1 or 2 Healthful Changes to Your Diet

[digitS']

Has there been 1 or 2 changes to your diet over the years that you believe have been positive and healthful?

For me, #1 has to be the stir-fry. I remember my grandmother serving "wilted lettuce" and I thought - wow! This vegetable is great! Years later, my 1st wife's grandmother served the same ~ essentially a stir-fried leaf lettuce ~ and, that was my reaction again!

The Chinese restaurant was the place for us to "go out to eat" when I was a kid. Still, I couldn't quite put all this together to begin my "career as a stir-fry guy" until I had a large garden and was trying to find uses for what I could grow.

A 2nd change that I made just a few years ago was to have 3 servings of fruit every morning with breakfast. I mean, "a serving" isn't all that much food but if you eat 3 of them . . . there isn't much room for the breakfast cereal! Not that breakfast cereal needs to be something unhealthful but - you know what I mean . Just a large orange and large banana will "do it" but I am also someone who enjoys dried fruit. (Recently discovered these new raisin combo's, for example .) I haven't quite gotten into my summer fruit mode but just bought my 1st melon of the year! Anyway, Fruit Loops are OUT and I feel better about my diet!

Steve

 

[baymule]

Just growing a garden again after years away from the dirt was a very positive diet change. But even before that, I bought vegetables and canned or froze them. Finding and trying different varieties is the 2nd positive change. it is fun to grow purple cauliflower and then make up recipes to use it. This will be my second year to dehydrate and I am looking forward to it. So there is yet another change. Last year I bought a mill to make my own flour. Bought wheat and now make my own flour. Brownies made with whole wheat IS a health food!

 

[digitS']

Whole Wheat Brownies a health food??

I think so!

Yes, gardening itself must be the single best driver towards a more healthful diet for many, many people!

Steve

 

[baymule]

Not to mention the exercise it gives you!

 

[majorcatfish]

Whole Wheat Brownies a health food??

Steve

as long as they are made with carob chips....

 

[Smart Red]

Lots of grilling, lots of home-made soups, portion sizing, and more frozen veggies and fruit instead of canned. Yes, that's more than 2 or 3.

 

[baymule]

Whole Wheat Brownies a health food??

Steve

as long as they are made with carob chips....

Chocolate is a health food.........cocoa BEANS!! DUH!! Sounds like a vegetable to me!

 

[bj taylor]

never drink soft drinks anymore. no rice/pasta/potatoes/bread anymore. the hardest one of all is cutting pastry from breakfast - breakfast is supposed to be a slice of pie, a muffin, or some sweet bread with strong coffee, I still indulge in my breakfast passion on the weekends.

I am learning about using buckwheat flour or oat flour or almond flour to bake something. I just made a new recipe today simply called "baked oatmeal". for the sugar, I substituted black strap molasses - not bad.

 

[canesisters]

Totally subscribing to this thread as this is something I've been struggeling with.
Why do they make the junk that takes tons of processing to make so cheap and the stuff that simply has to be grown so expensive? Well, as I've been doing soil prep, seed starting, weeding & bug patrole and now waiting for flower/fruit/harvest - I'm getting my answer to that question. They can fill a store with box after box of fake food in the time it takes to start and harvest one tomato plant.
I'm grateful to everyone here on TEG for all the wonderful information and patient advise. In the past year I've discovered grains that I'd never even heard of and developed a taste for salads as a meal instad of a garnish. Even started picking 'weeds' to make jelly with!

 

[digitS']

Our wheat moves around by train cars. I know that is true with the nation's corn and other commodity crops.

Nationally, we have made a serious commitment to these crops. They are backed by programs that allow farmers to invest large amounts of money and resources in them, without a huge amount of risk.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable. They are difficult to harvest, package and ship without damage. Usually, they must be kept in cold storage. Truck farmers take serious risks and are often unwilling to do that without contracting for the crop before a seed ever goes in the soil. The food industry has control and by that I mean, your local supermarket chain. The crop may be grown in California and shipped to Wisconsin but it has all been prearranged. With all that accounting going into it, darn right they intend to make some money! Top drawer executives who have never had dirt under their fingernails and think exercise is something that happens at the gym - their lives depend on that profit!

We aren't entirely dependent on them, however. Much of modern housing has been developed in suburban settings and a 10,000 square foot yard can grow a lot of healthful food with a little thought and effort. Some countries have a history of and requirements for "allotments." Public land that is allotted to nearby residents for their gardens. Community organizations are putting together community gardens everywhere! (I like your new avatar, Cane' . "Garden On!")

Steve