Our Family Eating Plan
A big change for our family is underway…on shifting the way we eat.
I love having this space to write and share a bit more transparently. Over the last few months, I’ve been feeling increasingly convicted about cleaning up both my and my family’s diet. Further below, I’ve shared some recent podcasts/interviews, etc. I’ve been listening to which further underscore those convictions I was already feeling in my heart.
These days (though I was on and off in the past), I myself ate moderately clean but I was allowing more and more things for my kids that I would personally never eat on a regular basis. Kid life these days seems to be rifled with treats, more treats, ultra processed snacks and “special occasions” that seem to get justified daily if we let it- from classroom parties to playdates to treats after sports games, etc. It’s almost impossible to avoid (though I don’t think we can or should stress ourselves out over that fact. It’s about healthy balance.)
That said, I’ve been wanting to clean up the area where I have the most influence: our home.
So, I hope you’ll come along with me as I share more about our family meal plans, easy recipes, and ways in which I’m encouraging our whole family to eat a little better, myself included. At the very least, I ask that you listen to any of the resources listed below and educate yourself on our American food system (including culture/lifestyle, greed and corruption, impact that metabolic dysfunction has on our cells and chronic diseases) and what exactly you can do about it.
The Meal Plan
As of now, I typically shop at Aldi each week, and Walmart to get any additional items I couldn’t find at Aldi. Then about every 2 weeks, I’ll shop at Costco. I am trying to find other options, including farmer’s markets, otherwise, there is a grocery store (Woodman’s) near Costco, about 30 min away, that has a ton of organic produce that I might try to visit more as well so I can limit the time/number of places I shop at. (We also get our eggs from our neighbors who have chickens.)
My goal was to heavily limit ultra-processed foods and seed oils, (including added sugars and food dyes) and aim for organic when possible. Lots of clean food with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, all local if possible.
I’m envisioning this to be hardest for my kids when it comes to snacking and drinks (like Gatorade, juice or chocolate milk at school lunch or events, sports, etc.) As for snacks, I’ve stocked up on sausage sticks like Chomps, string cheese, pretzels, nut butter, fruit, and even smoothies and homemade muffins. I also have a stash of Skout Organic bars too- we all love them. (Use code STYLEFILESVALERIE20 for 20% off). Encouraging our kids to make healthy choices and the impact it can have is so important.
Here were our dinners the past week:
MONDAY: turkey burgers with sweet potato and corn on the cob
TUESDAY: breakfast for dinner: yogurt parfaits, eggs and sausage with toast
WEDNESDAY: tomato soup with grilled cheese
THURSDAY: creamy lemon chicken with asparagus over pasta
FRIDAY: loaded baked potatoes with brussel sprouts and a smoothie
SATURDAY: fish, broccoli, rice and homemade applesauce
SUNDAY: sheetpan gnocchi & vegetables for adults (Goodles & smoothie for kids)
“Metabolic health is the most important bipartisan issue of our time.”
Resources:
The resources below are some of the first I’ve read or listened to that was a catalyst for our family and they are SO good.
Casey Means website (be sure to sign up for newsletter!)
Good Energy book by Dr. Casey Means. Honestly, this should be required reading for every American if you ask me
How Big Pharma Keeps You Sick: Dr. Casey Means, author of Good Energy (HIGHLY recommend) and her brother Calley Means on the Tucker Carlson show is SO worth the two hour listen.
Last month, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) hosted a bipartisan roundtable discussion on nutrition/health. SO good with a number of experts testifying. Listen here.
Huberman Lab/Transform Your Health: long episode, heavy on medical jargon but definitely worth a listen!
Interview with Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Casey Means- lots of great nuggets in there.
Dr. Casey Means on Jillian Michaels show (Jillian is a bit crass with some language, just fyi.)
Bobby Parrish of FlavCity on Instagram—he goes to shop and goes through ingredient labels in his videos
Other thoughts/changes:I love to bake and have limited my sweet tooth, though I still like to indulge, but with better for you ingredients. So I’m slowly switching over my baking essentials to use items like coconut sugar, monkfruit and applesauce, almond flour, no sugar added chocolate chips, clean salt (get 15% off here), making my own vanilla extract, etc.
I LOVE my morning coffee. But I was using a creamer that was sugar free, but loaded with artificial sweeteners, preservatives and a slew of ingredients I couldn’t recognize. So I switched to organic half and half and it has been good! I’d love to start my day with warm lemon water to prime my digestive tract, so working towards that routine!
Currently researching organic meat options, balancing cost with sourcing. The mainstream options (Butcher Box, Wild Pastures, Good Chop) are more budget friendly than my local farms, but would love to hear anyone’s experiences or preferences!
Got rid of our plastic food storage containers and opted for glass. Looking to add silicone bags to my kitchen as well as beeswax wrap to avoid plastics. We already use stainless steel pots & pans, but just added a cast iron pan to my stash too!
Beyond the kitchen, we’ve done a few other things that Good Energy recommends: my husband and I reviewed our labwork with the 5 key biomarkers (waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure) to see if we fall in the “optimal health” category and will continue to modify/adjust to be in the healthy range.
We invested in a walking pad/desk to get more movement in during our workday (along with taking calls outside, or walking outside when possible to get fresh air and sunlight), and are making a habit of taking family walks after dinner, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes up and down our driveway. (I also do 5 days/week of strength training/HIIT type workouts at Burn Boot Camp.)
After reading resources from Food Babe, just overhauled my pantry and specifically my protein powder collection. Got rid of the brand that had erythritol, natural flavors and whey isolates and ordered two brands that I am currently testing out: Truvani and FlavCity. Also got rid of seed oils and use grass fed butter, coconut oil and avocado oil solely.
As a result of these changes, we find we are eating out MUCH less. We didn’t eat out a ton, but knowing what’s in our food and embracing that I get to (not have to) make whole, pure nutritious meals for my family. It is a high calling that I am honored to do to take care of my family every day to avoid preventable chronic diseases. Worth the time and money now, so you don’t have to pay for it in health care costs and poor quality of life later. Puts things into a good perspective this way!
All to say, I am aware that life happens and am not being unreasonable about what we eat. Sure, we go to birthday parties and restaurants from time to time (I love a good cocktail or fancy coffee drink from time to time), but just working on what we can do in our home and educating our kids to make healthy choices for the bodies God has given us to steward to the best of our abilities.
What has worked well for you/your family?
Any recommendations on products or practices?
What do you want to hear more about in our family’s food journey?