Trying To Make This Easier
After a friend posted a disgusting picture on facebook of how McDonald's makes chicken nuggets...and it may or may not be a truth...I responded with a video clip I had seen before from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. For some reason I decided to start watching the show that I didn't realize originally was a show and it breaks my heart. I've gotten a few good laughs at some of the responses Mr. Oliver gets from the people in West Virginia where this series is taking place and shake my head at the others but what brings tears to my eyes is that children don't know what vegetables are, how to use utensils, and that they always choose pizza over fresh food every single time.
What has made this diet/exercise thing so difficult for me is not having a great support system. I've never really had much of one but living alone makes it easier to fall back into doing the bad things even though I know how it will all turn out in the end and I'm the only one accountable for myself, it still is super hard when you're the only one telling yourself every day that you have to eat the good stuff. The other hard part is that the one person I spend the largest amount of my time with does not eat healthy 90% of the time but gives me a hard time when I don't. So, I decided it was time to turn the tables on him and we went grocery shopping for his household together yesterday. I explained before we got to the store that I was going to help him pick out healthy ingredients and meals and then help him make good meals out of it because it IS a lot easier than one may realize. He lives alone most weeks as well so it's easier for him to open a can of Chef Boyardee or whip up a quick box of noodles than it is to cook an actual meal. I showed him that it can be just as easy and TONS healthier for him and his 2 kids if he would just take a few extra minutes and prepare a healthy meal.
We made homemade Chicken Fajitas for everyone for dinner and it took a little more time because of prepping the veggies but in about 45 minutes it was all done and ready to be eaten. The hardest part was convincing the two kids who are used to chicken nuggets, ramen noodles, french fries and tater tots that eating a meal with fresh veggies and chicken was good. His daughter had no trouble eating half of hers but she picked out most of the veggies and left them on her plate. His son wouldn't touch the veggies and only ate 4 small cut up pieces of chicken wrapped in 4 small pieces of tortilla. *sigh* This is so heart breaking. It's not as bad as it could be I guess because at least they ask for Apples when they want a snack instead of demanding cookies or junk food of some kind. Nate loved the Fajitas though AND how easy the chicken was to make so I think I made a small impact on him there and I hope that when he cooks dinner tonight he'll go the extra mile and make a decent meal again.
I'm not trying to change the worlds eating habits one family at a time like Mr. Oliver, I'm just trying to change my world's eating habits. I need to have someone else that is on the same mission as me, maybe he doesn't need to lose 40lbs but he does need more energy and getting Nate to eat healthy with me will certainly help give him more energy than he's had in a long time. The true test will be when I'm not around if he's just poppin the top on the can or if he'll actually take the time to whip up a whole tasty meal all by himself. Only time will tell.
What has made this diet/exercise thing so difficult for me is not having a great support system. I've never really had much of one but living alone makes it easier to fall back into doing the bad things even though I know how it will all turn out in the end and I'm the only one accountable for myself, it still is super hard when you're the only one telling yourself every day that you have to eat the good stuff. The other hard part is that the one person I spend the largest amount of my time with does not eat healthy 90% of the time but gives me a hard time when I don't. So, I decided it was time to turn the tables on him and we went grocery shopping for his household together yesterday. I explained before we got to the store that I was going to help him pick out healthy ingredients and meals and then help him make good meals out of it because it IS a lot easier than one may realize. He lives alone most weeks as well so it's easier for him to open a can of Chef Boyardee or whip up a quick box of noodles than it is to cook an actual meal. I showed him that it can be just as easy and TONS healthier for him and his 2 kids if he would just take a few extra minutes and prepare a healthy meal.
We made homemade Chicken Fajitas for everyone for dinner and it took a little more time because of prepping the veggies but in about 45 minutes it was all done and ready to be eaten. The hardest part was convincing the two kids who are used to chicken nuggets, ramen noodles, french fries and tater tots that eating a meal with fresh veggies and chicken was good. His daughter had no trouble eating half of hers but she picked out most of the veggies and left them on her plate. His son wouldn't touch the veggies and only ate 4 small cut up pieces of chicken wrapped in 4 small pieces of tortilla. *sigh* This is so heart breaking. It's not as bad as it could be I guess because at least they ask for Apples when they want a snack instead of demanding cookies or junk food of some kind. Nate loved the Fajitas though AND how easy the chicken was to make so I think I made a small impact on him there and I hope that when he cooks dinner tonight he'll go the extra mile and make a decent meal again.
I'm not trying to change the worlds eating habits one family at a time like Mr. Oliver, I'm just trying to change my world's eating habits. I need to have someone else that is on the same mission as me, maybe he doesn't need to lose 40lbs but he does need more energy and getting Nate to eat healthy with me will certainly help give him more energy than he's had in a long time. The true test will be when I'm not around if he's just poppin the top on the can or if he'll actually take the time to whip up a whole tasty meal all by himself. Only time will tell.
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You go girl! We watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution too. I think it is worth it to point out that many of the chemicals used to process foods become addictive in a way. You almost have to go through a "processed food cleanse" to get them out of your system before you can really appreciate real food. If you really cut out the processed food for quite a while, you can literally have a processed food meal and taste the preservatives and other processed ingredients. I think the biggest challenge is convincing people those food are bad enough to make them want to change. Real food will ALWAYS take more effort and until you believe in the benefits, you won't be willing to make the extra effort (even if it is minimal). Anyway I commend your revolution efforts! Keep working at it. It will definitely give you the motivation to "practice what you preach". Oh and as for getting kids to eat their veggies... a cookie or other desert (as long as those things are limited through the day otherwise) always works with my kids. Novan might gag his way through his peas but he'll eat them dangit! Just to get that one cookie!
Thanks Rachel! I'm actually doing pretty well I haven't had processed food in 2 weeks! YAY! My body however is still struggling to adjust to eating differently. Also, I think the hard part with these two is going to be that they're not eating healthy all the time and their mom gives them pretty much whatever they ask for. That ends up frustrating Nate and he doesn't see the point of them eating healthy 4 days out of the entire month...I however keep trying to help him understand that as long as he lays the ground work AND sets the example it'll be good for them because then they'll start ASKING for healthy food no matter whose house they're at
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