthy, yes, but i don't feel the only answer is an organic diet with no sweets.

maybe part of it is i don't want to conform. but a bigger part is that it is expensive to eat that way. right now we can barely afford to feed my family. (we have cut out the eating out, but we have hotdogs and mac and cheese often). so unless someone wants to buy me all of the organic and good foods for me, don't say anything to me about how i eat.

6 moms found this helpful

To be honest I couldn't do that. I cook a lot of fruit and veggies but like cooking lean beef and pork in stews or in pastas. Then again I only get things I can afford and I know some of those things you mentioned can add up..Everyone eats differently

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thats fantastic that yall eat so healthy. I would love to eat as healthy as you. We are a family of 3 but will be a family of 4 in sept. But we eat everything: meat, white pasta, wheat bread, fruits, vegies, snack cakes, ice cream, frozen foods, fast food, water, milk, cokes, juices, and coffee.

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thats fantastic that yall eat so healthy. I would love to eat as healthy as you. We are a family of 3 but will be a family of 4 in sept. But we eat everything: meat, white pasta, wheat bread, fruits, vegies, snack cakes, ice cream, frozen foods, fast food, water, milk, cokes, juices, and coffee.

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Hey if it's what works for you, then who cares what people think. I eat what I can, when I can! There's never much time for me to sit and eat a meal. I tend to cook whatever is easiest since it's usually just me and the kids at dinnertime. I am not going to spend my time slaving over a meal when most of it will just end up on the floor anyway.

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How are you having these conversation? Are you bragging that your kids love broccoli and quinoa and you can't believe that anyone would feed their kids chemicals and McDonald's? Or do other people ask you about your diet?

My own family eats pretty healthily, but I recognize that to do so takes a lot of time and other resources, and try to give everyone credit for doing the best by their family that they can. No one likes to be "one-upped" as a parent.

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It is great that you and your family eat so healthy.
Our family eats healthy and we are striving to get where you are at, but not quite there. My husband is a meat-and-potatoes guy and is not very adventurous when it comes to food. He also does not consider soup or salad to be a meal. So it presents a challenge!
Breakfasts: I try to do mostly home-made breakfasts made with whole ingredients. Kids get cereal 1x a week but it cannot be a sugar cereal (we just started this in January; before that, they had sugar cereal every day). We will have whole-grain pancakes or waffles, hard boiled eggs, fruit, muffins, oatmeal. Hubby eats instant oatmeal with lower sugar since he eats at work and it is easier for him to prepare.
Lunch: 1 child eats school lunch. I don't feel it is the healthiest: they serve a lot of chicken nuggets! But they also serve fruits and veggies and it is inexpensive and convenient. The girls and I eat leftovers from dinner or soup, salad and sandwiches. Husband takes frozen healthy dinners such as Smart Ones. (I used to, but they are expensive and I like to avoid the additives so I make my own portioned-out meals when I cook, label the container with how many calories they have, and stick em in the freezer).
Dinner: We are mindful of calories and eat a lot of veggies on the side. We rarely use butter. We have meat or fish 4-5 times a week. I am trying to cut it down and a lot of times we will do things like fajitas where I can skip the meat. I cook 99% of our meals from scratch so I know what is in them.

We do occasionally eat fast food or pizza and we do have a lot of treats at our house since I love to bake. My kids use their allowance to buy candy; I have stopped buying junk with exception to baked chips (which are still junk, in my opinion, but at least they have less calories than regular chips, and we only go through 1 bag a week). We do not buy organic as it is too expensive, but we eat A LOT of fruits and vegetables. I use a co-op and get 2 laundry baskets-full of produce per week and we go through all of it.

We are doing a lot lot lot better on eating healthy than we used to and still have a bit to go.

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Well you said it: Your Husband is a trainer. So he has more knowledge about it than a typical layperson. And it is more commonplace for him/you to eat that way.
So thus, you are more aware of food choices and making it and you have it in your home.

A lot of people do not even know all that stuff.
It can be a lot of info for most Moms, to incorporate into their daily lives. And then along with budgeting and the many food preferences of a family.

But, a kid if they grew up on that, don't know any different.
But most people do not grow up on that manner of eating, thus, changing one's palate and food cooking, is a mountain to change and move.

And then there are cultural foods and ways of cooking.

And then, some people are just not adventurous with trying other foods.

So many factors.
But basic healthy eating, is attainable.
But some people will not even eat brown rice. Nor whole grain breads.

It is good you and your family eat healthy.
But eating healthy can be done in many ways.
You have a good thing going.
Your kids are raised on that palate.

I consider my family as healthy eaters. I cook from scratch, I know how to cook, I don't cook junk, I cook balanced meals, we do not have junk or processed foods in our home or very scantly.
That is, per my family's palate and tolerance levels, fine.

What they eat or do outside of the home, is another thing.
But I think most people, know about common sense healthy eating.

1 mom found this helpful

I used to do as you do. But since my boys are now teenagers, I can't control what they eat.
I am also a trainer and it saddens me that people don't take better care of themselves. But I don't judge them--if they are happy that's great.
V.

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Natural, organic, cooked from scratch.

I used to be a junk food junkie. I looked OK but felt terrible, my moods were all over the place. I also developed allergies to some of the preservatives in processed food. Now doritos and ding dongs give me hives so I stay away from the chemical stuff.

The funny thing is that my kids are used to eating healthy and think fast food is gross. One day, just for fun, I brought home some canned speghettios so they could see what I used to live on. None of my kids would eat it after the first bite!

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Sounds like a very similar diet in our household. We avoid bleached flour and sugar, buy a lot of organic items. We avoid corn syrup, dyes, additives, etc. My husband and I are both very sensitive to MSG so we avoid that. We only eat beef if we go out for a steak, every once in a blue moon. We do eat bacon, but only humanely raised, local farm, non-nitrate. We eat a lot of chicken, turkey, and fish. Balanced meals with a whole grain like quinoa or wild rice. We don't use boxed foods or meal starters. We do have our bad stuff we like and try to keep a moderate balance of still allowing some sweets and snack food, but certainly not for every meal, more like 1 time a week.

I cook b'fast, lunch, and dinner at home 5-6 days out of the week, so we aren't eating fast food or spending a lot eating out. Hubby takes lunches to work. We only buy soda that is made with real sugar and we take FOREVER to go through a 12 pack. You get the picture, very similar attitude to food.

I belong to a mother's group that focuses on natural parenting, mostly in relation to food. We only serve organic foods at playdates and a lot of vegan things too. We don't take the kids out for sweets or to McDonalds, but focus on educational or outdoor activities. I shoot for 80% good eating and that allows for 20% when we are on vacation or eating out for special occasions.

I wish more people read labels, paid attention to how their food gets to the store and their table, how animals are treated before they become food, and what those ingredients you cannot read really are and what they do to your body and the bodies of growing kiddos, the world would be a far better place! Bravo Mama!

We eat like you. Well, mostly. We do eat some beef, but mostly we eat chicken, or eggs for protein. We use whole grain noodles, also. We are part of a produce co-op and try to eat as cleanly and healthy as possible. We are trying to grow a lot of our own produce for canning this year. It's not very common where we live, either.

I would love your recipe for the noodles!!

We eat pretty much the same as you with the exception of the meat that we eat. I've decided to go back to being full-on vegetarian again (I've never been a big meat eater to begin with) but am looking at doing it healthier this time around. And am actually thinking about exploring the world of veganism since I have a problem digesting milk and it also has a bad effect on my sinuses.

My children and my husband still eat meat but they are open to trying more vegetarian and vegan dishes with me. The meat that I do purchase for them is usually free range, organic. They do eat beef on occasion but mostly chicken and fish (I don't even know where to purchase deer or how to cook it).

I get the same reception to my healthy eating habits that you do. One day, when I friend came over to visit, my daugther showed her the sprouts I was growing and she couldn't have been more plerplexed and turned off. I'm also a foodie and love trying new recipes using real ingredients. Not a lot of my friends are into cooking. Real food to them comes in a box or a can and, I guess the rationale is, if they USDA says it's okay to eat, it must be. Yeah, right!

So anyway, that's my story. It sounds like you are doing an awesome job keeping you and your family healthy.

Take care.

That sound pretty similar to our house, except we are vegetarian, so no chicken or venison. I think for us it was a really gradual transition to the way we eat now and it seems totally normal. Of course I relax when we are visiting family or when we go out. I think there are so many terrible things out there to eat that it's good to do the best you can at home and set a great example for your kids. I watched a little bit of Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution when it was on last year and was horrified at the things some kids eat on a daily basis. I have to say it makes me proud that at 12-15 months of age my son would point out produce by name in the grocery store. He just thinks it's normal. I know he's only 2, but it's also great that for now the biggest conflict we have in the grocery store is because he can't eat the bananas before I pay for them.

I have 2 auto-immune diseases and have gone back and forth from eating very well (due to correct info from doctors) and supplementing, to getting off the wagon and eating horribly (due to incorrect info from doctors, unfort), to hopping back on the wagon and doing the best I can. My husband has taken some years to come around, thinking that if he ate fresh veggies from his garden everything else was fair game :) We have a toddler who ate everything and anything until the terrible two's and some days I would've loved for him to eat McDonald fries if that meant he was eating SOMETHING that week :)

All of our meat/poultry/dairy is organic. We love coconut oil and milk. We basically do unlimited lean meats/veggies/fruits, then the rest in moderation. We have 1 carb meal/week. We have coconut ice cream once/week.

Overall, I'm thrilled with how we eat, lol :)

You have to run your family the way you see fit and not worry about what others think.

For us, We eat a lot of beef (high end from local butcher), lot of fruits, pasta, marinara, chicken... We are not big junk food eaters, dessert eaters, etc...not because of what is in it... we just make different choices. Most of my lunches are at the local fresh market with a fresh salad and soup. During the week, we are a lot of pasta, casserole or something easy to reheat, etc. Our week schedule is crazy. I do more of my cooking on the weekends and when I am home taking a break from the home office.

I would never induldge in a Snickers bar because I don't care for that but I LOVE a small order of McDonald's fries or a good greasy cheeseburger from the burger shop!

I do not get on the bandwagon of all organic, nothing processed, etc but I don't hold that against someone who is more to the extreme than we are with their eating habits.

Just do what is right for your famliy.

I would say that we eat healthy. Not as healthy as you or some...but a happy medium. I home cook just about every meal. I rarely ever buy sugar cereal. The kids snacks are usually granola bars, yogurt or fruit. We still have the occasional junk food or fast food. I buy a ton of fresh fruit and veggies. I dont use any canned. I make my own soups, applesauces, most baked goods. I only buy 100% juice and water bottles. On occasion they can have ginger ale. I really feel like i am a happy medium. There is nothing wrong with a little junk in moderation :)

Well if it works for your family stick with it. Sounds great. You are doing a great job.

We are not nearly as healthy as you. We are in Texas so we eat a ton of beef and pork, it tends to be pretty inexpensive. We eat fried foods with cream gravy, eat sweets, but we do eat only fresh veggies and fresh fruits. Lots of dairy. We eat chicken till I think we will cluck. I wish fish was less expensive here, we love it, but really can only afford it every once in a while.

I am also Hispanic so we eat lots of beans and rice, usually white, many times brown.

We drink alcoholic beverages..

I cannot always afford the "healthy or the organic", but if it is on sale or I have coupon, I try to purchase it.

I would say we are pretty healthy. We have allergies , but everyone in Austin has allergies because of all of the pollen and mold.. Other than that, great cholesterol, we get flu shots so no flu's..

So it works fine for us..and I feel like we are on the opposite of all of you,.

I have always wondered if it is genes. My husbands grandparents lived to be in their 90's and one of his grandfathers was 103, when he died. In my family they live into their late 80's and early 90's.. It has been this way for generations.

I do not eat as well as you do but I am doing a lot better than I was. I agree that what you eat definantly effects your health. I like cooking with olive oil myself. I eat a lot of fresh fruits,veggies,oatmeal and high fiber cereals for breakfast. My son likes to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. I have also cut back on my caffiene. I work out as much as possible,eat lots of protein bars and as a result have lost 19 pounds. I know that I feel better. I think what you are doing is great.

I cook from scratch, and use a mix of pastas (some whole grain, some white, some with spinach in them). We eat meat, but not every day. We buy our hamburger from a local grassfed grower. I make noodles too - but not always whole grain.

I've read the Omnivores Dilemma and What to Eat... I try to not buy processed stuff, but also believe that if certain foods are forbidden, then the kids have a good chance of going nutty when they do get access to them.

The sweets we eat are sweets I bake. I try to hide things (wheat germ, or flax seed) in muffins, or add garbonzo beans to cookies when I can. But I don't always do it. Once and while I add marshmellows and chocolate jello pudding to my shopping list.

I think you can eat healthy, but still allow for treats once and a while.

Oh, and we don't eat fast food.

J.

We eat like you most of the time, but every once in awhile we will get a fatty unhealthy meal from Panda Express or a sit-down restaurant. We don't drink milk but my weakness is cheese and sour cream... if I could cut those out my diet would be super clean. The only crackers we eat in our house are triscuts and bread/tortillas are 100% whole wheat. Other than that almost everything else is unprocessed. I will say though, that we tend to eat very well for awhile and then kind of veer off the path and then come back. The hard thing for me are my kid's lunches, particularly in the winter time when fruits are more limited. Sometimes I will be bad and buy pretzels to put in their lunch or even granola bars. I always include a fruit or veggie though and they are not allowed soda or juice - they can drink unsweetened almond milk or water. I agree with you about the health problems/chemicals in food as well.

I eat whatever.
I don't have hard and fast rules to it.
I like to try stuff at least twice in my life (tastebuds change).
I have my likes and dislikes.
With me this is what I am instilling in my daughter...
Healthy portion sizes, balance, moderation, try-it-you-might-like-it, where our meat/fruits/vegetables come from, to be grateful for what we have.
Those are just the basics.
Our usual dinner is some kind of chicken breast (usually grilled or baked) with a vegetable and rice/potato.

I agree with you that healthy eating helps your overall health. I wish I were organized enough to cook from scratch every day...but it is not the case. I try for organic options with dairy, meat and some fruits and veggies. Cost and availability are big factors though. My brain would agree with the no white flour and no refined sugar--but my family's taste buds would have a revolt! My latest hairbrained scheme is trying to get my kids (2 and 5) to like sushi.

We eat mostly healthy stuff. I cook most of our meals from scratch, and I cook meat about three times a week. I use King Arthur flour and Hodgson's Mill corn meal, organic raw sugar. Lots of vegetables, brown rice, and quinoa.
Organic dairy whenever possible. If we eat hot dogs, they're Hebrew National.
We buy very few processed foods, nothing containing high fructose corn syrup (which may soon be re-labeled as "corn sugar") or any of the non-caloric sweeteners.
Once in a blue moon, we eat fast food.

I eat a lot like you do-minus the deer meat. Have you read "150 of the Healthiest Foods"?

lol, I'm totally with Margaret P! We are the same way. We love our meat, but i buy the leaner cuts of beef and trim my chicken. We eat veggies, fruit, milk with dinner, etc. If i could afford to buy organic, i probably would but right now money is very tight. i buy frozen veggies unless something is really on sale that's fresh. In the summer we plant a garden so the kids learn how to grow food so we have fresh veggies in the summer. I buy canned fruit but only the kind that's stored in fruit juice. I watch the kids' sugar intake...we don't drink alot of pop and the kids don't drink any. they drink fruitables juice or v8 fruit/veggie juice.

I try really hard to plan good lunches and dinners, don't eat alot of fast food (i think people now a days look to convenience, not healthiness and fast food is very convenient...most know it's not healthy and probably don't prefer it) and teach the kids good eating habits. That's all i can do for right now :) I did make all of the baby food for both kids and they didn't eat any jarred food...I'm very proud of that!

We also all walk and exercise together. I think that is very important too.