Am I what I eat?

Welcome to the July Carnival of Natural Parenting: Let's Talk About Food
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written about their struggles and successes with healthy eating. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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I love food!  I like to buy it, I like to prepare it, and most of all I like to eat it!!  What I don't like are chemicals...  Or unethical practices...  Or unnecessary excess...  Over the years, I have come to realize that food is so much more than what we eat - it profoundly impacts our world, our communities, and our bodies on a daily basis.  Now that may sound like a daunting statement, but there is hope!  You have the ability to choose what the impact will be by how and where you spend your money in relation to food.

After learning about where our meat really comes from in high school, I have been on a food journey.  There have been times where I have been vegetarian, and there was a time when I just did not think about what I was buying and eating.  Over the past four years, however, we have become much more purposeful in our food decisions.  We have learned how to pickle beets and eggs (my favorite!) and make preserves.  We have a growing container garden.  In the spring and fall we hunt for mushrooms and have enjoyed lots of game meats from a dear friend.  In short, we strive to eat organic, local, and ethically.

We eat organic produce, meat and dairy products - especially now that I am a breast-feeding mother, I do not want pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals leeching to my daughter.  We eat local, which also means eating in season.  One of the best parts of eating local is getting creative with ingredients, after all we are only human, and root-vegetable season is mighty long around here (though my favorite root veggie preparation is still the classic - roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper).  We eat ethically by choosing organic, cage-free, hormone-free, free-roaming meats.

So how did I get here?  I started small - when I went to the grocery store I would try to stick to the perimeter, that's where all the whole foods are (produce, dairy, meat).  Then, I started visiting our local farmer's market in the late-spring to early-fall months turning to local and seasonal produce.  Next, I joined a program called Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks, which provides organic produce that is mostly local, so that we could continue to eat local fare during the winter months.  This year, a friend introduced me to Grass is Greener Gardens and I'm in the process of joining their meat CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.  We are at the point where I no longer need to go to the grocery store.  If we do need something like cereal or grains, I choose to go to small, family-run stores in my neighborhood rather than the large chain grocery store.

I am proud of the way my family eats, but also realize the journey is far from over.  The next stage is to learn to cook as well as my mom (who is, hands down, the best cook ever!)  And in the future I hope to teach my children the beauty of simple eating.  Help me on my journey - what are your favorite seasonal summer foods or recipes?

A disclaimer: I live in a city, and along with city living come some distinct benefits in relation to food.  I know that some of the options I have available to me are not accessible to individuals living in more rural areas (though I would argue that rural areas have their own distinct benefits!)  I also recognize that I have the luxury to be able to choose to eat a certain way - many families in my same city live in areas where there are no grocery stores, where fresh produce is far more expensive than processed foods.  I am also happy to report, however, that many vendors at our local farmer's market accept food stamps, a small victory, but a victory none-the-less.




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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Welcome to Two — All About Food — In case you hadn't heard, there is a conspiracy afoot from the two year olds of the world. Shana at Tales of Minor Interest stumbled onto their newsletter!
• Four Seasons of Eating Locally — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction has pointers for what fresh produce can be found year-round. (@MBJunction)
• Happy Families Can Have More Than One Diet — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now has figured out a way for her family to live happily as vegans and vegetarians with relatives who eat meat. (@DebChitwood)
• My Own Omnivore’s Dilemma — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante prioritizes responsible consumer choices for her family.
• No Gluten — No Cry — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch Momma learned to cook balanced meals when her son's food sensitivities prompted a diet overhaul. (@kitchenwitch)
• Try, Try Again — Stefanie at very very fine has become an enthusiastic consumer of locally grown food.
• CSA — Week 1 — Casey at What Love Is wants her children to know where their food comes from, so she joined a friendly CSA. (@CBerbs)
• Food: Parenting or Homemaking? — Michelle at The Parent Vortex sees food as part of a parent's nurturing role. (@TheParentVortex)
• 5 Tips to Help Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits — If you struggle with healthy eating, helping your child develop healthy habits might be a challenge. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares five easy tips that will help your kids learn to make good food choices. (@CodeNameMama)
• Family Food: Seeking Balance Between Healthy, Sustainable & Affordable — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings has a whole list of ideas for how she can improve her family's eating, both now and into the future. (@sunfrog)
• Whole Foods in, Wholesome Feelings Out — Jessica at This is Worthwhile has turned her back on the processed, preservative-ridden food of her childhood. (@tisworthwhile)
• When to Splurge on Organic (and When It Is Okay to Skip It) — Becoming Mamas tell you what foods to prioritize when buying pricier organic food, and where you can find it cheaper. (@becomingmamas)
• A Locavore's Family Meal — Acacia at Be Present Mama tells a story in pictures of her family taking a trip to the local organic farmers market and then preparing a summer meal together with their bounty.
• Eat Your Food, or Else — Why should we not bribe a child to eat? TwinToddlersDad from Littlestomaks (Science Driven Real Life Toddler Nutrition) explains. (@TwinToddlersDad)
• Food, Glorious Food! — Luschka at Diary of a First Child describes three easy ways her family has started eating healthier. (@diaryfirstchild)
• Celebrating Food — Mrs Green at Little Green Blog believes in food as medicine and thinks it's worth paying more to keep healthy. (@myzerowaste)
• Oil and Yogurt — What have you been motivated to do with the current oil spill crisis? midnightfeedings has started making her own yogurt. (@midnightfeeding)
• Growth-Spurt Soup (AKA "Beannut Stew") — BeanMa has a special stew to help her baby through growth spurts that keep her up all night. (@thebeanma)
• Why I Love The Real Food Community — Much like many people who follow AP/NP values, Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! takes the parts of the "real food" philosophy that work for her family and leaves the rest. (@bfmom)
• Feeding a Family of Six — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children gives helpful tips for feeding a family of six.
• Starting Solids at 6 Months — Did your doctor recommend that you give your baby cereal? Sheryl at Little Snowflakes discusses how whole foods are so much healthier (and more delicious) than traditional cereal. (@sheryljesin)
• Am I What I Eat? — Andrea!!! at Ella-Bean & Co. has figured out a way to avoid grocery stores nearly altogether.
• Are We Setting Our Kids Up To Fail? — Megan at Purple Dancing Dahlias found that cutting out the junk also transformed her sons' behavior problems.
• Changing your family's way of eating — Lauren at Hobo Mama has techniques you can try to move your family gradually toward a healthier diet. (@Hobo_Mama)
• Real Food — What kinds of fake foods do you eat? And why?! Lisa C. at My World Edenwild talks about why she chooses real food.
• A Snackaholic’s Food Battle — Julie at Simple Life wants to stop snacking and get into the old ways of cooking from scratch and raising her own food. (@homemakerjulie)
• Food, Not Fight — Summer at Finding Summer doesn't want her kids to grow up like her husband: hating everything green. (@summerm)
• How Do You Eat When You Are out of Town? — Cassie at There's a Pickle In My Life wants some tips on how to eat healthy when you are out of town.
• Carnival of Natural Parenting: Food! — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker hopes that by serving her children healthy, balanced meals, they will become accustomed to making good food choices. (@sybilryan)
• There's No Food Like Home's — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing revels in the Bajan food of her upbringing. (@BlkWmnDoBF)
• This Mom's Food Journey — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment made a journey from not paying attention to food to growing her own.
• Who Knew Eating Was So Hard? — The challenges involved in changing to healthier eating habits take on a whole new dimension when you have a child who has difficulties eating. kadiera at Our Little Acorn shares her own experiences. (@kadiera)
• Loving Food — Starr at Earth Mama truly believes food is her family's medicine and is willing to spend days preparing it the traditional way.
• Food Mindfulness — Danielle at born.in.japan details how her family spends money on each category of food. (@borninjp)
• Food for Little People — Zoey at Good Goog wants to bless her daughter with happy traditions built around good food. (@zoeyspeak)
• Eat Like a Baby — Have you been told that you should not equate food with love? Kate Wicker at Momopoly shows us why that's not necessarily true. (@Momopoly)
• Food — Deb at Science@Home tries to teach her children three rules to help them eat a healthy diet. (@ScienceMum)
• Healthy Eating Lactose-Free — MamanADroit gives us tips on how to eat healthy if you are lactose intolerant (or just don’t want cow milk). (@MamanADroit)