Thoughts on Eatieng Healthier

 Today we stopped at the grocery store for a few things. I knew I needed pizza for dinner because J loves pizza, as well as some snacks. These days you can find a plethora of information concerning what to eat and what not to eat; what is healthy for you and what isn't, and everyone from Dr. Oz to the first lady Michelle Obama to the paper boy to your best friend usually has some advice. Most will willingly give it. I tend to gravitate more towards Dr, Asa Andrews, 
 Heavenly Homemakers,  The healthy home economist, and Restless Chipotle, to name a few, to guide me. Ideally, I want to feed my family healthy foods that don't include some of the stuff I bought today. In the snack aisle I heard in my head a lot of words like soy, trans fats, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and rancid vegetable oil as I perused the choices. Did it stop some of those items from going into my basket? Sadly, no.  I did, however, choose only two of the bad things and I bought some healthier snacks like string cheese and yogurt (read the labels on yogurt, though. There are more differences than just packaging and pricing in those things and most are loaded with sugar or substitutes.
  Realistically at the moment I'm caught between understanding what healthier eating means to me --no high fructose corn syrup, home made as much as possible, preferably with organic or pesticide free ingredients, and succanat or maple syrup or raw honey instead of ultra processed white cane sugar, and definitely no sugar substitutes--and being faced with a very slim grocery budget as well as a smidge of laziness and health issues thrown in for good measure. 
  We all have read or heard that obesity is on the rise, and along with it comes several of its pals: diabetes and high blood pressure just to name a few. It's also been said that if you have family members with certain health problems that ups your risk of having them. I stepped on the scale today at the doctor's office so I know without a doubt that I'm overweight. I also have a family health history of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease. On top of this I have a child with autism. I am highly convinced that organic as possible is the way to go for my family, especially J. His body already deals with digestion issues that tag along with autism.
  If you're looking for someone with all the nutritional answers, my advice is to start with some of the above links. They know tons more than I do and have been at it for years. If you're wanting someone to do small steps toward healthier living, talk to me. I'm here. 
  I won't totally beat myself up on this issue. While I still have a ways to go, I have made sure we don't buy sodium laden boxed foods like the stuff that rhymes with kelper  or mac and cheese. Soda is very rare these days, especially because it is hard to find the brand I like that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. When we buy apples, they are always organic because of the amount of pesticides used conventionally. Veggies are bought frozen if not fresh. But we still like to eat out occasionally, and frozen convenience foods do make their way into the house. 
 I've talked about this a little before I'm sure, but this week I'm going to look at making menus. That will help guide me in the direction I want to go to feed my family right.
 How do you feed your family healthy on a budget? Do you have splurges? Do you have weak spots or questions? I'd love to hear from you.
 

 Today we stopped at the grocery store for a few things. I knew I needed pizza for dinner because J loves pizza, as well as some snacks. These days you can find a plethora of information concerning what to eat and what not to eat; what is healthy for you and what isn't, and everyone from Dr. Oz to the first lady Michelle Obama to the paper boy to your best friend usually has some advice. Most will willingly give it. I tend to gravitate more towards Dr, Asa Andrews, 
 Heavenly Homemakers,  The healthy home economist, and Restless Chipotle, to name a few, to guide me. Ideally, I want to feed my family healthy foods that don't include some of the stuff I bought today. In the snack aisle I heard in my head a lot of words like soy, trans fats, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and rancid vegetable oil as I perused the choices. Did it stop some of those items from going into my basket? Sadly, no.  I did, however, choose only two of the bad things and I bought some healthier snacks like string cheese and yogurt (read the labels on yogurt, though. There are more differences than just packaging and pricing in those things and most are loaded with sugar or substitutes.
  Realistically at the moment I'm caught between understanding what healthier eating means to me --no high fructose corn syrup, home made as much as possible, preferably with organic or pesticide free ingredients, and succanat or maple syrup or raw honey instead of ultra processed white cane sugar, and definitely no sugar substitutes--and being faced with a very slim grocery budget as well as a smidge of laziness and health issues thrown in for good measure. 
  We all have read or heard that obesity is on the rise, and along with it comes several of its pals: diabetes and high blood pressure just to name a few. It's also been said that if you have family members with certain health problems that ups your risk of having them. I stepped on the scale today at the doctor's office so I know without a doubt that I'm overweight. I also have a family health history of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease. On top of this I have a child with autism. I am highly convinced that organic as possible is the way to go for my family, especially J. His body already deals with digestion issues that tag along with autism.
  If you're looking for someone with all the nutritional answers, my advice is to start with some of the above links. They know tons more than I do and have been at it for years. If you're wanting someone to do small steps toward healthier living, talk to me. I'm here. 
  I won't totally beat myself up on this issue. While I still have a ways to go, I have made sure we don't buy sodium laden boxed foods like the stuff that rhymes with kelper  or mac and cheese. Soda is very rare these days, especially because it is hard to find the brand I like that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. When we buy apples, they are always organic because of the amount of pesticides used conventionally. Veggies are bought frozen if not fresh. But we still like to eat out occasionally, and frozen convenience foods do make their way into the house. 
 I've talked about this a little before I'm sure, but this week I'm going to look at making menus. That will help guide me in the direction I want to go to feed my family right.
 How do you feed your family healthy on a budget? Do you have splurges? Do you have weak spots or questions? I'd love to hear from you.