Nixing the processed foods.

I feel like the whole coffee goal was an easy one.  I even feel like I cheated, since all I really gave up was creamer.  But alas, I feel I've already conquered that goal.  I have two solid cups of coffee that I love as much as my previous coffee+creamer standby that I'll be sharing recipes for SUPER soon.  They're healthy recipes.  And my favorite coffee of all time, Caribou's Mahogany, is Rainforest Alliance Certified, so I'm in good shape there.  So...it's time to move on!

This week I'm nixing the processed/packaged foods.  To be fair, I've almost already tackled this goal so it will be pretty quick and painless for our family, but I figured I could use some more education to keep my inspiration level high since it is more time-consuming to make everything from scratch.  Though I really enjoy it, it can sometimes be burdensome when you already feel pressed for time.

To keep me motivated, I want to find out just how harmful processed foods really are.  Our family is plagued with allergies, eczema and asthma.  For us, it is even more important to eat healthfully the vast majority of the time than for those who don't struggle with these conditions.

I started removing processed foods from our diet shortly after my son was born because he was sick and I read article after article about how detrimental these foods are.  That doesn't mean I'm perfect.  In fact, I'm far from it.  We constantly go back and forth between eating almost no processed foods and then eating more than I'd like to admit.  Going back to our old eating ways is usually precipitated by a big grocery budget month or a very busy season of life.  I feel guilty for spending too much on food or I feel too overwhelmed by life to devote the time to making things from scratch.  Either way, I've done a lot of self-evaluation over the past few months and I've realized that for us, neither of those excuses should hold weight.

 I checked out a few books from the library that I've been wanting to read anyway, Real Food, The Unhealthy Truth and Real Food Has Curves.  I'm only a few pages into each (I can't read one book at a time - don't ask why, I really don't have a clue - I always have at least three books going at a time) but so far I'm hooked on all three!

Has anyone else out there nixed processed foods all together?  My plan is to allow very little, mostly things I'm just not capable or ready to make myself yet, like cheese.  And my husband will never let me quit buying his cereal.  I'm pretty sure there is no amount of research I could show him that would ever convince him to give up his cereal addiction.  The kids and I have gone without boxed cereal for almost two months now, though!

Lots to read this week.  I'm pretty food-geeked out over here.  :)