Loving Whole Foods

I have recently fallen head over heels in L-O-V-E with Whole Foods.  I mean, I had been in there a time or two before, but not with the same drive.  My cousin, Maggie, and I went in there a couple weeks ago looking for a product not sold in other stores, which left us wandering a little.  On top of the wandering, I had read in a few books that purchasing things like nuts are often far cheaper at places like Whole Foods (in their bulk aisle).  So, I decided to check it out.  Oh. My. Goodness.  If they would set up a cot for me, I would live in the bulk food aisle.  Really.  Nuts *are* far cheaper if you purchase them this way…by about *half*…no joke.

Then there is the granola.  Granola…yum!  I have yogurt almost every day.  I typically put a small amount of granola and some walnuts (or pecans…or almonds) on top.  In case you do not already know, though, organic granola at Kroger or Bigg’s is ridiculously expensive!  It runs about $6.00 to $7.00 per pound!  At Whole Foods (in the bulk aisle, of course) granola is $3.99 per pound.  That is *so* much cheaper…and the flavors of granola are amazing!  My favorite is the Vanilla Macaroon.  It is heavenly.

I also switched to buying my eggs from Whole Foods…and my yogurt.  I usually purchase Dannon Light & Fit for $2.99 (32 oz.).  Whole Foods carries an organic vanilla yogurt made with milk from cows without hormones for $2.49 (32 oz.).  Better deal!  I will admit; however, that the eggs are slightly more expensive at Whole Foods.  One dozen eggs runs about $1.60 at WF and about $1.40 at Kroger.  However, the WF eggs are free range, antibiotic-free (which makes me happy to pay the little bit extra).

Another thing I love about WF…they have samples over by the bakery area…and man are they good!  I usually pass right by the sample kiosks at other grocery stores because it is all ucky processed junk.  I feel better about trying the foods at WF because I know they have higher standards about what they will sell/serve.

Ultimately, the purpose of this post is to debunk the whole “Whole Foods (and places like it) is always more expensive than Kroger/Bigg’s (and places like them).”  That is not necessarily true.  Yes, some things are  more expensive, but not everything.  I would say it is definitely worth it to take a stroll through WF and see what you can find to save your family some money.  I bet you will love the bulk aisle, too!

Do you currently shop at Whole Foods (or another store like it)?  If so, are there things you have found to be cheaper there versus a Kroger/Bigg’s/etc?

-Erica

PS) As I was re-reading my post before publishing it occurred to me that you all might think WF is paying/bribing me to say such nice things about them.  I assure you I have been in no way compensated for this post…although they could give me five minutes alone with the bulk food aisle and I would be one happy girl.  🙂

Summer Salad with Vinaigrette

This salad…is amazing!  I had a version of it while on vacation in Indy earlier this month.  Artisan lettuce (no iceberg) with fresh strawberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, crumbled/cubed cheese, and grilled chicken.  Delicious!

Salads are wonderful for a variety of things…you can get seriously creative with them.  Fruits, nuts, cheeses, meats, etc.  Nothing is really “wrong” on a salad…with the exception of dressing.  Some people go crazy with dressing, and drown the flavor (and health value) out of a perfectly good salad.

I have been experimenting with creating everyday food items from scratch.  First up…vinaigrette.  Specifically the vinaigrette that accompanied this salad in Indy.  A poppyseed vinaigrette.  The waitress was nice enough to tell me it had these things included:

-poppyseeds (of course)
-oil
-wine vinegar
-sugar*
-red onion

She followed it up with, “It’s really quite simple to mix up.”  So, I did.  I did; however, switch up the sugar for honey (as noted by the *).  I used two different kinds of oil, olive and canola.  The dressing had a pink hue to it, so I figured she probably meant red wine vinegar.  Putting this dressing together took me all of five minutes…and it is delicious!  Best of all, I know *exactly* what is in it, and I know it is fresh!

What kinds of salads do you enjoy?  Have you ever made your own dressing?

-Erica

Food: Revisited

I know I have talked about this before (and likely will again), but this remains the number one question people ask me:

“What are you eating?”

The truth is, I probably do not eat like many other people losing weight (or trying to lose weight).  I do not count calories.  I do not count grams of anything (protein, fat, salt, etc.).  I do not choose “low-fat” or “no fat” varieties of most foods I eat.

Calories stress me out.  I can never seem to get that right.  I am either eating way too much in order to meet the required number, or I am eating way too little (retricted) and starving.  Either way will lead to failure.  I eat when I feel truly hungry (not bored, angry, lonely, etc.), which just happens to work out to be around every 3 to 4 hours.  I eat until I am no longer hungry.  This is not the equivalent to, “Oh my gosh.  I am so stuffed I can barely move.”  Feeling that way is a clear indicator you ate *way* too much.

Nutrition information is overwhelming (and often conflicting).  Some reputable sources say, “Eat loads of protein!”  Other sources say limit animal proteins to only a few days a week.  Something I have learned over my journey…my body knows what it needs.  I just have to listen.  When my body needs protein, guess what?  I crave it.  When my body needs something else, another craving.  Over time I have figured out how to eat…for *my* body.  I may not; however, be eating enough of one thing or another for *your* body.  We are all different.  We all require different amounts of different things to operate at *our* maximum.

I eat full-fat cheese and sour cream.  I eat bread (100% whole wheat) and pasta (again, whole wheat).  These are things most “dieters” avoid like the plague.  What they do not seem to understand, though, is that *most* “low-fat” or “no fat” products contain many other horrible things (such as an excess of sodium or sugar).  What you are trading in fat (or even reduced calories) is a significant increase in chemicals.  Full-fat cheese is natural.  Natural is good.

I eat fat…and quite a bit of it.  I am willing to bet I consume *far* more fats than the average “dieter.”  My fats come from avocado, nuts, coconut oil, and other healthy (natural) sources.  These are *not* the equivalent of the fat content of a triple decker cheeseburger from McDonald’s, though.  Healthy fats, and our bodies need them.

Recently, another girl came to me with serious inquisition…she wants desperately to lose weight (so she said).  The minute I said, “What you eat is more of the equation than what you do with your body,” was the minute she tuned me out.  It is the truth, though, eating is more than 75% of weight loss.  All the working out I do is more for muscle, endurance, fitness, and hopefully less chance of ever having “saggy skin.”  Food is where the magic really happens.

The biggest pieces of advice I can give anyone with the goal of weight loss are these (in no specific order):

-Ditch as much processed foods as you can.  Avoid trans fat (hydrogenated oils) and high fructose corn syrup.  Read nutrition and ingredient labels (there are millions of products containing these things that you would never suspect).  Eat more raw veggies and fruits.  Stay away from fast food joints.
-Be honest with yourself about your goals and how much work it is *really* going to take to meet them.  I have found people often set *huge* goals with the expectation of little effort.
-Find a way to keep yourself accountable.  This is a *huge* one.  People often turn to friends for support, which is nice.  The problem?  Friends often let you “slip” when you should not because they have an emotional attachment to you. “Oh, girl, I know you needed that brownie after that happened.  I would have eaten two!”  People who are not emotionally invested in your life are far more likely to keep it real…and keep you on track.
-Figure out what (if any) your trigger foods are…then curb it/them.  Almost everyone I know has at least one food that triggers them to overeat.  Find out what yours are, and then be more aware of it.  If you can, avoid eating it/them for a while.  If you cannot, do not allow yourself to overeat.  Stay conscious while you are eating, and force yourself to eat more slowly (which will allow you to feel that sensation of satisfaction *before* you stuff yourself).
-Do not eat while doing other things.  If you eat while watching television – stop.  You are far more likely to overeat simply because you are not paying attention to your body’s signals.
-Keep a food journal.  Seriously.  Write down *every single morsel* that enters your mouth.  When starting out, write down portion sizes, too.  You may be eating *far* more than what you think you are…especially if you are a grazer/snacker.

This is just a short list of things that have helped me in relation to eating/food…and I hope they can help some of you, too.

My goal for this week is to start posting more about what foods I am eating regularly.  I want to also start sharing more recipes as I find/try them.  So, be looking for that.

Do you have any other hints/tips/tricks that have helped you in your journey that I did not mention?  Please share them in the comments below.

-Erica

Anxiety to Perfection

So, there I am…standing in a virtual sea of chocolate, marshmallow, candy coating, cookie bits, and more.  I can feel my anxiety rising and I begin the whole internal discussion:

“Why am I feeling *so* much anxiety right now?  This is *so* much more stressful than Halloween was – and I hadn’t made this much progress then.  It should be easier now, right?”

“Hello!  We didn’t have to *buy* candy for Halloween, remember?  So, we never had to *stand* in the candy aisle and stare at all the yummy, delicious, gooey, caramel-filled…”

“Hey!  Wait!  Aren’t you supposed to be talking me *out* of this anxiety?!”

“Nope.  I’m just here so you don’t have to be alone when you’re anxious.”

“Great.”

So, I am pacing the aisle and feeling absolutely ridiculous.  Then what happens?  A woman walks by and leans into my shoulder with a simple whisper:

“None of this is on your diet, girl.”

I look up to find another of Denise’s clients standing there with a giant smile on her face.  What a way to bring me out of that funk, right?!  I thanked her (sincerely) and told her what crazy madness my head had cooking when she rescued me.  The whole situation reminded me a *lot* of Andie’s waitress rescue story.  Thank goodness for small pushes right when you need them, right?

Let me clear…I was *not* going to “cheat” with some cheap, funky Hershey chocolate.  I was starting to rationalize buying some more expensive, upper tier dark chocolate, though.  That, my friends, is a slippery slope.  I am *so* very thankful for that little pick-me-up when I least expected it!

This is such a rare occurance for me that I felt compelled to share with you all.  I rarely feel temptation knocking so hard.  I rarely find it difficult to say, “No thanks,” when sweets make an appearance somehow.  I am far too focused to waver every single time something creeps into my sight.  I would have failed long ago if that were the case.  However, every so often I do find weakness.  Luckily enough I often have someone (or something) to break through it without regret or shame waiting at the end.  For this I am also thankful.

After all, I am 4.8 pounds away from 100 pounds lost, folks.  No chocolate could possibly taste *that* good, right?  😉

How are you coping with Easter?  Are you going to allow yourself some wiggle room or stay firm in your resolve?

-Erica

Nutrition Talk (as of today)

Nutrition is a complicated subject.  At least for me it is.  The reason I find it complicated is because the information seems to be ever-changing.  One day eggs are “bad” with all their artery-clogging cholesterol.  The next day eggs are “good” with all their muscle-boosting protein.  It gets confusing, and complicated, to try to eat right.

Add to that back-and-forth nonsense all the fad diets that encourage people to cut out entire food groups because they are “bad” (with research backing that claim up, no less)…now you have a serious dilemma when trying to eat healthy.

Of course there are a few areas in which every “expert” seems to agree…trans fats (hydrogenated oils) are bad, excess processed foods with added sugars are bad, and too many calories per day is bad.  All across the board these are accepted to be true.  I suppose those few commonalities are supposed to make us (consumers) feel better about eating.  Well, those rare agreements between “experts” do not make me feel any better.  Not one bit.

Another aspect of nutrition that makes it more complicated for the consumer is language.  When manufacturers were required to label their products with nutrition information and ingredient lists, the language changed.  Sugar was no longer just called “sugar” in most products.  Instead “sugar” became corn syrup or lactose, which deceived consumers into purchasing something they maybe would not have if they knew it was added sugar.

The following are random tidbits I have picked up over the course of the last eight and a half months.  (I am not a nutritionist, nor do I claim to be any sort of expert on this subject.  Additionally, what information is included below is likely to change within a few months/years.)

Sugar is also known as:
barley malt, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice invert syrup, fructose, fruit juice, galactose, glucose, granular fruit grape juice concentrate, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, maltodextrin, maple syrup, molasses, organic cane juice, sorghum, sucrose, and turbinado (this list is courtesy of WH Big Book of Exercises).

Nutrition “Secrets:”
1. The healthiest foods you probably are avoiding are: pork chops, mushrooms, red-pepper flakes, full-fat cheese, iceberg lettuce, scallops, vinegar, and chicken thighs.
2. Fatty foods you should eat (without guilt) are: meat with flavor (such as bacon, rib eye, dark meat chicken, and ham), whole milk, butter (not margarine), full-fat sour cream, coconut, chicken skin, and eggs.
3. Saturated fat is *not* a nutritional villain.  In fact, most types of saturated fat (there are over 13 types) have a positive effect on cholesterol (and some do not have any effect on cholesterol at all).  This, of course, means that the consumption of saturated fat is in *no way* linked to heart disease risk.
4. Foods that you think are healthy (but probably are not): yogurt with fruit on the bottom (added sugar), baked beans (enough sugar added to equal an 8-oz soft drink), california roll (two main ingredients are white rice and imitation crab), fat-free salad dressing (added sugar), reduced-fat peanut butter (added icing sugar), corn oil (high content of omega-6 relative to omega-3 has been linked to an increase in risk of cancer, arthritis, and obesity).
Info pulled from WH Big Book of Exercises.

The number one problem with my current diet is probably my ratio of carbs to protein.  I will be honest, I am not big on counting calories and I am not big on calculating how much of each nutrient I am consuming each day.  This is about to change, though.  First of all, my weight loss has slowed tremendously.  I think that can be attributed to many factors, one of them being my diet.  It has worked for me up to this point (eight and a half months).  However, now that my activity level is *way* up and the level of intensity is also *way* up, I think it is time to re-evaluate things.

The nutritionist I met with a couple months ago recommended I eat 85 to 90 grams of protein each day, which I easily manage.  However, this book recommends “1 gram of protein per pound of desired body weight.”  That would actually bring me to 180 to 185 grams of protein per day.  They also mention that sometimes that is just too much protein for a person to consume, but say that 125 grams should be considered the minimum requirement.  Maybe if I were consuming that extra 40+ grams of protein my muscles would be recovering more quickly.  When I work really hard (which is majority of the time I am in the gym, of course), that muscle group will be sore for 3 to 5 days.  Absurd.  I want to get back to an alternating schedule of working muscle groups, but I need the muscles to recover much more quickly to make that happen.

All of this seems unnecessarily complicated (in my opinion).  I wish things were much more cut-and-dry.  Conflicting information is everywhere and most of it is “backed by research that proves its validity.”  Ridiculous.

How do you figure out what you should and should not eat?  Are you following a specific dietary “plan?”  Do you calculate daily nutritional content (if so, how?)?

-Erica

 

Let’s Talk Food

The number one question I am asked when discussing my weight loss is, “What are you eating…or *not* eating?”

First of all, let me say that often people are astounded to find out I am losing weight “the hard way” (IE. no magic pills or trendy/fad diets…and no surgical intervention).  I have actually had people say something to this effect, “Really?  *That* works?!”  They have genuine shock and surprise in their voices.  How interesting.

In a society that is dominated by the quicker/faster/better option, people often overlook the best/healthiest route.  I mean, who wants to actually *work* toward something when you get snipped and tucked…one “quick and easy” procedure cures all your physical woes.  Right?  Wrong.  I have never been an advocate for weight loss surgery…ever.  Even at my heaviest when my doctor offered me a referral to the “weight loss clinic” (IE fat-removing surgeon), I turned him down.  I was not willing to risk my life when there was a *much* safer alternative – exercise and healthy eating.

Anyway…stepping off my soap box…

I have been wanting to share some of my “staple” foods that have helped me in my journey.  Not all of these choices would be right for everyone, of course, based on your own dietary needs and tastes.  So, this is not intended to be any kind of sound nutritional advice, folks.  Just what I like and what works for me.  I have posted previously about my food choices, if you are interested.

My first new discovery was Bolthouse Farms.  They have many products, but I am in love with their yogurt-based ranch dressing.  I love veggies…raw and crunchy veggies…but dipping them in ranch makes them even better (in my opinion).  I always limit myself to no more than one serving (2 Tbsp) and that is quite often *way* more than enough anyway.  Bolthouse Farms makes many other dressings and vinaigrettes, so if ranch dressing does not toot your horn, they probably have something else that will.

I have also switched to stevia as a sweetener instead of traditional granulated sugar.  I rarely used sugar anyway, but when I do I am now grabbing stevia.  Personally, I can taste a small difference between the two (maybe that is just me), but the difference does not bother me.  Sweet is sweet, right?

My next “big” find was Kashi (thanks to the nutritionist).  I was browsing the aisles of whole/natural/organic foods in my grocery store when I stumbled upon: Kashi TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Crunchy Granola Bars (what a mouth-full).  These things are *amazingly* delicious…really.  My daughters have been having them as their mid-morning snack for days now.  They come packaged in pairs, which is perfect for each of my daughters to have one bar (85 calories, 3 g fat, 0.5 saturated fat, and 3 g protein).  Those of you watching carb intake might be less excited about these bars, though.  They weigh in at 25g of carbs per pack (two bars), so that may not be ideal for everyone.

Cooking oils are abundant these days.  Previously, I always had vegetable oil in my pantry.  Then I switched to extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO).  Then canola oil.  Recently, my friend switched to coconut oil because of all the hype it was receiving.  That, of course, led me to purchase some and start using it.  When I spent some time earlier this month with the nutritionist, I asked about all the different oils.  Ultimately, she recommended using canola oil for high-temperature cooking and EVOO for low-temperature cooking and dressings.  Although there are benefits to using coconut oil, the high (and I mean *very* high) saturated fat content make it a bad contender for regular use.  What kind of oil(s) do you use for cooking/baking?

I have mentioned previously that I have given up all white/bleached/enriched flour products (IE white bread and regular pastas).  An interesting bit of information I learned from the nutritionist, though, was that I had been eating them this whole time – unknowingly.  I *assumed* that if a product simply said “wheat flour” it meant the flour was not bleached/enriched.  However, that apparently is not necessarily the case.  The same goes for durum flour and semolina.  If the ingredient label does not include the word *whole* in front of those terms, chances are the flour *was* bleached/enriched and the manufacturer is just not putting that explicitly on the label.  This, in my opinion, is one more step to intentionally deceive consumers.  Letting us believe we are eating better food when, in fact, we are not.  I was not happy to find this out, of course.  So, I will be even more careful when selecting products that contain flour (in any form) to ensure I am not eating those bleached/enriched flours.

Some of my other blogger friends have recently discussed eating healthy and making better choices about consumption.  To see what they have to say visit with Andie and Colline.

Do you read the nutrition labels and ingredient lists when grocery shopping?  If so, what criteria must a food meet in order to land a spot in your cart?

Have you ever tried a fad diet in hopes of losing a great deal of weight quickly?  If so, which one(s) have you tried, and what was your experience with it?

-Erica

Keeping An EYE On Things

Portion control is out of control in our society.  This photo shows what portion sizes *used* to look like, and what they look like today.  There is clearly a very large difference.  This explains many things about our growing obesity epidemic.  People simply do not understand what a *real* portion looks like because they are used to being served two or three times a normal serving.  So, when a doctor asks, “Do you eat a lot?”  Their answer, of course, is no.

I used to fall into that category.  I did not think I ate all that much.  The problem was that my portion sizes were seriously inflated.  I was consuming far too many calories in each sitting.  Despite the fact I was not eating fast food, I was still morbidly obese.  I was always a little confused because I ate  healthy foods.  I cooked my meals at home using very little convenience or pre-packaged foods.  Fruits and vegetables were always a big part of my daily diet.  Yet, the fat was still there (and often times increasing).

Once I realized that it was not so much *what* I was eating as much as the *quantity* things started to improve.  I started purchasing smaller things…fruits especially…to help curb the portion sizes.  I started preparing meals as if I were feeding three people instead of five.  This reduced everyone’s portion sizes and also reduced the amount of leftovers lurking in my fridge.  The interesting thing?  Even though I began cooking less food at each meal, we were all still satisfied and nourished.  Go figure.

I am much more conscious of how much I am eating these days.  Part of that is due to practice, and the other part is due to journaling.  Keeping a food journal helps to keep me accountable.  It prevents me from “letting things slide” and getting carried away with eating.  As an addict, this is very important for me.  In that same vein, as an addict, this was one of the harder things I had to implement.  I was resistant to logging every little thing that entered my mouth.  It is an invaluable tool to my success, though.  I highly recommend everyone keep a food journal.  If you have never kept one, you might be (unpleasantly) surprised at the amount of food you actually consume in a day.

Here is a chart I found while roaming the blogging world.  It is a good visual reference for those looking to control portion sizes without stopping to measure every single thing before eating it (which I find frustrating, by the way).

Looking over this chart, you can probably see portion distortion with many products.  Bagels are a big one.  I cannot remember the last time I saw a bagel in a bakery that was smaller than my palm…can you?  Of course, I have bagels in the house that are about that size, but they are considered “mini” bagels.  The full size bagels are easily double that size.

Do you control your portion sizes using this visual method or some other method?  Are there any foods you still have difficulty with when creating a portion (cheese is my portion weakness)?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week thirty)

Thirty weeks.  Seven months (only 5 days shy).  What a journey this has been so far.  I have come so far already…and, yet, I feel like I have so much further to go.  Although, as fast as these 30 weeks have gone, I have no doubt the next 30 will fly by in seemingly no time at all.  I am very excited to see what milestones and accomplishments I will have to speak of by that point.

I would like to say I am bubbling over with happiness and excitement today, but I am not.  Actually, I am feeling a blue this evening.  I had a great workout with Denise today, and I did some new things with her (which challenged me in new ways).  I did my first “real” pushup today (not the girlie ones on my knees)…it was *not* pretty, but I did it…and then many more after it.  I did burpees, actually, which require pushups as part of the move.  I also jumped rope…okay, more like skipped rope, but I did it.  Again, it was not pretty, and I still need *so* much more practice to be “successful.”

Despite that, my weigh in this morning has me a little bent out of shape.  The scale was all over the place this morning.  Okay, so something strange…I weigh myself (a minimum of) three times every time I do it.  Why?  Well, because depending on where you stand on the scale, you get different readings…or at least I usually do.  So, what I do is step on the scale and then again, and then again.  If the number matches all three times, that is my weight.  If the number does not match, I weigh myself until I get three identical readings.  Usually, the numbers are so close (like within 0.4 pounds)…not this morning.  I had weights from as little 235.X all the way up to 239.0.  I was so frustrated and wanted desperately to curse the stupid thing out.  Instead, I took a deep breath and keep stepping on.  Eventually, I got my three identical readings…

238.2

That is *one* pound down from last week.  O-N-E.  That is two weeks in a row that I have only dropped *one* pound.  I am beginning to feel frustrated with that.  I know I probably should not get that caught up in the numbers, but I do.  The numbers, after all, is what is primarily driving me these days because I still have that ridiculous *disconnect* clouding my perception of progress when I look at myself.  If I could *see* the changes as clearly as everyone else, maybe I would not be so hung up on the numbers.  Maybe.  It is still a loss, though, so I guess I cannot dwell on it too terribly long.  Sigh.

Denise measured me today at the gym.  Here is how it went:

Neck = 14″ / 14″
Shoulders = 54″ / 45.2″
Arms = 19″ (L) and 19″ (R) / 16.5″ (L) and 16.5″ (R)
Bust = 54.5″ / 48.2″
Waist = 48″ (N) and 52″ (B) /  35.5″ (N) and 40″ (B)
Hips = 58.75″ / 51″
Thighs = 37″ (L) and 37.5″ (R) / 27.7″ (L) and 28″ (R)
Calves = 20.5 (L) and 21″ (R) / 17.2″ (L) and 18.2″ (R)
original measurement / current measurement

That is a total of 77.25 inches and 76.8 pounds lost in 30 weeks.  That is not too shabby, right?  So, what is up with me not feeling happy about that?!  Maybe I am in some sort of emotional funk today…who knows.

Here is another thing…
My BMI when I began (at 315 lbs.) was 49.33.
Today my BMI was 37.3.

I am thinking that I need to switch up something on the food front.  I have no idea what I am going to do exactly because I do not have a “quick fix” in that arena.  (Meaning, I do not drink soda – even diet. I do not eat sweets – ever. I do not drink alcohol. I do not eat chips or anything “snacky” like that.)  So, I apparently have some research ahead of me to try and figure out how I can shake things up in my diet to see if I can get the scale moving again.  Any thoughts or ideas on that?

GOAL TRACKER:
20 days
13.2 pounds
(I think it’s safe to call this one unattainable at this point.)

-Erica

Consider This…

Food is expensive.  Really expensive.  Most people have a preconceived notion that healthy food is even more expensive than “regular” food.  I watched a video/documentary for school sometime last year that entailed interviewing people from “the projects” of Detroit, Michigan.  The people (regular, every day citizens of this community) regularly stated they do not buy produce of any kind…simply because of price.  Further into the documentary, the narrator reveals (along with several of the citizens) no local grocery store even sold produce.  The narrator went into a grocery store and asked the manager why there was no produce.  His response?  “There simply is not a demand for it.  People will not spend their budgeted dollars on expensive produce when they can purchase bulk processed foods cheaper.”  (That may not be *exactly* what he said, but you get the idea)

Is that true?  Is eating healthy food exponentially more expensive than eating processed food?  Take a look:

The first “meal” is intended to feed four people.  How many  people do you think you could feed with the second amount of food, though?  (Note: the second group of food is actually cheaper than the four “meals” from Burger King).

Here’s another:

Again, the second food grouping is cheaper than the pizza with breadsticks.  I am willing to bet it would feed more people than the single pizza as well.  What do you think?

Another:

Second grouping of food is steadily cheaper (so far) than the first grouping.  Can you imagine if they calculated calories and fat grams to go along with these comparisons?  How many more calories and fat grams do you think are in that bucket of chicken than in all the food below it?

Another:

I am not a drinker, but I do know people who would pass up eating a meal for a few drinks.  Alcohol provides no nutrition, but often an abundance of empty calories.  I would much rather have those tilapia filets and some greek yogurt personally.

Another:

Here we find the first healthy grouping more expensive than “that other stuff.”  However, how many people will those two bags of “appetizers” feed?  How many people will the second grouping of food feed?  I am willing to bet the second grouping will feed *at least* double the amount of people…maybe even triple.

Another:

Again we find the second grouping to be more expensive than the first…only by 10 cents.  I, personally, have never purchased Steak-Ummm sliced steaks, but I am willing to wager that meat is probably not the first ingredient on the list.  I am also willing to wager the sodium content in that package is through the roof.

Another:

I am willing to admit that taquitos used to be a favorite of mine…the southwestern chicken taquitos.  Dip those suckers into a whole mound of full-fat sour cream and I was good to go.  Good to go all the way to 315 pounds, that is.  I do not miss them (in case you were wondering now) even a little bit.  So, now my trips to the grocery would certainly include the food grouping on the bottom of that picture…no taquitos for me, please and thank you.

Another:

Ice cream used to be another regular staple in my life.  At one point I remember having so much ice cream in my freezer I actually had to send some to my mother’s house.  That is madness, folks.  Madness.  I love yogurt (though, I have never tried Activia…any comments on that stuff?) and I love Silk.  I usually pick up the vanilla flavored Silk, though, because my chicklets prefer it.

Another:

This comparison really gets me.  Purchase *one* bag of french fries or mixed veggies, bananas, potatoes, and pasta…and still save 14 cents!  Craziness.  With those fresh potatoes in tow, you could make probably four or five times the amount of fries in that Ore-Ida bag anyway (if you simply must have fries, that is).

Another:

Again we get to choose from empty calories or nutrition.  Many people, of course, choose those empty calories.  I am not one of them, though.  I have never been a pop (soda) drinker…ever.  I do not even drink tea or coffee or even flavored water.  My drink of choice is plain old tap water.  Boring (to some), I know.  Think of all the money I save, though.  🙂

Last one:

This is an even trade (monetarily, anyway).  What do you think the nutrient difference is, though?  I am not even sure what (exactly) those Twizzler things are made of…  If I had to guess, though, I would say high fructose corn syrup is somewhere really high on the list…if not first…followed by several artificial “somethings” to boot.

I do realize that convenience food is just that…convenient.  However, the above comparisons help to break down that preconceived notion that eating healthier means spending more money.  It does not necessarily have to be more expensive to eat healthy.  It will; however, require more of your time (planning, preparing, etc.), but I think my health and the health of my family is certainly worth that time.

How many of your weekly meals are comprised of convenience foods?  How much money do you think you would/could save if you switched to preparing all your meals?  What would you do with that extra money?

-Erica

Healthy VS Real…Wait, What?

I must admit this is a post I have been thinking about for quite a while.  During my journey (of only six and a half months) I have heard countless people refer to eating healthy compared to eating “real” food.  What does that even mean?

What sent me over the edge was watching Ruby last night.  I watch it on Netflix, so I am behind on the seasons, I know.  The episode I watched last night was Ruby having Thanksgiving dinner at her house (with lots of family, friends…and food).  They actually prepared two feasts instead of one…one healthy feast and one “real” feast.  During the episode Ruby said something to this effect, “I don’t want everyone to have to eat healthy when they want real food.”  I ask again, what does that mean?

How is healthy food different from “real” food?  In my opinion (which is worth only as much as I think it is…inside my own head, of course) healthy food *is* real food.  All that deep-fried, heavily processed, over-sugared, mass-produced junk is *not* real food…not to me.  Half of it is not even recognizable as what the food industry is trying to pass it off as anyway.  Insanity.  I mean look at this picture:

If you have not already seen this picture floating around the Web, just guess what it might be. What it actually is…well, they *say* that it is chicken. McDonald’s chicken McNuggets, to be exact. That, folks, is mechanically separated chicken paste. It is absolutely repulsive and looks competely inedible to me. I showed it to my daughters (ages four and seven) and neither said they will ever ask me to swing into McDonald’s ever again.  (To be clear I do not take them to any fast food joints, but my mother does.  Then they hound me to take them on other days.  No more.)

So, I ask…Why would people *choose* to eat that chicken paste over a recognizable chicken breast?  More importantly…Why would people refer to *that* as “real” food and healthy food as something else?  It boggles the mind, really.

I think, on average, people have a serious misconception about healthy food.  I think people assume that healthy food equals bland or boring food.  Which, of course, is certainly not the case.  Some of the best food I have ever eaten was also some of the healthiest food I have ever eaten.  It all depends on how it is prepared/seasoned, I think.

Personally, I love healthy food.  I love fresh food (veggies and fruits are absolutely delicious fresh instead of frozen or canned).  I do not even consider myself to be “on a diet” right now.  The word “diet” (to me) signifies temporary change and that is not what I am after.  I am after a new lifestyle…these changes are forever.  So, it is important that I eat food I love.  Food I do not have to “make” myself “live through” until “better” food is “allowed.”  Maybe that is the difference?  Does the average American think healthy food is strictly designated to those on restricted weight loss diets?  Is that what the negative association is all about?

As a side note about delicious, flavorful, healthy food…I found this gal through one of my other blogger friends (sorry, I cannot remember which…).  She has *all* kinds of great recipes that are also healthy.  Guess what, though, it is all *real* food, too!  How great, right?

So, now I must know…have you encountered this healthy versus “real” food issue in your own life?  How do you feel about healthy food?  Do you hate to eat healthy food?  Would you prefer to eat what majority of Americans obviously consider “real” food?

-Erica