Day 6: Thoughts on the basics

So, this has gotten much easier for us than on the first few days. (Although I would be lying if I said I didn’t still think fondly of my Lindt chocolate from time to time). Had I not proclaimed to the world (ok, maybe to 10 people or so) on my blog that we were going to take on this challenge, I would have given up on day 2. I can’t believe that, because I consider us to eat already very healthy food, and honestly didn’t think this would be all that hard. Anyway, because I had said publicly that I would do this for 10 days, we continued. I’m glad we did because there is a lot to be learned from an experiment like this, even if we don’t plan to be so strict afterwards.

I’ve been thinking about how changes in our diet and our relationship with food start with the basics. Making changes about the way we purchase and consume certain staples can have significant affects on our health and the health of our environment. Here are a few basics, where the healthier choice is just as easy to fix and eat as the less healthy option (although often at a price premium). There are much simpler ways than going hard-core whole foods to make some changes. Here are a few good places to start.

Meat: First of all, Americans eat WAY too much meat, which of course is linked to heart disease and obesity, and so on. You could write a book about our excessive meat consumption. But that is not the point here. If you substitute supermarket beef with grass-fed local beef, you will be making a choice both beneficial to your health (in the form of higher Omega-3’s and lower Omega-6’s) and to the environment (have you ever seen a feedlot where supermarket beef comes from? It’s disgusting and the waste from the lot pollutes waters in massive amounts). We have decided to substitute all the meat we eat (which isn’t all that much, once a week total) for grass-fed, local meats. We prefer to eat less and eat better for the same amount of money.
Eggs: Same story. Free-roaming hens lay eggs with significantly higher omega-3s and significantly lower cholesterol. Crack a supermarket egg next to a farmer’s market egg and you will easily be able to tell which is which. The farmer’s market egg has a brilliant almost orange yolk that stands on its own and is actually hard to break.
Milk: Organic milk comes from cows NOT injected with growth hormones and antibiotics. I sure don’t want that in my milk!
Bread / Flour: White bread has almost no nutritional value, whereas wheat bread is a great source of fiber. Again, I think the whole grains are more filling. When baking, try substituting half whole wheat flour in your recipes for higher nutritional value - you probably won't even notice a difference in flavor.
Sweeteners: Consider honey and agave as alternatives to sugar. And try to be the one sweetening your food rather than letting Kraft or Nabisco do it for you. You’ll add much less than they would!
Fruit and veggies: Fresh, seasonal and organic is the best combo both nutritionally and environmentally, but that can be hard to do. Frozen fruits and veggies preserve the nutrients well and are just as good as fresh in that regard. Check out your options for a local CSA subscription program to introduce you to new and seasonal options. We really enjoyed ours last year.

OK, here’s what we’ve been eating!

Day 5:
Breakfast: various real cereals, organic milk, OJ
Lunch: various real food combos (some whole grain, a fruit, a protein of sorts, a veggie of sorts)
Dinner: veggie and tofu stir fry over brown rice, edamame, dried seaweed (this is a great snack for kids - Trader Joes sells it now), organic milk and water to drink
Smoothies for dessert (we tried frozen mango and pineapple this time – very good)

Day 6:
Breakfast: various real cereals, toast with jelly (with no sugar added), organic milk, OJ
Lunch: various real food combos
Dinner: leftover whole wheat macaroni and cheese, sweet potato hash browns, carrots, kiwi. (Fewer dishes tonight! Yahoo!!!)
Smoothies again… are we addicted? We did reduce the recipe down to 1 cup of yogurt, 1 banana, 1 cup of frozen fruit, so the servings are small, but still…

Kids snacks so far: popcorn (not from a microwave bag), dried apricots, triscuits, raisins, almonds, cheese. No complaints yet, but I feel like my choices are limited.

Recipe:
Brett's tofu -

To make tofu for your asian dishes that isn't soggy and tofu-y, follow this recipe. It takes a little forethought, but it easy and tasty.

Start with extra firm organic tofu ($1.79 at Trader Joes)
Slice the tofu in half to creat two thinner rectangles
Lay the halves on a cutting board slightly elevated on one end with the other end pointed into the sink. Cover the tofu with foil and lay another cutting board on top. Put all your heavy pantry staples on top of the board to squeeze out the excess water. Let it drain while the kids are naping or something!
Next slice the tofu into small squares (approx 1/2 inch). In a mixing bowl, mix reduced sodium soy sauce, a little seasame oil, honey, and rice vinegar (enough to coat the tofu). Toss the tofu until coated and brown. Bake on a cookie sheet (spray it with non-stick spray first) for approximately 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees, turning every 5 minutes or so. The tofu will be flavorful and slightly crispy and dry. Great in any Asian dish.