I know for many families, it’s a struggle both budgeting and planning to get healthy meals on the table.

Growing up, my mother loathed cooking and it showed.

I ate canned vegetables boiled to oblivion, overcooked unseasoned meats, Sunbeam white bread, margarine, sugary cereals, soda, sweet caffeinated tea. My parents forced me to drink 2% milk every night – in spite of my hatred of it and that it gave me horrible digestive troubles.

Dinnertime was often a battle on all fronts. I remember many times I stayed at our kitchen table for hours, staring at a plate of food slowly congealing and mixing with my tears.

I had at least weekly migraines and developed disordered eating that I still struggle to overcome.

I’ve certainly evolved a lot as a parent in many ways and very much with my relationship with food.

When I was a single mom, I got Angel Food boxes from a local church and they were a big help. I shopped at international grocery stores and discount shops and bakery outlets for cheaper cuts of meat or older items.

After I remarried, we were excited to receive charity hams and turkeys from church or the USO during holidays.

For many years, I struggled to plan and prep meals, clipping coupons and going to various stores for the best deals to feed our family of six as best I could. I still use savings apps like these.

There is no shame in any of that.

Decades ago, I listened to another military spouse sheepishly brag that she finally didn’t have to look at prices at the store after her husband made rank. I guess that’s a noble goal, to be able to purchase grocery needs and wants without regard to price or having a calculator in hand. I longed for that day.

And now, we are blessed with a larger food budget.

So, also over the years, I’ve fluctuated with quality versus price. I mean, generic products are often cheaper. But some brands are better than others.

We’re told to buy organic, but the labels often have no meaning or legal backing.

Not many coupons or deals exist for certain brands or organic foods. I use savings apps like these.

This post on social media struck me the other day:

I don’t buy all foods. Most people have foods they don’t buy for many reasons like:⁠

• health⁠
• medical⁠
• cost⁠
• accessibility ⁠
• ethics⁠
• culture & religion⁠
• taste preferences⁠

⁠You don’t have to say “yes” to all foods. You don’t have to bring all foods into your home. I do caution against calling those foods “bad” though. There are so many kids out there telling their friends the food they are eating is bad. Not helpful. Additionally, if you call foods bad you are also setting up a “good food/bad food” category system in their brain. This can contribute to a complicated relationship with food in some people.

source: Kids Eat in Color on Facebook

I am not a dietician or nutritionist.

But I’m a mom who questions everything and I see the results when I feed my family junk or processed quick foods compared to whole foods.

It’s a constant battle in my head and heart that I want yummy and fun foods, but it’s often exhausting doing all the research to get heartbroken that foods in the USA are all produced by only a few humongous companies who only care about profit and not about people’s nutrition or overall health.

I want to make sure I’m nourishing my family. I know that nutrition is often the first line of defense in better health. I want my kids to grow and develop with the best foods I can afford, so they might be less prone to illnesses later in life.

I’m avoiding a lot of additives in foods that are illegal in countries other than the USA. It’s infuriating that I have to be aware and make changes in product choices that are in every grocery store and most of us have been buying for decades without ever realizing. And many foods that used to be OK a couple or few decades ago are now formulated more cheaply with worse ingredients.

When I go to the store, I tend to shop on the perimeter, where the real foods are: dairy, meats, produce.

Have you ever noticed the marketing and signage to get you to meander through the store, designed to lure you in (and especially children who are dazzled by the pretty labels).

What are some of the food additives that are considered fine for consumption in the USA?

Potassium bromate is a chemical additive commonly used to help strengthen dough and enhance the texture of baked goods. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers it a possible human carcinogen, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the F.D.A. to ban it nearly 20 years ago. This is one reason so many think they’re allergic or sensitive to gluten. It is seldom used in Europe. I buy unbromated flour for baking and we feel so much better! We notice if we use store-bought breads.

Azodicarbonamide, or azobisformamide, is used as a whitening agent in cereal flour and as a dough conditioner, breaks down during baking into chemicals that cause cancer in lab animals. It is used by many chain restaurants that serve sandwiches and buns. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has urged the F.D.A. to bar its use.

Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is used in some citrus-flavored soft drinks like Mountain Dew and in some sports drinks to prevent separation of ingredients, but it is banned in Europe. It contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants, and studies suggest it can build up in the body and can potentially lead to memory loss and skin and nerve problems.

Sudan or Azo Dyes – specifically Yellow food dyes No. 5 and No. 6, and Red Dye No. 40 can be used in foods sold in Europe, but the products must carry a warning saying the coloring agents “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” No such warning is required in the United States, though the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the F.D.A. in 2008 to ban the dyes.

The European Union also bans bovine growth hormone, which the United States dairy industry uses to increase milk production. The European Union also does not allow the drug ractopamine, used in the United States to increase weight gain in pigs, cattle and turkeys before slaughter, saying that “risks to human health cannot be ruled out.”

Olestra is a fat substitute often used in diet products because it adds no calories to products. Please note also Margarine is not a good option.

Artificial sweeteners have also been tied to an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome and related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, high fructose corn syrup and white sugar are both equally unhealthy. Even some of the recommended sugar alternatives often cause allergies or sensitivities. We try to limit our sugar intake.

Seed oils are making us all sick. Seed oils are often found in ultra-processed foods, which can lead to inflammation and disease. Unlike traditional fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, and lard, industrial seed oils are a very recent addition to the human diet. Read How Vegetable Oils Replaced Animal Fats in the American Diet. Soybeans were introduced to the United States in the 1930s, and by the 1950s, it had become the most popular vegetable oil in the country. Canola, corn, and safflower oils followed shortly after that. The low cost of these cooking oils, combined with strategic marketing on the part of the oil manufacturers, made them wildly popular in American kitchens. The oils extracted from soybeans, corn, cottonseed, safflower seeds, and rapeseeds must be refined, bleached, and deodorized before they are suitable for human consumption.

Glyphosate (Round-Up weed killer) causes cancer and yet it is not illegal to use or buy in the USA and is sprayed on food products like grains and seed oil crops that then get carried over into so many foods we eat. You should be concerned about this Glyphosate Contamination in Food List, including pasta, cereals, crackers, and more.

Glyphosate Facts:

• Glyphosate is the key ingredient in Bayer/Monsanto’s signature herbicide Roundup. The World Health Organization and California state scientists have linked glyphosate to cancer.
• At the time of writing this blog there are 42,000 plaintiffs suing Bayer over claiming glyphosate caused cancer.
• The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ruled glyphosate a carcinogen. The IARC said that along with other Monsanto chemicals Roundup could cause Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and cancer.
• Americans have applied 1.8 million tons of glyphosate since its introduction in 1974.
• Worldwide, 9.4 million tons of the chemical has been sprayed on fields – enough to spray nearly half a pound of Roundup on every cultivated acre of land in the world.
• Globally, glyphosate use has risen almost 15-fold since so-called “Roundup Ready,” genetically engineered glyphosate-tolerant crops were introduced in 1996.
• The mass-spraying of glyphosate has led to the explosion of resistant weeds, which have evolved to survive despite being sprayed. Already, weeds resistant to the herbicide are found on half of all-American farmers’ fields and are present on upward of 100 million acres of cultivated cropland.
• In 1987, only 11 million pounds of the chemical were used on U.S. farms, but now nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate are applied each year.

We try never to use plastic bottled drinks.

The per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water – that can be in a variety of products, including food packaging and non-stick cooking surfaces. Many PFAS are a concern because they:

• do not break down in the environment,
• can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources,
• build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife.

PFAS are found in rivers and lakes and in many types of animals on land and in the water.

80% of Americans test positive for chemical found in Cheerios, Quaker Oats that may cause infertility, delayed puberty: study by Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.

I’m trying to be really mindful of the brands and products we support.

My husband was in remission with Type 2 Diabetes for over a decade, but recently he has had to resume prescription medication. So, we are being much more conscious of how we eat. We hope he can go back into remission soon.

Recently I’ve been buying Organic Valley grassfed whole milk and half and half. If I can’t find that, I get Horizon.

We buy Kerrygold butter and it sure does make a difference. It’s a good deal at Sam’s Club or Costco.

We switched to Dave’s Killer Bread. Thankfully, it’s delicious and I sometimes find it on sale. I also make a lot of our own bread products with Montana wheat or King Arthur.

We buy three dozen farm eggs every week or so from my husband’s coworker. They are glorious with huge yolks, sometimes doubles!

I buy a lot of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. I am infuriated that wealthy celebrities are investing in varnishes to increase shelf life on foods that should be seasonal and temporary.

I keep a full pantry of pasta and rice and ingredients. We can our tomatoes every year. We make our own taco seasoning and other spice mixes.

We have a deep freezer full of meat that I stock up when I see good deals at the commissary or Kroger or Sam’s Club. I freeze bones from poultry or hams to make stock and I freeze the stock in bags for easy use in soups and stews.

I order lots of fish and seafood from KnowSeafood and encourage my family to try new flavors and textures.

I read ingredients and I research companies to make sure my dollars speak for our family’s choices and values.

I do loosely meal plan and it sometimes gets complicated with busy teen schedules, but I like to have good meals that will keep for a few hours if someone works late or has a sports practice.

Resources:

• The Great Cholesterol Myth by Jonny Bowden
• The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz
• Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs
• How to Save Money while Shopping
• Plank Grilled Salmon
• Slow Cooker Meals
• Favorite Soups
• Our Favorite Salads
• Creative Leftovers
• Organizing Recipes
• What We Eat Every Week
• Real Food Cooking During PCS
• Prioritizing Rest
• Should I Label My Children?
• Resources for Brain Health

You might also like:

• Shepherding Teens
• 5 Best Life Skills Books for Teens
• Succeeding in College
• How to Prepare for After High School
• Parenting Teens
• Parenting Young Adults
• The Last Time
• Learning to Let Go

Linking up here!