Little by Little

So, I have continued to research the whole foods, and all the things that go with it idea. It's a lot to take in. I have talked to Shane about doing this before, like when my sister decided to go sugar-free, but it's a big change, and I completely understand that.

It didn't help when my sister told me that her food budget had gone from $300 a month to $500-$700 a month. In perspective though, she has five kids and a husband, so of course their food budget would be more. Also, she was changing her foods. It's going to be more expensive when you are starting over.

I remember when we were first married and I was trying to get staple items into my pantry so I actually had things to make. It was expensive! Well, what I considered expensive. I had been living mostly on my own for two years, and then I got married and I was spending $50 at the grocery store. For me that was outrageous. Now I laugh to think about it.

I decided that eating healthier more whole foods, is what we are going to do, but we are going to do it on a budget. I will get the best we can, but will stay in line with what we can afford and not beat myself up over it.

My hope is that eventually our staple items will be whole food staples, instead of what we have right now.

So, I started a list, and then I started researching recipes and things that people use to replace processed items. I know I will need to replace one staple to our diet that is quite bad. I know it's bad. It's terrible, and it is used in so many of my recipes. Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken soup. I know they are awful. Aside from being one of the most processed things you can imagine, they have horrible things in them. MSG is evil, and it's in there. So, I know I need to find an alternative for that, but I also know, that the alternative exists, and that it will taste good.

As I find recipes to try I am going to put them in a binder and create my own "Healthy" cookbook, just for me. :) I try to find things that our family will actually eat.

I am sure that eventually as we begin this journey, I will explore different things like going gluten free for a while just to see if any of us are sensitive to it, and taking sugar out of my diet. I know it is something I am addicted to. Most of us are. I also know that I can get by without it. I've done it before, I know I can do it again.

That's down the road a ways though.