Wholesome Eating

Photos via Orangette.

After spending Thanksgiving on a farm in Minnesota for the last few years, I find myself thinking more and more about the importance of eating whole foods. The difference between a healthy, homemade meal and a boxed dinner is tremendous. Plus once you've tasted broccoli grown in the garden and eggs from the chicken coop, there's just no going back.

There really is a difference between the food we buy in chain stores and the good, wholesome organic stuff.

I have a huge passion for eating well, but sometimes I am limited by specific resources. Generally my budget for groceries is a little lower than what Whole Foods costs, plus the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen dwindles when work gets crazy (as it has been lately). Being an apartment dweller makes it nearly impossible to grow my own vegetables... although I am determined to try my hand at a porch box garden at some point!  And then there's the planning factor, and a lack of creativity sometimes.

Excuses aside, I've decided it's time to work harder to eat well.

Here's my plan.

• Plan meals around healthy ingredients. Check out Whole Food sales, and then look up recipes based on what I can find for cheap.
• Cut as much corn syrup as possible. Start read the labels a little more closely for this.
• Utilize the crockpot! I'm definitely going to be relying on this incredible blogger, who used hers every day for a year.
• Watch more documentaries. These never cease to inspire. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead was such an eye opener.
• Get back to the juicer! We have fallen off the bandwagon what with all those crazy flavors. My friend at work is going to share a few more palatable recipes to try.

 

Do you guys take care to eat clean, nutritious foods? I'd love your thoughts on the simplest ways to do this :)

PS Everyday meal planning from Real Simple, plus some important cancer prevention tips.