Processed Foods

[MamaG]

I'm wondering how expensive it would be to eat "real food" and especially in the winter when everything is sky high that you can find and really nothing is in season.

One other thing I'm thinking about is the time to put into making everything from scratch. The lady in the blog BC sent me says she spends LOTS of time in the kitchen and running a childcare you don't have that time.

Also, they take all their food with them everywhere they go (for social gatherings) but do eat out in restaurants so I'm not sure how that works. Restaurants use tons of processed foods so how would you eat out and call it "real food".

We buy our meat still walking, from local farmers. We package and freeze it after it is butchered by either my grandpa and his friends or another local butcher. We buy organic fresh fruits, flash frozen and fresh veggies (organic preferred), have a garden in the summer, can and freeze our harvest. We actually spend less per person to eat. I stay away from most highly processed sweeteners, foods ready to eat and frozen. We get more from our food this way, needing less IMO. If I eat a hearty fresh stew I'm going to be satisfied as opposed to cardboard box meals cooked in a microwave. I will eat less! You will spend less and feel better. Crave more healthy stuff. Since switching to organic and adding so much more fruits and veggies to our diet I find I crave things that are good for me and almost never drink a soda anymore! I just don't like it. It costs to get started, canning stuff, freezer containers, an extra freezer, juicer, blender, ect but so worth it.

[MamaG]

I spend like all of Saturday or Sunday in the kitchen. It's so tiny we can't stock up on things easily. I spend the day juicing, blending, prepping the meals. I have each ingredient ready to go in my stew pot or crock pot in a ziplock bag. Either in fridge or freezer. Same for lasagna and pasta dishes. I use glass cookware that converts from food storage, to oven, to freezer. No plastic Tupperware. Sauces and juices go into mason jars. One day I have our meals preped for the week, including day care meals.