Are you eating real food?
June 4th, 2010 | Published in Food | 3 Comments
One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat whole, unprocessed food.
However, as a busy person, it’s not always feasible to cook a meal from scratch – sometimes we do need a little help from a can, or a box, or a frozen something-or-other. Believe me, I’m not one to slave over a stove on Sunday pumping out gallons of home made soup, or pasta sauce…
Not all boxes, cans and frozen something-or-others are created equal.
Ever read the ingredients list of the food you eat? The rule of thumb to follow:
Your food should have as few ingredients as possible, and you should be able to recognize and pronounce everything in the box, can, or frozen something-or-other.
If what your eating has an ingredients list a mile long – it’s not actual food in my book… it’s a little something edible with a ton of chemicals added to enhance texture, flavor and preservation time – eewww.
All those chemicals – your body has no idea what to do with them.
So guess what happens? They are stored as fat. Some are eliminated… but a lot is stored unnecessarily.
Over this next week, take a peek at the food labels of the things you eat. Get rid of the things with the mile-long-chemical-laden ingredients list and replace them with healthier versions.
Some of my favorite brands: Kashi (crackers, cookies, snacks, cereal, frozen entrees) Amy’s (Frozen entrees, soups, salsas, sauces), Newman’s Own (pasta sauce, salad dressing, popcorn, sauces, pizza, cereal).
These are easily found in most grocery stores. And, if you store has an organic section, check it out for healthier versions of everything you purchase. Yes, some things will be slightly more expensive. But, you can find coupons online, and, if you plan your meals and snacks, you can actually save money by not picking up things you may not need.
June 4th, 2010 at 4:59 pm (#)
Hi Jenn… a timely reminder – I was just noting when I looked a my diet and fitness habits over the past couple of weeks that, while I’m finally getting back on top of my exercise after recovering from an injury, my eating’s gone… let’s be charitable and say “a wee bit off kilter”
They aren’t *terrible* (at least, not comapred to what they used to be) – it’s not like I’ve been bingeing on fast food or chocolate… just… there’ve been too many times where dinner’s come out of a can or a packet; and even if I can replace a couple of those times with times I eat fresh healthy stuff next week, I feel like I’d be heading in a better direction
Thanks for the gentle reminder :-)
Starfire
Starfire´s last blog ..Friends don’t let CEOs answer consumer complaints (AKA the Cankle Calamity Part 2)
June 25th, 2010 at 7:35 pm (#)
Jenn,
Thanks for this great reminder! I have been trying out new things and finding some yummy delicious options for me. Like the Amy’s Especial Burrito’s. They are really yummy! I have also had the vegetable lasagna by Amy’s and that is really good too.
Have you tried the California Kitchen pizzas at all? They look good too but I haven’t tried them yet.
Also, I have for many years, made the small but healthier choice of eating whole wheat pasta (my fav is Burilla’s Plus) instead of white pasta. Brown rice instead of white rice.
And, the Newman’s dressings are really good too. I use dressings some time as marinades which adds good flavor to meats.
Thanks again Jenn for this reminder about taking the time to pay attention to the labels.
Teresa
Teresa Morrow´s last blog ..Online Book Promotion – How to Prepare for a Book Signing Event
June 26th, 2010 at 5:46 pm (#)
Starfire – I so relate to that… My big off kilter times are during stress… UGH – stress and my healthy diet do NOT get along LOL!
I think there are times in life when we all get a wee bit off kilter. I think the big thing is to be aware of it, and just get back on kilter when we can.
OMGosh Teresa – I love the whole wheat Barilla too!! That’s the best I’ve tried so far.
Amy’s frozen stuff is pretty good too.
It just comes down to reading the labels. If you can identify what’s in it, that’s a good thing!