From cans to fresh

I had a GREAT idea this morning when I woke up.

If you are trying to change your family's diet, listen up!

For two weeks, write down everything you eat.  I've been told to do this before but thought it was a pain-but it was worth it.  Then you can look at it and change 1 thing.

For example:

If you eat this for lunch:

canned corn

spaghettios

Kool-aid,

make small changes one at at time.

Switch from canned corn to frozen corn (more nutrients).  Or better yet, switch to fresh corn on the cob or other fresh vegetable. 

After you've mastered that change, tackle a new one.

The next month (or week/whatever your timetable is), change your pasta:

You can go from spaghettios to white noodles and pasta sauce

Then you can go from white noodles and red pasta sauce to whole wheat noodles.

If you don't want to go whole wheat, or your kids/husband freak out because it is brown, there is a pasta called Barilla Plus.  It looks white  and is whole grain-perfect.

The next month go from kool-aid to 100% juice.

Then you can stay at juice or go to water.

See-in just 3 months you've gone from:

spaghettios

canned corn

kool-aid

TO

whole grain pasta with pasta sauce

fresh veggies

100% juice/water

You could even go a step further and make your own pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes-that would be awesome!

Doesn't it make you feel great?  Knowing your family is getting the nutrition that they need?

It's just a journey, right?  We can continually improve our diets.  I know that sometimes we buy what is cheap because money is tight, but for me and my family-nutrition is something I am not going to compromise because I know I can give them what they need.  I am raising Superman, you know?  

We have fresh fruit and veggies all the time, and I do not spend any more money now than I used to because I didn't just add to our food.  I replaced.  I don't buy fruit snacks/canned fruit/snack stuff anymore-I replaced it with an apple/an orange/a carrot, etc.  It's worth it to me to spend the extra time preparing food.  It's not hard to wash apples, or to peel a carrot-and it makes me feel like a better mom!

So good luck-let me know how it goes and some ideas that you have.  I know I don't have any comments on my blog yet-but I know you're reading-I KNOW who you are (just kidding-I really don't!)  But let me know the changes you are making and I'll keep sharing ours.

GOOD LUCK!