A Vegataroccasionalmeatian

Here's the truth:

I love eating healthy. It's delicious.

Here's the truth again:

It costs 2-3 x's as much $ as eating "normal" does.
(By normal, I mean pasta, chicken, veggies on the side, meat and potatoes, homeade pizza...)
I know this for a fact, because I blew over a week's grocery budget on enough food for 4 days tops. Good food. But that was absolutely nothing convenient! Do you know that organic, "healthy" mac n cheese - the kind that is in a kraft size box - costs over $3. ONE of my children could eat that for dinner. Give me a break. I might as well go out to eat if I'm going to spend $15-20 on a mediocre meal for a family of 5 at home. But moving right along...

Truth #3:

WHO HAS THE FREAKING TIME - Not the vast majority of us. (At least not in this time period or my particular stage of life...)
I've tried to pack only healthy, vegetarian (and vegan) lunches for the girls, and only have them eat healthy (as humanly possible with 3 sometimes "particular" kiddos ages 10,9, and 5) dinners. NOTHING else got done. Nothing. On top of working, laundry, cleaning, after-school activities, general mayhem, and life overall, I spent every freaking waking moment preparing the food. On top of this, Dean is currently working 6-7 days a week. (He worked literally over 90 hours last week...)

All that to say, I'm doing this food prep, child rearing, homework, house keeping, working, etc. pretty much on my own right now. I do get to smooch him goodnight though - so that's happy! But it is, tbh, lonely, especially as we have zero family around, and at times, nearly impossible.

And so, after less than one full week of eating like a health freak (which is a tad difficult with a child who has insanely bad peanut, tree nut, soy, etc. allergies might I add)... Packing Dean a healthy lunch that didn't consist of an apple and lettuce... etc. etc., I have decided to chill the heck out and just be healthy where I can, without driving myself up a flipping wall. I was in such a rank mood yesterday that I thought I'd spontaneously combust.

Good ideas have come out of this though!!!

-Olive Oil and seasonings instead of butter - actually delicious, so that, I can do!
-Organic milk - I've finally decided that for now I'll spend the extra money on it although I have yet to see a difference on any level (health, intelligence, overall happiness...) in the kids who are strictly organic vs. those who aren't. C'est la vie. Worth a shot. Plus it does taste creamier. Gotta make up for that butter somehow or other! ;)
-Making veggies the main course and meat as the side... at least for Dean and I we'll make it happen! I've realized that 5 sweet potatoes for a family of 5 won't cut it however, better make 8 in future. No butter, just cinnamon, or whatever, and they're still lovely. Must also get a massive amount of green beans... yeah.
-Flat bread with flax and whole grains... This is delish with dipping garlic and olive oil with spices! Or to roll up with rice and veggies... Or even to eat with dinner instead of pan rolls and melted butter.
-Clementine oranges from Target - I bought about $14 worth and we were through them in less than a week - but that's not bad at all! We ate them constantly! And surprisingly enough, Target does have the best clementine oranges! Everywhere else, they're skanky. ewwwww.

I'm out of almost everything at this point. I wish I could afford someone to do "healthy shopping and meal prep" for me. Some nights, after being gone until 7 PM, you just want to toss a tostinos pizza in the oven and say screw it.

Instead I ordered one from pizza hut and let the girls have at it with the chips and salsa. Oh the guilt. not.

But aren't elephants vegan? And don't they weigh like 8 trillion pounds? Whatever. Giving it a shot anyway!

What got me on this little kick?
First of all, I have gained a disgusting amount of weight over the past 3 years due to copious amounts of stress. I feel like a barge.
And then...
I watched Forks over Knives.
It wasn't hyperactive and alarmist - rather it gave good sound reasoning behind why humans should drastically cut down on dairy and meat intake (cancer rates being a huge one) - and explained how much of the nutrition that we are supposed to derive out of what we eat or drink (such as calcium from milk) isn't actually happening. A lot of countries that have high rates of vegetarianism and don't drink much milk at all have the lowest rates of osteoporosis and bone disease (for instance).

I decided to not make an attempt to change our lifestyle even slightly over the holidays - that would have been pure insanity. With 2 Christmas parties a week at the least... p-lease.

Actually, the girls have had a blast with this now that we've begun though! They are gung-ho about eating health(ier)! They love bringing california rolls or salads for lunch instead of pbjs and lunch meat (even if I do let them take a gallon of ranch dressing along with it... ha)

Truth #4 - I'm not craving crappy food!
Really!
Of course I'm not currently PMSing either... but still!

Well - except for Outback Steakhouse's Coconut Shrimp appetizer! I'm definitely thinking about that obsessively! :D Is it horridly wrong that I'm brought almost to tears with thankfulness for my food when I indulge in that deliciousness?

Nah. ;)

I must say, I'm thankful that so much progress has been made in determining the true nutritional value of what we eat! Just knowing the truth and research behind a lot of this makes me truly want to eat better - and actually to desire honestly good foods over a greasy onion straw cheeseburger on a bleached white roll!

So... here's to improving at least half of what this family eats over the course of the next year, and on into the rest of our lives!!! ;)