I just spent two hours researching healthier food options as part of my quest to cook from scratch and avoid additives. I love research! Seriously. I easily lose track of time doing this. My husband thinks I'm nuts in this regard, but he always comes to me when he needs an answer to something, although rather reluctantly (it means he has the kids solo while I do my research magic).
Even after ten and a half years of marriage, it still amazes me how we complement and balance each other. God is a perfect matchmaker, isn't he? Oh, sure...we like to take the credit for choosing a good husband. But the truth is, left to our own devices, we'd probably pick a toad. God knows us intimately--the good, bad and ugly. We tend to define ourselves by just the good, and sweep the rest under our subconscious rug.
Anyhow, I didn't sit down here to write about marriage tonight, truth be told.
I wanted to share two nutrition resources I found to be particularly good. One is the Nutrition Data Blog, located on my sidebar. It has a search feature, making it easy to look up any topic. The other is a Mayo Clinic website, listed at the very bottom of my blog roll (no RSS feed).
I've been to the grocery store twice since deciding to cook from scratch and avoid processed foods. On the spectrum of processed foods, our cupboards weren't horrible, but there were definitely things we could do without.
The only thing slightly processed from the first grocery trip was dry tortellini. The ingredients list isn't bad at all, the nutrient count is good, and I find them great for livening up homemade vegetable soup, making it a hearty, healthy winter lunch option (although watch for sodium content).
The second trip involved a search for chicken broth, after learning that homemade broth, while a great idea, happens to be very time consuming (I'll get to it occasionally). We love soups in the fall and winter, but commercial broth is expensive, considering the amount needed. For the past four weeks we've been using chicken broth granules to save money. Today I was horrified to learn that they contain MSG! Of the liquid broths, only one brand was formulated without MSG (Swanson), which I bought. We are now making all our own snack foods (no more baked chips, crackers, cookies), so I can probably justify spending more on the best broth option.
I've been reading labels for a very long time, but I look mainly for sodium, fat, fiber and protein content. Time to hone my skills in this regard. Food industry companies have horrible ethics; they simply can't be trusted (the lesson of the day).
Tonight I also spent a good forty minutes researching bread-making machines. We use a loaf of bread every day and a half, at between $1.88 to $2.30/loaf for 100% whole wheat (3 grams fiber per slice). Bread ingredients aren't all that bad, but you have to watch for unhealthy fats, too much sodium, and of course...most have preservatives. Costlier brands might not. I'm convinced we are better off using a bread machine and just making one loaf a day. The Nutrition Data Blog guru, Monica, suggests a blend of whole wheat flour with King Arthur hi-maize flour. She also mentioned a white whole grain flour (made from albino wheat, I believe it said) which bakes up softer with better taste.
Lastly, I have to tell you something truly exciting--if you're a nutrition nerd, that is! You can bake up healthier snack foods for your family by substituting beans for 75% of the fat content. Weird, huh? Who cares! People say it tastes fine. I printed out a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (And bean) Cookies, which we'll try tomorrow. Try this link for a list of healthier baked goods.
Well, then. That concludes today's update on my whole food/healthy food journey. Do any of you have a bread machine? I read that the Panasonic model, selling at approx. $125, is the best mid-priced option.
6 comments:
If your Oatmeal chocolate chip/bean cookie recipe turns out well, would you mind posting it? I would love to try it out on my picky kiddos.
Three things.
I love my bread machine and use it frequently. But check Craig's list and thrift stores before buying one new. There are often very good deals out there. My mom got one at a garage sale for only $12.
Also, my favorite real food blogs are: kellythekitchenkop.com, kitchenstewarship.com, nourishingdays.com
Lastly, a great book about food and nutrition is by Nina Planck, Real Food - What to Eat and Why.
Margie, we didn't get to the cookies today, but you can find the recipe on that healthy snack food link I gave in the post. We'll try again tomorrow to get them done.
Liz, thank you for the sites. I hate that those foodie sites pick on whole grains and sometimes beans. Does that bother you? God put those things on the earth. I'm certainly not going to eliminate them from my diet. Do you just read it for the more practical stuff?
Wow! You are an inspiration. We have been trying to eat healthier in the new year and this has involved making more things from scratch...which I enjoy tremendously but have difficulty with the time management thing. I'll visit some of your links! thank you!
btw, you know, all great writers must be pretty good researchers!
Don't you love moving to more healthy eating habits? I have really enjoyed the journey.
I don't make as much bread as I'd like, but one of my goals for this year is to do better. I just have a Sunbeam breadmaker from Walmart. I use the dough cycle, then take the dough out, let it do a second rise, and actually bake the loaf in the oven. I like it better that way.
I would LOVE to get a Bosch mixer or a Vita Mix. From what I've read, they work very well, better than a breadmaker, for making really good loaves of bread. But they're expensive!! I'm going to have to wait on that goal. lol.
I look forward to reading more about your journey in healthier cooking!
Hi Christine,
I see bread machines in garage sales from time to time. I used to use mine all the time in CA, but had difficulty getting the bread to rise here. Now I use the dough cycle and bake it in the oven. It turns out far better and you don't get the hole in the middle.
About the broth, have you tried making vegetable broth? Its really easy and flavorful and you can substitute it for most soup recipes.
I don't make veg. broth very often, because I usually make chicken or turkey broth. I save the tops of carrots, onions, celery, and other veggie parts, wash them carefully, store them in the freezer and throw them in with the bird or bones that I am cooking along with salt, pepper and a bay leaf. When the bird is done, I throw out the veggie parts. If I am out of chicken, I have just cooked the veggies with out the bird, and it made good broth as well.
God bless you on your journey! We are trying to eat more whole foods too. Do you have a Cubs or Winco? They are good sources of inexpensive, whole foods. We don't have one where we live (sigh).
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