Real Fresh Food

If you read my post on farmed vs. wild salmon, you know I've been thinking more about food. I'm now reading In Defense of Food, and I'm getting a whole new perspective on how to think about eating. I have been doing what many of us "western" eaters do, focusing on the nutrient parts (carbs, sugars, protein) rather than the whole, not focusing on the chemicals in processed foods I'm eating, and being a slave to the latest nutritional fads.

Fresh veggies in the crock pot....

My diet has been what I'll call moderately healthy but I'm realizing how much I can improve.

Here's what I'd like to eat more of:
Real Fresh Food
Fruits + Vegetables
Homemade sauces/seasoning
Beans, grains, nuts
Locally or sustainably grown everything
Fish

Eliminating these! Yikes.

What I'm going to try to eliminate and cut down on:
Meats (Beef, chicken)
High sodium soups
Frozen pizza's or meal
Pre Packaged sauces
Canned or frozen vegetables
Anything that isn't sustainably produced (ie. farmed salmon)
Splenda/Any synthetic sweetener
Margarine
Breakfast sandwiches from Wawa

The main element of my diet that I'm trying to correct is too much meat, and relying on processed and science-y foods. I've always liked to have a complete frozen meal in the freezer, for those nights when I can't even think about turning the stove on. These are chemically engineered food stuffs that are manufactured not with a goal of being healthy, but to be produced as cheaply as possible, to last longer on the grocery store shelf and to turn a profit for the manufacturer. 

So my husband and I have been filling our grocery cart with mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, and making meals of just these ingredients. We added in some beans, (lentils, kidney, black) and healthy whole grains like quinoa.

Here are some basic goals:

•  I want to eat things that are fresh and from the earth.
• To cut down the process between when it's grown/born to when I eat it. 
• Take less shortcuts.