Three notes before I begin:
1. I'm not perfect at eating clean all the time. I have my splurge items. And…confession: I like that.
2. I am not an expert on this subject in any means. I am learning all about this as I go. I have learned almost all of this information from my friend/nutritionist/personal trainer, Stephanie. If you want expert advice, I can put you in contact with her. She's lovely :)
And the most important one in my book…
3. This is a lifestyle. Not a diet. I have never once used the word "diet" to describe how I eat. I think one of the biggest reasons eating healthy has gone great in our family is because it's just natural…normal. When you think of it as a lifestyle and not a diet - I think you find freedom.
One of my top questions I get asked: "So, what do you eat?"
Quick response: "Um, food."
Seriously.
Almost sounds sarcastic. I don't mean it to sound that way at all. Sometimes I just don't know what to say when someone asks me. And honestly, I don't know if that person really wants to hear about it all or just wants a quick answer.
I eat whole foods. Basically, foods that don't have a label with a list of ingredients. Most foods that have a label on the package are considered processed and have more than one ingredient - and therefore aren't whole foods. Whole foods are fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, low fat dairy products and grass fed & free range meats.
What do I avoid? Processed foods and refined sugars. From what I stated above about processed foods - that they have more than one ingredient on the label - most processed foods you will find in the middle aisles of your grocery store. They are boxed, pre made, prepackaged, and freezer items - all things you can cook up "quickly". (I put "quickly" in quotes because I have found it just as fast to cook up whole foods for dinner.) Refined sugars are things like high fructose corn syrup (soda), sugar that you would use in baking or in your coffee, and brown sugar.
Eating this way has taken time.
A lot of time.
I didn't just give up ketchup over night. (Yes, you read that right: ketchup. I can't find any here that are even remotely healthy. Maybe Stateside they have some? No idea. But, really, I don't miss it. Give me some whole grain mustard any day now and I am a happy camper.)
One of the ways that I knew that I legitimately crave healthy food for me was this past Thanksgiving. I have had a box of Stovetop stuffing that was sent to us before I completely switched over to eating clean in my pantry. This is a BIG DEAL folks. We can't buy that stuff here. It's pretty much considered sacred among ex-pats. It's one of my favorite things to look forward to at Thanksgiving…and I didn't make it. Instead, I planned a clean Thanksgiving meal for my family and it was even more delicious than that box of stuffing.
I was proud.
So, what do I eat?
Yummy foods.
I have been thinking about what I want for this blog. And one weekly post I would like to include is a day of sharing a meal/recipe that our family loves or one that we're going to try out. I think that might be the best way to share "what do I eat". I'll try to take pictures too.
And to get that started…here's what we had the other night:
Aren't all the colors so pretty? I love that.
Veggie fried rice. I love veggie fried quinoa but I haven't found quinoa lately at the store when I've looked (this is another hard part of living overseas - sometimes the store has it and other times they are out).
Basically, just toss in a skillet all the veggies you want. I think I did broccoli, peppers, onion, carrots. I scrambled up some egg whites and tossed it together with some brown rice and a bit of soy sauce.
Delicious.
There are many parts to this subject of "so, what do you eat?". Too much for one post. I'd love to share about how planning and prepping meals for the week is essential, how drinking water is key, how to shop in the grocery store, what it's like to shop in another country, what my splurges look like, how I eat out in a restaurant, and how to get your kids to eat healthy.
But, that will have to be for another time.
Happy Sunday, friends.
1. I'm not perfect at eating clean all the time. I have my splurge items. And…confession: I like that.
2. I am not an expert on this subject in any means. I am learning all about this as I go. I have learned almost all of this information from my friend/nutritionist/personal trainer, Stephanie. If you want expert advice, I can put you in contact with her. She's lovely :)
And the most important one in my book…
3. This is a lifestyle. Not a diet. I have never once used the word "diet" to describe how I eat. I think one of the biggest reasons eating healthy has gone great in our family is because it's just natural…normal. When you think of it as a lifestyle and not a diet - I think you find freedom.
One of my top questions I get asked: "So, what do you eat?"
Quick response: "Um, food."
Seriously.
Almost sounds sarcastic. I don't mean it to sound that way at all. Sometimes I just don't know what to say when someone asks me. And honestly, I don't know if that person really wants to hear about it all or just wants a quick answer.
I eat whole foods. Basically, foods that don't have a label with a list of ingredients. Most foods that have a label on the package are considered processed and have more than one ingredient - and therefore aren't whole foods. Whole foods are fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, low fat dairy products and grass fed & free range meats.
What do I avoid? Processed foods and refined sugars. From what I stated above about processed foods - that they have more than one ingredient on the label - most processed foods you will find in the middle aisles of your grocery store. They are boxed, pre made, prepackaged, and freezer items - all things you can cook up "quickly". (I put "quickly" in quotes because I have found it just as fast to cook up whole foods for dinner.) Refined sugars are things like high fructose corn syrup (soda), sugar that you would use in baking or in your coffee, and brown sugar.
Eating this way has taken time.
A lot of time.
I didn't just give up ketchup over night. (Yes, you read that right: ketchup. I can't find any here that are even remotely healthy. Maybe Stateside they have some? No idea. But, really, I don't miss it. Give me some whole grain mustard any day now and I am a happy camper.)
One of the ways that I knew that I legitimately crave healthy food for me was this past Thanksgiving. I have had a box of Stovetop stuffing that was sent to us before I completely switched over to eating clean in my pantry. This is a BIG DEAL folks. We can't buy that stuff here. It's pretty much considered sacred among ex-pats. It's one of my favorite things to look forward to at Thanksgiving…and I didn't make it. Instead, I planned a clean Thanksgiving meal for my family and it was even more delicious than that box of stuffing.
I was proud.
So, what do I eat?
Yummy foods.
I have been thinking about what I want for this blog. And one weekly post I would like to include is a day of sharing a meal/recipe that our family loves or one that we're going to try out. I think that might be the best way to share "what do I eat". I'll try to take pictures too.
And to get that started…here's what we had the other night:
Veggie fried rice. I love veggie fried quinoa but I haven't found quinoa lately at the store when I've looked (this is another hard part of living overseas - sometimes the store has it and other times they are out).
Basically, just toss in a skillet all the veggies you want. I think I did broccoli, peppers, onion, carrots. I scrambled up some egg whites and tossed it together with some brown rice and a bit of soy sauce.
Delicious.
There are many parts to this subject of "so, what do you eat?". Too much for one post. I'd love to share about how planning and prepping meals for the week is essential, how drinking water is key, how to shop in the grocery store, what it's like to shop in another country, what my splurges look like, how I eat out in a restaurant, and how to get your kids to eat healthy.
But, that will have to be for another time.
Happy Sunday, friends.
SOOOOOO excited to have found your blog!!! And I can not WAIT to read all your weekly meal ideas (and totally copy them for my family <3)
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