Last night we were out running errands near the mall when all of a sudden 6:00 hit. We could have gone all the way home and started making something for dinner, but how much easier would it be to just go out to eat at that point? Not to mention we were right by P.F. Chang’s and it smelled good. As it turns out it was probably the scent of one of their sauces (85 – 90% of which contain sugar) that lured us in!
The biggest challenge about taking our children out to eat is finding something that doesn’t break the rules, and that they will actually eat. Jason and I are obviously a little more flexible and understanding of our limited food choices in restaurants. My first thought was that I 
could order the girls a fried rice to share (with brown rice instead of white, no meat, and the addition of two veggies that I thought they may eat – green beans and mushrooms). Come to find out we could do the rice dish for them, but couldn’t have any of the sauce since there was sugar in it. We couldn’t even season it with soy sauce because the brand they buy also has sugar in it. I was caught a little off-guard when they brought out their dinner because it was just plain steamed brown rice mixed with mushrooms and green beans. I immediately knew there was no way my kids would eat that. I even tried a bite just to make sure (and confirmed it had no flavor!). So we had to send their meal back and ask for it to still be made like regular fried rice (cooked in oil with bits of egg, onion, etc.), but just leaving off the sauce. I would have to say the restaurant was accommodating, but the revised dish was only slightly better than the first go round. Luckily I had some cashews and pistachios in my purse to supplement their meal.
My husband and I decided to have the Mahi Mahi which I was told by one of the sous chefs was the only seafood dish we could order as-is (due to the sugar in all of the other sauces). The only substitution we made was for it to be served over brown rice instead of white. The fish itself tasted great, but instead of serving it over the brown rice it came on a bed of white rice (which was mixed with cilantro and sitting in all of the lemongrass butter sauce – the only thing at our entire table that had any flavor!) and accompanied by two plain bowls of brown rice on the side. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think plain brown rice without any seasoning or sauce tastes very good! So we had to send our meal back too and ask for the fish to actually be over the brown rice, which would hopefully be soaking up some of the good sauce this time. So after all of that our spontaneous dinner out took almost an hour and forty-five minutes!
With all of the seafood, vegetables, and brown rice available on the menu at P.F. Chang’s, we thought for sure that ordering would be easy. This was just yet another one of our experiences that shows how hidden processed foods and refined ingredients can be when you are eating away from home. I would say that I don’t plan to attempt Chinese food again until the 100 days are over.
In other news, with all that I am doing to bend over backwards and make sure I only feed our children the healthiest and most natural foods on earth can you believe that my husband got his “panties in a wad” because I gave the girls some gum (sugar-free gum nonetheless)?? You don’t actually EAT gum…you just chew it, right? So, here we enter some gray area when it comes to the rules. Since we started all of this I have already given them the sugar-free gum on several occasions and he politely suggested that I don’t “do that again” until the 100 days are over. Is this a little over the top or is it just me?
My husband insists I post his side of the story: The serving size on the sugar-free gum has 5 calories. You extract the sweetener and flavorings during chewing (in this case chemicals and artificial sweetener), leaving the mostly flavorless gum base after chewing. This is why gum tastes better at first…you are eating the sugar or sweetener. He doesn’t think chewing gum is a big deal, but says rules are rules.
I suppose it was a little easier to ignore this gray area before I read all of that.
Congratulations!! I admire you, your husband and your girls for doing this and sticking to it so far. It is difficult and requires much preparation and thought – so glad I saw your article in the Observer this morning.
Lisa, great story in the N&O today! Big congrats on taking such giant steps towards eating real food. For some help making it affordable during your next 40 days & 40 nights, check out Cook for Good. My plan follows most of your rules and is super affordable: in May it was just a $1.83 using green ingredients per meal per person and $1.18 using thrifty ingredients. The food-stamp allowance here in NC is $1.99 per person. It will be even less in July. My plan doesn’t have meat or fish, which cuts the expense, and has some sugar but far less than the average American diet.
Are you focusing on local produce too? I was surprised to see the bananas in the photo since you are eating all local meat.
Thanks for the comment and tip! And yes, we definitely use local produce whenever possible. We happened to be out of town right before the interview was scheduled so I missed the farmers market. I knew someone would notice that the produce pictured wasn’t local! We do usually focus on local and supplement with some organic non-local produce as well.
About the gum issue… I agree that those types of gum are NOT whole foods and should not be allowed in the 100 days. they are made with artificial sweeteners, etc, and actually aren’t that good for you in large amounts. I am an avid gum chewer and when I learned this, I found other options. At any health food store, Vitamin Shoppe, etc, you can buy natural gum made with only xylitol, gum base and natural flavoring. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, not an artificial sweetener, such as asmartame. It is a much healthier option, and xylitol is good for your teeth. I try to chew that for the most part, and avoid the regular brands. I use the most common brand, Spry, but there are other brands as well.
I figured a more “natural” type of gum must exist somewhere. I will have to check that out and see if my husband gives his stamp of approval!
Hello…my daughter is type 1 diabetic and we eat only whole foods….I found a stevia gum that she can have and Stevia is an all natural sweetener from the stevia plant. The website is Steviasmart.com and the gum is called Stevia Dent. It is great and she loves it. She is on minimal insulin so we needed something that wouldn’t take her up in her blood sugar. it is great.
Really great to see you doing this…..keep up the excellent work.
I think I might have to look into that gum you mentioned…it is kind of a fun thing to have in my purse for the kids! But again, after giving up so many other kiddy treats maybe we could do without this too. I will chat with my husband about it. Thanks for the suggestion!
I live in VA but read the article in the N&O today…wow! I’m impressed at your dedication – we could never do what you are doing! Keep up the good work
I saw the article about your family in The Charlotte Observer today. Hats off to you for doing this! While we definitely don’t have the same commitment to whole foods that your family has, we have cut out dyes, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and things we can’t pronounce
. We also buy as much organic food as we can. We have two young kids as well, and at first I wondered if their eating habits would seem “strange” to other kids, but so far this has not been the case. We’ve been eating like this since they were babies, and to them, starting meals with fruits and vegetables is just what people do. I like that.
Thanks for the inspirational blog! I will be back to read more!
Thank you for the comment and I couldn’t agree with you more! I truly believe that kids will (most of the time) eat what we offer them – it is just up to us as parents to offer them the healthier alternative. I want to write a whole http://www.foodillusion.com post dedicated to this topic soon. What kid wouldn’t eat a triscuit over something like chips or pirate booty if that was the only choice you gave them? Good for you guys in making healthy decisions about what you eat!
Question: Please excuse me, I am not trying to be rude, what I think you are doing is amazing and I have been trying to do something similar but lack your dedication. Along those lines: what is worse, eating food that is processed or sending it back to the kitchen to be thrown away? I mean, isn’t the impact worse to have two meals made?
I hate wasting food as well, which is why we asked for our meal to be served with brown rice instead of white rice. It was a misunderstanding and that was the only thing that was thrown out from this dinner (our daughter’s food was just recooked). I suppose if I had a peanut allergy and they accidentally put peanuts in my meal I would have done the same thing.
Congratulations to you and your family. Your right it’s not cheap to eat wholesome and healthy. I gave up everything “white” in my diet in January 2010 and haven’t looked back. I noticed an immediate change in my body and attitude – wieght loss and more energy. Keep up the good work, it will definitely pay off for you and your family in the long run.
Saw your article in the N&0. Kudos to you and your family. I’m making changes in my eating habits as well and it is extremely difficult. It’s time more Americans started making conscious decisions about what we put in and on our bodies. Looking forward to reading more of your blog!
I think it’s great that you’re doing this and all, but don’t go out to eat. Why should PF Chang’s alter everything for you? Annoying.
We have found that most restaurants (the owners – not necessarily the wait staff) are actually happy to be able to accommodate guests if it means they will get your business.
Totally agree. It’s not fair to clog up a table for close to 2hrs. with serious food alterations, unless you compensated accordingly.
Yes, we already agreed as well that it was a mistake…their menu was unfortunately misleading!
I love this! I’m so impressed by your determination and you must have awesome kids to participate so willingly. When I first saw your post, I didn’t immediately think “chewing gum”, but the other kinds of gums…the kind that is added to thicken ice cream and sauces. What are you thoughts on this? I bought some several months ago b/c I saw it on food blogs and wanted to try it to thicken smoothies and such. But now I’m starting to question it, although there is no real research out there to fall back on.
Thank you! And to answer your question I can’t speak for all “gums”, but I did some quick research on guar gum and it is definitely just a highly processed version of guar beans (similar to how white flour is a highly processed version of the wheat plant). They are both only made from the endosperm of the bean/berry which is high in calories and low in nutrients. I have heard of people putting wheat germ in smoothies (although I haven’t tried it myself) and while it is not as smooth as white flour I use whole-wheat flour to thicken sauces. I hope that helps!
Loved reading the N&O story this morning. I totally agree with your husband on the sugarless gum. The sugar substitute and artificial ingredients are far more harmful to one’s health than a little sugar, but I do admire your ability to just say no to the highly refined and processed foods.
Will-
Please check Xylitol for suspected cancer links.
Lisa and Jason: I commend what you are doing and I am doing the same thing which is based on Longevity Hot Spots around the world, you know the places where people are living longer and healthier. Please check out my website at http://dave.akealife.com. The corporate office is right here in Raleigh. The official soft launch meeting is Thursday July 29, 2010 at North Ridge Country Club off of Falls of the Neuse Rd in North Raleigh at 6:30PM. I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the knowledge you walk away with and it may even be healthier on your pocketbook. The meeting is open to all who wish to learn about a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for sharing. We are actually located in Charlotte, but wish you luck with your project!
Amazing article, thanks so much for the inspiration! My mother raised us in a similar manner (probably more like your day 101) and I needed a kick to do the same for my kids. (Mom gave us bulgar to chew as gum….I don’t recommend it!) I’m off to read more!
Wonderful story in the N & O and congratulations for hanging in there. I like your blog and your commitment. We eat mostly local fresh food, very little processed food, but our kids are grown so it’s much easier with just the two of us. I try to roast a local free-range chicken once a week in my slow roaster and then use the leftovers all week for chicken salad, pasta, quesadillas, etc., alternating with non-meat dishes (quiche made ahead, chili, ravioli, etc.) and lots of fresh veggies and greens from the garden. I also try to make bread dough in big batches from a master recipe for bread and pizza during the week. Not too hard once I got the hang of it. You can read about the local food scene in the Triangle on my blog Sustainable Grub.
Best wishes,
Dee
Sounds like you really have the hang of this. Thanks for sharing your link!
I enjoy eating brown rice with no flavouring on it. I used to hate rate but after being on a sugar and flour free diet for many months I totally got used to it – it’s not so bad.
I was so thrilled to find your story on facebook. We are doing a similar thing in our family. We are not going cold turkey, but I am trying to get off processed foods as much as possible and making changes one at a time and blogging for one year with the idea that we will keep on living like this forever. We are also focusing on local and organic foods-oh and I work full time!! So we are crazy all the time!
I love what you are doing and I would like to invite you to read my blog as well. It is nice to have found someone with a similar vision!
http://www.thetableofpromise.blogspot.com
Good for you!! Sounds like we are on a similar track. Also, it looks like we have more than just food in common…we got married on Block Island too! At the Spring House Hotel in 2000. Small world
Hi! I saw your blog on Food Inc.’s FB page… and I love what you’re doing. We’ve been slowly transitioning as well… reducing plastic and getting healthier.
So I have to comment about the gum… I never buy anything sugar-free because the artificial sweeteners are often just as bad… what’s that word?? Contains…. hmmm… it’s so long I can’t even pronounce it or spell it!! Anyway, it is pure nastiness.
Also, you may want to read this: http://fakeplasticfish.com/2010/01/chewing-on-plastic-yum/
We’re rethinking gum.
I feel like after everything else we “gave up” we should be able to do away with gum too! The article you shared certainly poses a good argument against it!
Awesome what you and your family are doing, we have been moving in this direction following Nourishing Traditions (have you read it, I would highly recommend it). I am now motivated to give your whole foods limitations a try. Question about the farmers market, how do you determine which farmers to buy from and know they are pesticide free? Regarding the meat, we found a great supplier close by who supplies Whole Foods in this area, it is about a 45 minute drive from Raleigh http://www.baldwinbeef.com. The food is great, farmer Mack is happy to tell you why you don’t want to introduce any grain into the diet, only grass and about the importance of rotating the grazing fields and such. The meat tastes wonderful. Keep up the great job you and your family are doing on this challenge!
Thank you for your comment and that is wonderful that you have already found some great local resources for food! I think that is half the battle. I shop at a grower’s only market here in Matthews (near Charlotte) so I am able to just ask the farmer themselves about their practices for keeping again bugs, pests, etc.
This is what I had for dinner tonight….2 year old loved it as well.
Brown jasmine rice with black beans. Mixed with a salsa made of mangoes, tomatoes, red onions, fresh cilantro and juice from a lime. ( I added a teaspoon of honey but you can leave that out). On the side was baked sweet potato and steamed string beans. It was delishious! try it!
Sounds good and easy…and wouldn’t break the rules! I will try. Thanks for sharing
Have you tried Chipotle for your meal out needs? There is at least one video on Youtube that describes the founders views on “slow food” fast. I believe they use organic meats or at least pasture/grass fed antibiotic free.
We do normally like Chipotle and know that they focus on organic and local whenever possible, but the biggest problem we have right now is their use of refined grains. Check out this article that I posted recently…you will see at the bottom the only options we could eat at Chipotle during our 100 days: http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/how-to-eat-whole-foods-at-restaurants/
My husband and I started eating this way in April because of health issues. Giving up dining out was difficult, but we’re lucky to have found a restaurant near us that makes a wonderful Macro Bowl – brown rice, sea veggies, tempeh, and a red miso sauce on the side. Now we can go out to eat once in a while without compromising our health. I don’t even crave the foods I used to eat any more. In fact, I have an aversion to a lot of them now. What you’re doing for your family is fantastic.
I just found your blog and I am in love with it and your journey! It is so amazing and inspiring! I did 5 days of strict real food recently but now I’m living a bit more flexibly. I do pretty well though. 80-90 % of what I eat is the real stuff. The change is so amazing. I hope your blog will encourage others to make it as well!
What you and your family are doing is fantastic! My family has done a nutrition overhaul over the last couple of years as well, and oh my goodness is it an experience. A lot of work, but totally worth it knowing that my 3 and 4 yr old boys will have the health that they deserve! Just a comment on the gum…we haven’t chewed gum in a yr (and I love gum), but all the research I’ve done on artificial sweetener makes it just not worth it. The stuff is neurotoxic among other things. Anyway what your doing for your family is great, but I’d skip the gum for health, not for rules
Thanks for inspiring so many to take control of their health!
Thanks for your input…I guess I will have to admit that my husband was right when it comes to the gum issue!
After reading about your time at P.F. Chang’s and all the wonderful things you guys are doing, I was really shocked that you were ok with the gum issue. It’s hard doing what you guys have done and I applaud you. I can understand where you are coming from, but your husband is right on the gum issue. I do understand your side of this though. It’s all a learning curve anyway. After all the major dietary changes I have made in my life, diet Dr. Pepper was the last bad thing I held onto. Do some research on this gum. In the meantime, here are a few things to consider about your gum (according to what I have learned along the way).
I’m sure this goes against your 5 ingredients policy. Do you know what all of these ingredients are anyway?
Digestion starts in the mouth, this means that your body starts breaking down chemicals in your mouth.
Contains artificial flavorings. This should make you run. They don’t have to disclose all the toxins that artificial flavorings contain.
Contains phenylalanine. This interferes with the serotonin and is an excitotoxin. The girls are still ingesting this, even though they don’t swallow the gum. Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring amino acid. The problem here is that the phenylalanine in the gum is manufactured. The packaging of the whole foods version makes it safer for the body to assimilate.
Contains dyes which some studies have linked to behavior problems in children.
Good luck!
Okay so I think everyone will be happy to know that I think I will be trashing the gum!! Very convincing argument
Think about the servers and cooks in the restaurant for a minute!
I certainly would not want to be them. Next time, stay home, or plan on being home for dinner.
Yes, we definitely agreed it was a mistake to go there!
Congrats on this project. You bring up some great points about the food we eat and the difficulty of moving away from processed foods.
would you be willing to share some more of your easy recipes or maybe a list of items you buy and have on hand. I trying to change but not sure where to start. for example do you buy salad dressing or make your own? thanks!
There is a list of meals that link to recipes on the real food resources page http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/ and all of my recipes that I have posted can be found on my other blog http://www.foodillusion.com. I also recently did a post on Food Illusion about what a whole foods pantry might look like. I hope that helps! Oh and to answer your last question we just use oil and balsamic vinegar on salads.
I think your first mistake was thinking that P F Chang’s sounded good. YUK!
As for delicious brown rice, you just have to cook it correctly. Here is my recipe, adapted from Alton Brown’s quick white rice recipe from his beans and rice recipe.
3 cu water
2 cu brown rice (i use medium grain i get for ~$12 for 25lb from costco)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
put the 2 cu of brown rice, salt and oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. constantly stirring it. the idea here is to toast the rice, you will know its good when you smell a strong nutty smell.
while that is toasting, bring the 3 cu of water to a boil. I like to use an electric kettle for this.
About the time the electric kettle brings the water to a boil, your toasted rice will be nice and nutty smelling. Add the water to the rice.
Turn the heat down to low and keep the water at a simmer. Wait about 35minutes.
mmm… yummie brown rice. The olive oil and salt really bring nice flavor. I eat this under some frozen vegetables warmed up with salt and pepper almost every day for lunch. its a super cheap easy healthy lunch.
but… p f chang’s… YUK.
That does sound good and reminds me of a method I have used before to make rice pilaf…I will definitely give this a shot with brown rice too! Thank you for sharing.
It is so wonderful to see you and your family doing this. I follow The Paleo Diet (hunter gatherer) and i understand how difficult it can be to completely change your eating. Your blog is very inspiring. You and your husband are doing yourselves and your children a great favor by making this lifestyle change. Here are two sites that have helped me with my new lifestyle. Perhaps, you might find some helpful nuggets for your journey.
elanaspantry.com – Her site is gluten free and easy to adapt to meet your needs
marksdailyapple.com – His site is primal. This should be close to your needs or can easily be tweaked to meet them.
Good luck and keep up the good work. I hope this opens more eyes to what we are putting in our bodies.
Thanks for your comment…I will definitely check out those sites!
thanks
I read your article in the Observer, and I just wanted to let you (and your readers) know that this does not have to be such an expensive endeavor! Our family has reduced our monthly grocery budget by over $100 since we switched to an exclusively local, whole-foods diet. The key is in using whole ingredients from farmers’ markets rather than buying the “All Natural Organic Etc. Etc.” packaged stuff from upscale health food stores (i.e. Earth Fare), which just isn’t super realistic for most families. I read that you guys actually INCREASED your food spending by nearly $400 a month, and I’d hate for people to take away the message that that’s what it takes to eat healthy, local, whole foods. Try buying your organic beans, grains, etc. in bulk and baking your own bread rather than special-ordering the super-special-whole-wheat-whatever; the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day has great tips for home-baked whole wheat bread that isn’t time consuming at all. And I shop at the Matthews’ farmers’ market too, so I know for a fact that you can get a week’s worth of fabulous groceries there without spending hundreds of dollars!
Sounds like I could learn a lot from you! I have only been doing this since earlier this year and felt it was overwhelming to try to focus on whole/organic foods and still bargain shop at the same time. I hope to get better at doing this on a budget over time (and share tips with others). Would love to hear any other advice you have! Thank you.
my God, i thought you were going to chip in with some decisive insght at the end there, not leave it with ‘we leave it to you to decide’.
Wonderful! It’s was very effective for me. I have used a long time to looking for the best paleo cookbook and now I think I have got something here .BTW, there is another article out there which is also help me much more : http://paleo-cookbooks.learnmoreskills.com. Hopes you will be interested in it too.
Just hopped on over from the Food, Inc. site. You’ve completely piqued my interest, I’m looking forward to spending some time reading more of your past entries.
Blessings!
Susie
Insane answered your question very properly. But since we are the subject, how do all those bugs survive the brutal winters in Chicago. We have days in dead winter that it gets to be 30 below 0
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I realize I’m rather late to the party, but I just discovered your blog. In reading the rules, I realized that I pretty much follow them already, except that I occasionally use sugar (I’ve been doing better about cutting that out this year).
“Fast” Asian food tends to use artificial flavorings instead of good, fresh ingredients to provide umami. justbento.com (and its sister site, justhungry.com) has lots of quick, healthy Japanese-adapted recipes, including how to cook yummy brown rice at home, lots of veggie side dishes, etc. Most of them follow the rules (I tend to reduce the sugar and/or replace with honey for those recipes that call for it). The recipes are adapted to use ingredients that you can find locally (they have shopping guides for different areas, too).
Some of my favorites are easy carrot-sesame salad, tofu teriyaki (adapted from a chicken teriyaki recipe), two-color namasu, spring chive-blossom fried rice, quick pickles, vegetarian shuumai dumplings, spicy lentil snacks, curried kidney beans… I’m not affiliated with the site, but it really helps me eat frugally, quickly, and healthily, while providing a ton of variety and flavor.