/food FAQs/
we've talked a little on this blog about how we've made a shift in the way we buy, prepare, and consume food. since making the change we've gotten loads of questions, comments, and even some strange looks. here's a breakdown of the most common questions we've gotten and our answers.
what kind of supplements/pills are you guys taking?
none. our food routine doesn't include any vitamins, pills, or powders.
so, are you guys vegetarians now?
no. we still consume meat, we've just drastically reduced our intake. when we grocery shop we plan for 5 dinners per week, knowing that one or two meals will be improvised or eaten out at restaurants. in those five meals, we plan for 1 meal that features meat. it's generally chicken, but sometimes we will buy ground turkey. we rarely buy beef and never buy pork.
what about protein? don't you need meat?
several of our weekday meals feature beans and other plant-based sources of protein. it's a misconception that you need massive quantities of meat to be healthy. in fact, in general, an increase of meat consumption leads to a decrease in overall health.
eating healthy is expensive. do you guys spend a ton each week?
it can be expensive to eat healthy, that's true. we are able to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5-6 days on about $70/week. some of that isn't spent on food, because we also buy all of our toiletries and general household items there as well. there are no walmart trips in this house (but that's a whole other post)! of that $70, about half of it is spent on fresh produce. we generally spend about $35 on fresh fruits and veggies.
any tips for the grocery store?
stay out of the middle of the store. we generally spend a lot of time in the produce section, then pop by the bakery for a loaf of 100% whole grain bread, maybe pick up a package of poultry, and then head for milk/eggs/cheese (white block cheese only. see previous post!). some items we do pick up from the middle of the store usually includes dry beans, some crackers, and occasionally some blue corn chips.
do you only buy organic?
no. we do when we can, but there isn't always a choice in our local market. we try our best to buy items with few ingredients (we like 5 or less) and we seek out items that are produced with few chemicals. we steer clear of items that have things we can't pronounce. if i have to google something that's in my food, it's probably not something i want to eat. we also seek local foods as much as possible. the whole wheat tortillas we buy come from kansas, the salsa is from a kcmo restaurant, our eggs are from higginsville, and our milk from just outside of st. joe.
do you buy soda/juice/alcohol?
we generally only buy milk. other than that we drink water. no soda and very rarely juice.
so how does it work when you're invited out with friends? do you eat "regular" food?
of course. we still go out to eat; it's part of who we are. we are social eaters. we just try to make smarter choices and we certainly regulate the amount of "that kind" of food we eat. we would never turn down food at a friend's house. that's just rude. :) our food choices are guidelines for healthy living, they aren't hard rules that are meant to keep us from enjoying life!
/we/
what kind of supplements/pills are you guys taking?
none. our food routine doesn't include any vitamins, pills, or powders.
so, are you guys vegetarians now?
no. we still consume meat, we've just drastically reduced our intake. when we grocery shop we plan for 5 dinners per week, knowing that one or two meals will be improvised or eaten out at restaurants. in those five meals, we plan for 1 meal that features meat. it's generally chicken, but sometimes we will buy ground turkey. we rarely buy beef and never buy pork.
what about protein? don't you need meat?
several of our weekday meals feature beans and other plant-based sources of protein. it's a misconception that you need massive quantities of meat to be healthy. in fact, in general, an increase of meat consumption leads to a decrease in overall health.
eating healthy is expensive. do you guys spend a ton each week?
it can be expensive to eat healthy, that's true. we are able to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5-6 days on about $70/week. some of that isn't spent on food, because we also buy all of our toiletries and general household items there as well. there are no walmart trips in this house (but that's a whole other post)! of that $70, about half of it is spent on fresh produce. we generally spend about $35 on fresh fruits and veggies.
any tips for the grocery store?
stay out of the middle of the store. we generally spend a lot of time in the produce section, then pop by the bakery for a loaf of 100% whole grain bread, maybe pick up a package of poultry, and then head for milk/eggs/cheese (white block cheese only. see previous post!). some items we do pick up from the middle of the store usually includes dry beans, some crackers, and occasionally some blue corn chips.
do you only buy organic?
no. we do when we can, but there isn't always a choice in our local market. we try our best to buy items with few ingredients (we like 5 or less) and we seek out items that are produced with few chemicals. we steer clear of items that have things we can't pronounce. if i have to google something that's in my food, it's probably not something i want to eat. we also seek local foods as much as possible. the whole wheat tortillas we buy come from kansas, the salsa is from a kcmo restaurant, our eggs are from higginsville, and our milk from just outside of st. joe.
do you buy soda/juice/alcohol?
we generally only buy milk. other than that we drink water. no soda and very rarely juice.
so how does it work when you're invited out with friends? do you eat "regular" food?
of course. we still go out to eat; it's part of who we are. we are social eaters. we just try to make smarter choices and we certainly regulate the amount of "that kind" of food we eat. we would never turn down food at a friend's house. that's just rude. :) our food choices are guidelines for healthy living, they aren't hard rules that are meant to keep us from enjoying life!
/we/
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