Food is Fuel Fridays (Participation)

I have decided to join in on LindsayDiannes Food Is Fuel Fridays. So here's my contribution.

In my house, we are a take it as it comes kind of family. And as such, I haven't really figured out dinner for tonight yet. I mean, I have a general idea, but I am not the best planner. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants in that realm. That being said, I strive to always cook the healthiest possible meals that I can for my family. Even if that just means cooking from scratch to know what's in my food. Actually, I love cooking from scratch. I get a sense of pride and accomplishment when I cook from scratch and my boys lap it up and look for seconds.

As the clock struck midnight on our new year, I made a pact with my husband. 2010 will be our best year yet, and thus 2010=best year ever was born. That encompasses many things, but healthy eating and living was number one on that list. Last year, we grew many of our own vegetables in my veggie garden and this year we plan on doing the same.

For our part we've been talking about the switch for many months now. It all started with a free sample pack of shelled hemp seeds from a local market on the Drive. And when we found out our friends in LindsayDianne's home were on the kick too, we knew we were on the right track.

My husband and I are junk food junkies. No kidding, just harsh reality. When I became preggs with my pride and joy, hubs bought me "The Healthy Pregnancy Cookbook" That was a beginning. We wanted to get into healthy eating habits while I was still pregnant because we didn't want to have our son have the same addiction to refined sugar that we do. As he grew from an infant into a toddler who was eating solids, it was clear that we had a snacker on our hands. I indulged that a little much, I must admit. However, I tried to indulge it in things that didn't include candies or refined sugar. He sure loves crackers. But he won't eat a gummy bear or a fruit chew. He will eat almost any fruit, as long as it's pureed (still, at almost 2) but he will NOT eat junk food. And that, right there, is an small accomplishment in my house.

At this stage in the game, he is my inspiration. I have always loved baking. At home, I make healthy snacks. I make bran muffins with fruit, oatmeal cookies, banana breads and "healthy" cupcakes. It really works. I know what's in my food and I can sleep better at night. We drink smoothies with fruits AND veggies in them. Spinach too. They're good and even more fun now that the rugrat can drink with a straw.

So we take baby steps. I won't lie and say that everything we eat is super healthy, but we are starting to get there. When you open my fridge door you will find the following: Salads, fruits, vegetables and it's all fresh. When I shop, I rarely do so in the middle aisles of the grocery store. Everything my family needs can be found on the outside. Fresh produce, dairy, meat (yes, we EAT MEAT and we HEART MEAT and WE HEART ANIMALS TOO!) I try not to buy things that are pre-packaged if I can help it.

And as a testament to our new habits, we recently moved to a home that is (and I kid you not) half a minute away from a McDonald's and a short walk to pretty much ever fast food joint you can imaging... and we are eating out less than we ever have in our lives. And that my friend, that feels damn good.

So I guess this concludes my #FoodisFuelFriday contribution. I know, it may be all over the place, but bear with me, I am new to this whole blogging thing.