I have eaten horribly for most of my life. I grew up eating fast food a few times a week and my parents liked to eat out a lot so who knows where that food came from but, I SURVIVED!
Now while I did survive I know that the quality of food isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago. Companies are finding cheaper ways to feed us while maximizing their profits. Farmers are using so many unnatural products to grow their produce bigger and faster then the next guy. I won’t get into what’s going on with meats because it’s just all t0o crazy and I still love meat.
When I met my now husband I had my own place and he would buy me groceries and spend more money on the organic stuff and healthier options and I would complain he was wasting so much money that it’s all the same and blah blah blah. Little by little he introduced me to quality produce, meats and foods that are organic, non GMO, no MSG, and have no high fructose corn syrup. I wasn’t completely sold until I got pregnant. That’s when the reality hit that what I am eating isn’t just affecting me, it’s also affecting my unborn child that doesn’t have a choice. I had a great pregnancy and my baby was born very healthy. I breastfed her for 16 months and ate very good through out all that time and still eat very good now. Long story short, I feel better, I’ve lost all the baby weight (but I’ve always been skinny), my skin is clearer, but most of all I have peace of mind that what I feed my toddler at home is clean and good for her.
Now this doesn’t mean we aren’t normal people. A lot of people assume I’m this “crunchy granola mom” (I think that’s the term) but we like to eat regular food too. Believe it or not I get a lot of people commenting and almost mocking me when they see me eat a slice of delivery pizza at work or a bag of chips.
“THAT’S NOT OOOOORGANIC!” – That exaggeration in the O happens every single time I swear. They also look at me with those judging eyes as if to say “You see she eats bad food too, not just the organic crap she always talks about”.
My husband and I do the best to buy groceries that are healthy in the home where we can control it, but we still like to go to the local Sports Bar and eat 25 hot wings while Penelope devours some waffle fries. WE ARE NORMAL TOO! We can’t control what’s out there but we can control what’s in our home. My daughter has the occasional restaurant quality food and let me tell you she’s very healthy and happy. At home she eats very clean and very good. I’m happy with that balance and I’m not comfortable locking myself up in my apartment eating only food I make because the rest of the world doesn’t choose what we choose. That’s absurd.
So to all the parents out there trying to keep it as real as they can with their food and getting judged by all the “everyday bad eaters” I hear ya. All I can say is all that money they save by not trying to eat better will cost them later in the form of medical bills so let me spend that extra $2 bucks on this organic asparagus because yes it does make me feel better about myself.