My friend, Amy, had just come home from the grocery store and had all of her purchases out on her kitchen counter when I arrived unexpectedly today. She said something to the effect that I was looking at all of her previously hidden processed food sins as if I were some kind of whole foods saint. Truly, I am not but I can see how someone might get that impression of me. I do believe that the whole foods approach to feeding your family is an ideal that we all ought to strive for but let's face it, we all have our vices. I, for one, am a HUGE sugar addict. I have consumed a pound of jelly beans, (sneaked without the kids seeing), in the last 48 hours after almost 72 hours of yet another NO sugar attempt, so anyone who thinks I am a righteous judge of their grocery purchasing habits is clearly wrong. It may not seem timely now that we are into April but I have some New Year's resolutions concerning processed foods that I want to replace with homemade versions before the end of this year. Here are some of my processed foods confessions and New Year's resolutions:
Tyson Dino Chicken Nuggets
Kraft Mac N Cheese (it just seems like an American childhood tradition, so I'm not sure about replacing this one, I just limit the frequency)
Good Seasons Salad Dressing Mix
Taco Seasoning packets (it's so easy to mix your own, I have just not gotten around to it)
Jiff Peanut Butter - Skippy makes a better whole foods version but I don't have easy access to a bargain price for it
There are some other confessions that I should make that I have no intention of replacing with homemade versions:
Cheese-Its (my husband has these in his lunch every day)
Fishy Crackers (occasional)
Pretzels
I am sorry to tell any true whole foods saints out there that there are no homemade versions that will replace the occasional Oreo, Pringle or Ritz cracker. I think the goal is to feed our family the closest to whole foods as possible considering our culinary experience, budget and time constraints.
3 comments:
"Forgive me Father, for I have bought food at WalMart!" I struggle with this, too. I like to have everything homemade and homegrown if possible. But there are certain things like Ritz crackers, cold cereals, canned chicken-noodle soup, hot dogs, and popscicles that I don't think I can ever avoid. Also, especially while pregnant, I cannot realistically keep my family supplied with homebaked bread and homemade yogurt all the time! We're not perfect, but we can try our best, don't worry about the naysayers!
I am a Cheez-Its Addict. I love them! My grandmother turned me on to them. When she and Pank had "card night" with their pals, they would sequester me in front of the TV away from the adults, with ginger ale and cheez-its.
Maybe this is how Jimmy got hooked? A family addiction.
That is so funny. I will have to ask Jim. I wonder if he even realizes where his addiction source lies. hmm
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