Breaking the old and creating the new!

On January 8, 2012 by Erin Fullam

**This post is part of the Get Real series. Please remember that this is meant as a learning community. We know that many of you are passionate about what you do and we want you to express that, just please do so in a way that will be an encouragement and aid to others making a transition. We want this to be a “safe space” for participants to learn. For that reason, we reserve the right to delete any comments that are not handled in this manner.

“Old habits die hard, and new habits are a pain to make.”

Let’s throw that out the window this minute! In this series, we can make it through the tough times of letting go and sticking to our newfound habits by doing it TOGETHER.

One of the hardest parts for me while starting this transition and continuing is making the choice not to buy those tried and true brands I have known my whole life that are not whole foods. There are some grocery items you always turn to because you know how they taste, how they cook, their low price, and just like them overall. But as we have mentioned in the last few weeks, label reading and becoming an educated consumer can quickly break those rose-colored glasses you have for your favorite brands.

Here are some national brand “whole wheat” noodles that seem healthy but still look at the added ingredients!

Now here is an inexpensive brand of organic spaghetti with a short list!

While you were purging your pantry, did you notice that some of your boxed cereals have up to 45 different ingredients? Can you imagine making that cereal from scratch with all of those ingredients, some of which you cannot even pronounce? How about everyone’s favorite blue box quick pasta meal? Is cheese even on the list?

Although it is hard to let go of what you know, what tastes good, and what is quick and easy, thinking of the consequences to these conveniences can make it the best decision you made for your family. There are many brands out there that are conducive to a whole foods diet. Just simply read the label! If there are ingredients listed you do not recognize or could not purchase for yourself easily, it is more than likely not a whole food. Even store brand items are going towards more organic, natural, and non-processed. Therefore, providing you with savings compared to some of the bigger natural brands on the market today.

I am the first to admit, even late in this pregnancy, there have been moments I have been driving home and calling the local pizza guy to deliver because I didn’t plan ahead, forgot to turn on the slow cooker, or just do not have the energy to make it through another 30 minutes without food! I just want my husband, toddler and I fed without hearing “Is it ready yet?” And I know that pizza is not a whole food and that I’m making the conscious decision to eat out, and not know what is in the pizza ingredients. However, this isn’t an everyday occurrence for us. It’s about once a month at the most.

In our home we follow the Food Rules and typically we follow the rule of “If you want junk food, make it yourself,” but in the case of the 5:30 PM meltdown, we follow the “Treat treats as treats” rule for our nights eating out.

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