By blog team member, Kiran.To learn more about Kiran, check out our team page or her blog!
I've never been a resolution person, but I do think there is value in self-assessment and realizing both the positives you've accomplished and areas that need improvement. Notice I didn't say negatives. Last year I wrote about my family's quest to cut out processed foods. And though I feared daggers would be sent through my computer, the exact opposite happened. What I learned is that, as in my case, making this change is not an overnight thing for most. It takes time, and it may mean sometimes taking two steps forward and one step back. Maybe even a few times.
With that being said, I want to share some of the changes we've encountered, and also where my family still needs improvement. I don't know that we'll ever be 100% (my guess is we're now about 90% of the way there), but I do know that we've made progress since last year. And I'd love to share some our recent accomplishments.
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Positive changes we've made...
- Incorporating not just one, but at least two fruits and/or vegetables at every meal
This is a pretty big one for us. While my plate is almost always full with vegetables, I encourage my kids to add a little bit more at every single meal. I make sides to include ample choices to make this easier. - Baking even more
My youngest children (ages 3 and 6) absolutely love cooking with me, and I love the bonding time. Plus it's a win-win since I can pack many of our creations in their lunches. So it has been fun to take time out for this one! - Snack time changes
I actually see two sides here. I would forever let my kids choose their own snacks after school. They would get these little stainless bowls and head to the pantry to make a selection. This (school) year, I decided that we'd all have the same thing. And that would include a piece of fruit along with it, as opposed to just a bowl of pretzels, etc. I mentioned seeing two sides: I value letting them make their own selection, so I hate to take that away. But I also value guidance, and thus, many snacks will now include maybe one of the items that we baked (muffins, etc.) along with fruit. Or popcorn and carrots + hummus. I often let them help choose what they want for us all to have for snack in trying to get the best of both worlds. - Upped our organics
Last year I was opting for organics. Now I've made it a priority. On a very rare occasion I'll buy conventional, only if I absolutely need it and organic is not available. In this case I'll follow the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen charts. - Go for green
This has never been an issue for me; I'm one of those who could eat spinach/kale/etc. salads for every meal. But for my kids, having it appear on their plate or in their lunchbox multiple times a week has been a positive change I'm proud of. I've also added in the occasional green smoothie, which has gone over pretty well for the kids, and great for me.
So I'm not sure if I was truly honest in my story last year ...I think I was actually addicted to sugar. Yes, an addict. And after seeing Fed Up, I knew I needed to make a change. I walked out of the movie knowing it wouldn't be easy, but I'm so proud to say I'm in SUCH a better place now. I do have an occasional piece of dark chocolate or a few dark chocolate-covered almonds, but the best news is that I don't crave it anymore. If I'm assessing positives, I really have to say this was a huge hurdle for me.
And now for the areas that still need work.
Still a work in progress...
- Pitching the processed peanut butter
That sneaky JIF Natural seems to be my forever obstacle. I've purchased numerous organic peanut butters, almond butters, etc. but my husband and kids simply prefer this one. Not to mention that at the rate we go through it, I'd need a second job just to pay for the little bottles they come in. I'm afraid this one is not going away soon, but I will keep trying.
- Going big at home
With a large family, I can't seem to keep leftovers on hand. I am good about doubling recipes for muffins, breads, pizza dough and such, but I don't often double entrees/meals, which I know can be such a lifesaver. The freezer can be a great friend in times of need, and I need to get better in this area. - Banning the bars
I know there are good choices out there. Two of my four like LARABARS, and the same two like Simple Squares and Raw Crunch Bars - I like all three. But the older ones love an occasional Clif Bar and I have been known to have a Think Thin here or there - please don't throw those daggers. I know, I know, it's so far from real food, but like I said - we are crawling along in this department.
Trust me, I've tried making granola. I've tried numerous recipes. My kids just don't like it. So instead, I try to get cereals with the least/best ingredients. So be it.
One of the biggest challenges for many of us is that this is now a group effort ... so no matter how badly you want this to happen, you really need other members of your household to "buy in," so to speak, right? I've had a few other really cool things happen in our family that I need to acknowledge this year.
Unexpected changes ...but I'll take them!
- My kids selectively choosing to throw out a juice box/fruit snacks they got in goody bags because of their ingredients. Hallelujah!!!
- My kids also choosing to throw out candy from parties and Halloween that contained food dyes. It's true - keep saying it over and over. They actually do listen!!
- My husband shopping for organics. Now this just melts my heart. I was away twice last year without the family. Both times he grocery shopped at Earth Fare (in lieu of the numerous other closer stores) and purchased organic produce. This made my day!
- My whole family attending the movie Fed Up with me, and also watching GMO OMG with me. Without any whining, and actually learning from the films.
Wherever you are in the process, I promise every step counts. I encourage you to take stock of the changes you've made over time. Look back to where you were and how far you have come. Last year I had someone comment that she was only 10% of the way there ... but you know what, you have to start somewhere. I'd love to hear about the changes that you've made and ones that you aim to make, too.>
Leila says
Coscto natural peanut butter is really good. I used Smucker's before that. It isn't as smooth as the regular stuff, but it has an amazing peanut flavor.
Alison says
Congratulations on your big year! It sounds like your family accomplished quite a lot! When you were talking about having 2 fruits and vegetables at every meal, I'd love some ideas of how you incorporate veggies into breakfast during the week. I get the whole smoothie with greens in it, or eggs with veggies, but what do you guys do mid-week?
Kim says
Make your own PB! Best investment we ever made was a Vitamix. Easy and you can make endless variations of nut butters to satisfy your family's palates.
Sarah says
I really appreciate the reality in this post! Reading the book right now but it is hard, change is hard! I feel more inspired by your post and the comments it created! Thanks!
Amber says
I am coming around to planning our snacks too. It actually saves a lot of money because instead of having to have multiple boxes of crackers or granola bars around for the kids to choose from I simply have to have that particular item that I planned for. Love the progress over perfection mindset!
Alana says
I loved and really appreciated this post, as Toni said above, this "this post hit home" with me too. We are working on this too and I can say we are making strides like Kiran but with all honesty it is not easy by any stretch.
Sherryl says
Another peanut butter tip - not sure if you have BJs in your area (or if you shop there), but they have an organic PB that is $5.99. It's definitely not completely silky the way Jif is, and I do find that it can be dried out towards the bottom of the jar if you don't stir it with each use - but I love it.
The brand is Earth's Pride (not sure if that is specific to BJs or not). It has organic dry roasted peanuts and sea salt.
Toni says
Wow! This post hit home. We are making an effort to cut out processed foods and we some of our main struggles are with cereal and sugar and JIF natural :) Thank you so much for your honesty and sharing your experiences!
Vanessa Williams says
It has been a year of changes for us and we went slowly but are doing great now. There is still room for improvement. I wanted to share a few things you wrote about.
1. We also use a lot of peanut butter. I shop at Bj's Wholesale and they carry Smucker's Natural. It is made with only peanuts and we love it. While I also try to go all organic and my kids will eat it, it is just too much for our budget. I found this as a good middle ground.
2. I buy puffed wheat or rice, which is the only ingredient. It took some time, but my girls have now adjusted to it. At first I gave them chocolate almond milk with it to give them some sugar. Now they like it plain or with almond milk.
3. We make our own granola bars, which are very easy no bake and tasty. I cut them and put in snack bags for easy travel. This is where creativity come in. We make different ones each week just doing different nuts or by adding in extras. I have used Lara Bars as inspiration.
Recipe
1 cup nuts or seeds
1 cup dried fruit (our go to is raisins since it doesn't have sugar)
1 cup dates (If dry, soak in water for 10 minutes then drain)
Optional - add 1/2 cup anything else (coconut, chia seeds, chocolate, etc.)
Food process/ press into any baking dish/ Add spices on top if wanted/ refrigerate to set/ cut up
You want the mixture to be sticky. If it is not binding, then add extra dates or some coconut oil. There is no wrong way. We have had times when it crumbles into a granola instead of staying as a bar and then we add it to yogurt or ricotta cheese.
I hope this helps.
Any little change we make for a family is a step in the right direction.
Jessica says
My peanut butter tip is to buy Smucker's Natural. It only has peanuts & salt in the ingredient list. It isn't organic, but neither does it have all the bad ingredients in it. It is the one that helped my family transition away from regular peanut butter because it does taste good. Now, everyone likes it. You can get a 26 oz. jar for $4 or $5 and it lasts awhile for our family of six.
Andrea says
I think this is a wonderful blog post and gives me hope. I am probably at about 65% of the way with my family and your attitude reminds me celebrate how far we've come and not worry about how far we still have to go. Thank you for the inspiration to continue to make small changes. Ironically PB is the one thing that is not hard for us - the kids love watching the peanuts grind into butter in the machine and jockey over who gets to press the button! Sugar is still my biggest hurdle for all of us. I welcome your tips. Thank you!
Heather says
This is such an encouraging post! Sometimes I get down and want to give up because I'm dragging my family kicking and screaming into healthier eating. But it's worth it, and I won't give up.
Kiran Dodeja Smith says
Thanks so much, Heather (and everyone else)!
I've been there, too. The fact that you are trying is the first step. Everything else comes after. Don't give up! Little changes add up.
Tina Shoemake says
Articles like this are so inspiring to me! We are a large family, and it is not always easy to switch everyone's diet over to real food and stay within the budget of a single-income family. I appreciate that the struggle is understood. I can't MAKE my husband and older children comply overnight. I don't want to be the house dictator. My kids and husband have come a long way, and I am hopeful that we will be, at least, at 85% real food soon:) Thank you!
Denise says
I am picky about peanut butter too. I really like Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter. But it has to be Valencia and they don't always have it in stock. Very inspired by you and your family!
Anna says
My husband grew up on Jif and loved it! I actually didn't like peanut butter so switching to natural wasn't a big deal. My husband wasn't a fan, but since I primarily do the grocery shopping he made do. Now we do not buy organic, but we do but Smuckers that only has nuts. My kids friends have had ours and they always comment how my peanut butter is the best. Guess that Jif isn't as ingrained in their taste buds yet. :-)
Megan says
I buy Trader Joe's or Whole Food (365 brand) peanut butter. I think they both taste great and are a little more budget friendly.
Leighann says
We are probably 75% at best because we still eat out on a regular basis, but I did have an AHA moment in January. My daughter was turning 9 and having her first sleepover. She wanted to serve "Mommy's Taco Bar" for dinner and for us to make the cupcakes! She was so excited to see Lisa's daughter had a taco bar for her 9th birthday too :) And we spent 30 mins trying to find cupcake toppings at a conventional store, but to her dismay NONE of them were wax-free (ew!) or dye free. The helpful worker at EarthFare suggested mashing up berries, "healthier" oreos, etc, and the girls ALL loved decorating themselves. My kids still eat junk/candy when it's available, but this felt like a big victory that she was choosing it...and to share it with her friends!
Geneva says
I was also a PB addict, until I tried cashew butter. I think it tastes so much better and haven't bought any PB for about 2 years now. My boyfriend is very reluctant to try just about anything, but after years of telling him how much better cashew butter tastes he tried it and became hooked. I purchase cashew meal, which is just ground cashews and looks like flour, add it to the food processor and blend until it's a smooth and creamy butter. At first I would add 1-2 tablespoons of honey per 16oz bag of cashew meal, but I slowly reduced that to none at all and it still tastes just as good. I buy the cashew meal at trader joes for around $5 a bag and it makes fills a pint size mason jar. I have seen half pint jars of cashew butter is stores for $9+
Sherry says
Kudos to you for showing both what works and what doesn't for your family. We have a serious issue with getting cereal out of the house, I too have tried other options, but it is just tough. I just try to make the best of what is available.
One of the biggest things that has worked for me with the peanut butter was making my own. It is so easy and my kids eat peanut butter literally every day!
My tip is to buy the Trader Joe's lightly salted peanuts. I put two bags into my food processor, turn it on and walk away for about 5 minutes. I have found that these peanuts are not too oily. Two bags usually makes just around 2 pints of peanut butter. I do not store it in the fridge. This has been one of my few successes! Hope this helps someone!
Jennifer says
Thanks for the tip on homeade peanut butter. I feel like I've tried every healthy just peanut brand and my kids won't eat it. I'm inspired to try your tip. Thanks.
Raquel @ Good Bad Food says
Just curious what kind of food processor you have? Last time I tried making homemade nut butter it took forever and required lots of extra oil and still never quite seemed right, but at the time I was using a cheap Black and Decker food processor, and I haven't tried nut butters again since I upgraded to Cusinart.
Sherry says
I have both a Cuisinart (very basic, about 15 years old, only option is on/pulse, basic top) as well as a Ninja (the one that comes with blender, processor and individual cups). Both do fairly well with the peanuts I get. I think the peanuts/source have a lot to do with the consistency you get. As I mentioned, I use the TJ lightly salted peanuts... the others really did get pretty oily. I have never had to add extra oil. letting it go for about 5-10 minutes allows it to produce its oils naturally. Hope this helps!!
Raquel @ Good Bad Food says
Thanks, that does help! That makes a lot of sense that it's the nuts/peanuts rather than the processor that makes the most difference. I haven't actually tried it with any peanuts yet, so maybe that was my main problem.
Jennifer says
I'm lucky to have a Winco nearby and they offer fresh made almond and peanut butter with no additivies. You can actually see the nuts at the top of the machine.
I actually tried regular peanut butter (Peter Pan, I think) the other day and I now prefer the almond butter. who knew!!!
Catrina Frey says
I, too, and having problems with cereals. I think they are starting to get it, b/c they asked if a milkshake had lots of sugar in it, to which I said YES! (they have always loved McDonald's milkshakes, its the only thing we buy from there but I am trying to make them understand if I made one it would be soo much healthier!) One big think that I am proud of personally is giving up soda. I LOVED soda...especially fountain soda. But once I started cutting down my sugar intake I found that drinking it just didn't make me feel good. So I have been soda free for a while now!
breck says
I have found dozens of recipes on Pinterest for homemade cereal...Golden Grahams, Cocoa Puffs, you name it....AND- they are all made with natural, real ingredients!!
Andrea says
I've been making my own peanut butter lately. I haven't quite perfected the recipe, but I'm getting there. I start with plain, unsalted peanuts, and I'm experimenting with different amounts of salt, oil, and honey. My daughter didn't like the last batch (I didn't love it, either!), but I'm lucky that she's still young enough to usually eat what I put in front of her without questioning me!
Monica says
Thank you, Just what I needed to hear today! I am really trying to make changes for our family and it's been fairly easy for my husband and I, but the kids (age 11 and 7) it has been a different story.My 8 year old is a VERY picky eater even with processed food and junk and only eats a few things and not much of it. He has Asmtha is very small and I am trying to move to all real food but at the same time he has to eat something (he will refuse food and go to bed hungry if it's something he does not like and do that days in a row)! Anyway, I am making little changes and just keep trying!
Katie says
Bravo, Kiran! All of those changes that you and your fam have made, or are in the process of making, are so so important. Cutting back sugar is especially tough.
Hickory Nut says
What box cereals do you use? And what are your guidelines on how you choose what is a good one? I'm very new to this journey, but boxed cereals has been one of my challenges.
Amanda says
We also hit the 80-90% range for real unprocessed!!! It is good to remember you're doing your best and to celebrate the little accomplishments. The few things I am.still stuck on is store bought pasta vs homemade however we buy whole wheat so I consider that slightly better than white! :) our big accomplishment has been switching to homemade granola cereal and plain yogurt with natural sweetener!!! I think not baking with white sugar is our next goal, or at least cutting back on it.
Raquel @ Good Bad Food says
I've switched completely over to organic evaporated cane juice instead of white sugar. I try to use turbinado or honey for a sweetener most of the time, but this way when I need to fall back on something more like white sugar (for making kombucha, or birthdays, or just to make my husband happy) I'm at least using something organic and *slightly* less processed. Maybe that would make a good transitional step for you too?
Cristina says
Amen to peanut butter! I stopped beating myself up about it. While I don't mind natural peanut butter (with only peanuts) the spread factor annoys me and it just doesn't taste as good nor does it offer the rewarding feeling a good old bite of processed pb does! I figure I balance it out with other things I am willing to do (homemade tortillas etc) and in the grand scheme, I'm not too bad!
Raquel @ Good Bad Food says
Yep! I buy the Aldi natural peanut butter (pretty similar to the JIF natural I think--the Aldi brand skips corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, but does have palm oil, evaporated cane juice, molasses and salt). My husband much prefers the creamy, spreadable texture to any completely natural peanut butter, and I'd rather make him happy and have a mostly real food diet and than eat 100% real food and cause stress for both of us. :-)
Barbara says
Can you share some of the recipes for the things you like to bake with your kids? I am having a heart time finding recipes for whole grain, naturally sweetened (honey, maple syrup) baked goods and homemade snacks that my family likes.
Cortney says
I understand the JIF Dilemma. It is the peanut butter a lot of us were raised on, and nothing tastes quite like it.
I was able to switch to a natural organic peanut butter over time. I didn't like it at first, but I refused to throw away $7 so, I made myself eat it. Once the jar was empty, I went straight back to JIF but realized that I didn't have the "taste" for it any longer. I preferred the natural.
I think you are doing amazing!
Mandy Scherer says
Our local co-op has a grinder to make fresh peanut butter in store, and it is SO GOOD. Reasonably priced too. Our Kroger grocery has one in the bulk food section, but theirs tastes terrible, must be the source of peanuts? If you can find a store that does this I highly recommend giving it a try. I hate peanut butter except the fresh ground is delicious. Bonus is that it is easy to spread, doesn't get hard or oily, and only has one ingredient!
Christina says
So good to see a balanced approach! It's a little-by-little change when you're feeding a whole family. On the peanut butter thing - I find adding a little sea salt to the jar makes it taste just right to us. The best prices I have found have been at local independent bulk stores. I just buy the 100% plain peanut butter, shake in some sea salt (less than a tsp) and mix it up and everyone is happy.
Meghan says
I buy smucker's naturals- peanuts and <1% salt.
Kari says
We love Smucker's Natural - can't beat that ingredient list1
Michelle says
It's nice to see that other people take small steps forward and back. Out of the 14 week mini pledges I was thinking there's no way I could only do meat 3-4 times per week but I have cut the portion and try to have once a day. Also I thought the no sweetener would be impossible but dates, apples and bananas really help. In moderation of course. Unfortunately organic food is really difficult to find where I live, remote lake community in canada so I'm working on this one. First step was buying a freezer. Not sure how successful gardening will be since I live in the bush and the light is tricky.
Lisa says
So glad the mini-pledges have been helping! :)
Danielle says
Have you tried the trader joes natural peanut butter? I can sometimes pass this one off on my boys. I have never been able to pass off the publix's natural fresh ground peanut butter. Although that is the brand my husband and I eat.
Karen says
Thank you Kiran and Lisa for the honesty! Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by what I am not doing, I lose track of how far we have come. This helped. We are probably between 40 and 50%. Some weeks are better thank others! We also had a huge moment this week. A few weeks ago I taught my husband how to read the label on bread after he brought home the split top butter wheat bread, yet again. Last night, he went to the store and proudly brought home his whole grain, whole wheat choice. While not exactly there yet, it was so much better than what he was bringing home last week!
I guess all that to say, I won't let myself get bogged down in what I am not doing and be happy with where we have come from! Then continue taking little steps.
Raquel @ Good Bad Food says
Would it be easier to move away from cold cereal entirely than to try to find a real food version that your kids like?
I totally understand if cereal is just a necessary part of your routine! :-) Everyone just has different preferences and things that are harder for them to change than others.
But you could try making one of real food breakfast cookie recipes that's out there, or refrigerator oatmeal, or something like that. It would require prep work ahead of time, but it would be just as fast to get on the table in the morning as a box of cereal would be.
Lisa says
That's a good suggestion Raquel! :)
Alix says
That's a great idea! I received a Weelicious cookbook for my birthday last year, and there are some great breakfast cookie/pancake sandwich type recipes in there (and I know she freezes and reheats a lot of that stuff, so she isn't making things fresh every day).
Tonia says
My fiancé and I use whole foods brand organic peanut butter. He likes it which amazes me and we are college students with a very small budget and we make it work!
Nicole says
LOVED the post, Kiran! I so enjoy hearing about other people's real food journeys and especially how they achieve balance in their lives. Its so nice to hear about what works for your family, keep us updated!
Tina says
For peanut butter, you could try ordering Peanut Butter & Co. off Amazon. With subscribe and save, it is pretty reasonable, and honestly, it's very tasty. I almost guarantee your kids will like it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GQ3E28/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003WE8OXQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0K51E55SE278C7D0RPWF
Lisa says
I just checked out this link and FYI - I'm honestly not sure it's any different/better than JIF Natural since it has sugar (cane syrup), oil and salt in it. Ideally peanut butter will be made with only 1-ingredient - peanuts. But I agree the consistency isn't quite like what we're used to, which is the real challenge with going that route!