Yes, this is my cart for a week's worth of groceries for my family of four. The total was $120. It was a bit over our budget because we were low on meat. I aim for $100 a week. See all the pretty produce? I like it when the cart looks like that. And it has been more and more lately, as we work hard to get away from so many processed, pre-packaged foods. I won't lie - there are some boxes and cans under there. But not many. And that's intentional. The blue bag? It holds the cold stuff. The worst offender in there is probably the Danimal yogurt drinks, but the ingredient list on those things isn't as bad as most.
I am trying hard with my girls to get them away from the standard American carb-addicted diet. Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-carb. I am anti-wrong carbs, and much of the typical American diet is made up of wrong carbs. What are wrong carbs? Processed-to-death grain products that have been injected with a cocktail of vitamins to make up for what it is lacking. I know all too well how addicting they can be and the health problems they can cause.
So my philosophy is, "If you don't buy it you can't eat it."
Some of the things I didn't buy: Goldfish crackers, granola bars, cold cereals, cheese/peanut butter cracker sandwiches.
I know it would make some parents' heads spin to think of not buying these items to have on hand to take as easy portable snacks for their kids, quick breakfasts. It certainly did for me at first. I truly felt almost panicked at not having these things tucked away for those whiney, "I'm hungry" moments. So how did I do it?
I did it slowly and that's what I recommend for you too. In my opinion, the easiest way to start revamping what you and your family eats is one meal at a time. Start with breakfast. Do your kids eat cold cereal or Poptarts for breakfast every morning? I wouldn't rock their world completely, but I would start off with a goal of 2-3 mornings a week of having something healthier. Eggs or whole-grain oatmeal, either the prepackaged low sugar kind (watch out for artificial sweeteners - that's a whole other blog post) or cooked on the stove top where you can control the amount of sugar added (just be mindful of exactly how much you are putting in). Don't be fooled into thinking buying whole grain versions of your favorite standbys is better. There are few truly healthy cold cereals out there. And a Poptart's a Poptart, no matter how much whole grain you throw in.
Snacks can definitely be one of the most difficult times. We have had to work hard to revamp our snack expectations. It did not happen overnight and I was not "lucky" enough to have birthed children who came out of the womb clamoring for vegetables. If they had their way, especially my eldest, they would have crackers and cookies for every meal. Maybe a cheese stick thrown in occasionally. But over the years, we have insisted they try veggies and other new foods and slowly we've gotten to a point where yes, my children beg me for brussels sprouts in the store and on her Mother's Day questionnaire, my oldest said the thing I did best was make fish. Yep fish.
One thing I've done to help out snack time is to have a veggie tray policy. I bought one of those $5 trays from Wal-Mart that you use to take veggies and dip to parties. I try my best to keep it stocked with veggies they like and I put a small, dip-size plastic container of ranch dressing in it for them to share. In the afternoon, they are allowed to eat as much as they want out of it. Often I will let them have one cheesestick as well.
Other snacks that work well for us are nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Dried fruits we eat sparingly as most have added sugar (I realize that there are probably non-sugar versions available out there, but also that they are likely much more expensive). And I do buy honey roasted peanuts for my oldest as she doesn't care so much for other nuts. My little one will go crazy with them though - almonds, cashews (cash nuts she calls them), raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Or even a spoonful of peanut butter can be a great snack. We buy the JIF natural brand. It costs a bit more than regular peanut butter, but has less sugar and salt and is less expensive than the fresh ground, peanut only kind. I get the seeds and nuts from a store that sells them in bulk (for us, it's our local HEB). They have those bins where you can scoop them yourself. It really is a cost saver and kids don't need a huge serving, so they last a while.
I also from time to time make homemade granola bars. While they are still fairly heavy in carbs, they at least are void of the preservatives. And it is cheaper to make them. I have a great recipe for knock-off Nature Valley bars I will share another time.
I know some of you are probably doubtful of what's under all that produce. There are some cans of beans, a box of Cheeze-Its for my hubby, a jar of peanut butter, a whole chicken to roast this week, and some ground turkey. Probably one of the truly worst things in there is the frozen popcorn chicken. Like I said, we are working on things a bit at a time, including my cooking habits.
I will say, that I honestly believe that most families could at least make small improvements without breaking the bank. I know there are some out there that are doing all they can on a very limited budget. I'm thinking more about the families I know that feel the need to spend $10 on Poptarts because they are on sale and they can get a whole bunch, rather than spending $2 on a container of quick-cook whole oats that will last a long time.
It's the little changes from boxes and packages to real food that will make the biggest differences in the long run.
No comments:
Post a Comment