I’m here today to share my philosophy on food! Let me start off by saying that I am not one to go for extremes.
There are so many trends, diets and false beliefs about food out there. With my husband being a “geneticist” (studying plants) I hear a lot of funny beliefs about food that just aren’t true!
- GMOs? Good? Bad?
- Is organic really better for you than conventionally grown?
- Sweeteners (like sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup). There are a lot of opinions about different sweeteners. Are some better for you than others?
- What about carbs?? Many people seem to be scared of them and believe they make you fat. What do you think?
A couple years ago I was completely guilty of believing everything I heard or read about food. I was naive. But I’ve learned. My husband’s research is actually what pushed me to start doing more studying and learning about food so that I wasn’t getting sucked into all these conflicting articles and becoming overwhelmed and confused.
My food philosophy is that you need to figure out for yourself what works and what doesn’t. Do the research (and not just by browsing articles shared on Facebook).
I’m not an expert and can’t tell anyone else what is best for them. I’ve done the research. But even still, I only know what works for me! And honestly, I’m still learning.
I believe that food is fuel. Your body needs certain vitamins and minerals and those vitamins and minerals are best absorbed and used by your body when they come from a natural source or real food. Taking supplements and daily vitamins isn’t good enough.
Food is also an experience and a way to connect with those around you! We always have yummy food for date night and I always look forward to family traditions involving food…
I love food!
A couple things that I’ve learned about food.
- I can eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and it will help me feel great for about 15 minutes… And sometimes, I need that!
- I can eat a bowl of Homemade Granola with Yogurt and Berries and feel great for several hours!
On a daily basis, I’m going to go for things like the Homemade Granola because I love it, but also because it fuels me longer and is much better for me! It actually provides protein, fiber, calcium and other important vitamins and minerals.
I am all about balance and moderation and being educated about what is in my food. I have taken the time to research and learn how to read labels. I think everyone should take the time to really understand what is in their food!!
I definitely believe in PORTION CONTROL! We eat off of salad plates, instead of dinner plates because it helps us control our portions. At meals, we try to eat fruits, veggies, salads, etc. first and then the rest of our meal because it helps us determine when we are full and fill up on the important stuff first!
One thing I know for sure is that everyone’s food experiences and needs are different. Because of allergies or other needs, your family may need a different type of diet. That’s why its so important to educate yourself.
Food became a very difficult thing for me when I was a teenager because almost everything I ate would make me sick. I had to start being very careful what I put in my body because I didn’t know how it would react. It may have been lactose sensitivity, or just stress and unhealthy eating… I think it was a combination of the two. Over time, I had to listen to my body to figure out what helps my body feel good and what doesn’t.
As a family, we have done a lot of experimenting with our eating habits. Last March, we did 30 days of “real food.” I had been struggling with depression and craving fatty and sugary foods all the time. My normal balance wasn’t working for me because I kept caving and making unhealthy choices. So I decided I wanted to try something a little extreme. I cut out ALL sugar and ALL processed foods for 30 days. It was truly an incredible experience and it helped me learn so much about myself in the process.
After our 30 days of real food, I kept some of the things I learned and incorporated them into our balanced meal planning… which is a little less extreme, but still very healthy! The 30 days of real food helped me to get my body and mind in a place where I could make healthy choices about food again and demonstrate a little self control.
As a rule, I try to help my family eat healthy, natural foods. We stay away from most processed foods and generally don’t have dessert every day, but only on special occasions. That’s how we roll!
But for me, the occasional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is healthy… okay, maybe not healthy, but every once in a while it gives me a little boost and I enjoy it. On a hard day, a little chocolate keeps me sane!
Since I’ve given you a little background knowledge on how I feel about food, you can see that I still sneak in some treats occasionally! Have you seen the dessert section on my blog?? Or how about my Dessert Boards on Pinterest?? Yes. There is more than one!
Let’s just say I don’t plan on skipping dessert any time soon! But I’ll make sure not to eat the whole cake by myself!!!
I love this! I think that if we worry about things to the extreme, we can actually do more damage than the food itself!
I totally agree! Our bodies need a good balance!
Great philosophy!
Thanks Jamie!
I agree the occasional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup are good for you!
That’s the most important part, right?? Ha ha!
Thank you for sharing your philosophy! You made great points!
Thanks Melanie!
These are some great thoughts. I think all things in moderation make for a “healthy” diet. Just being aware of what we eat help a ton. We eat off of salad plates too and it does make a difference in portions.
I’ve never heard of anyone eating off of salad plates! So glad we’re not the only ones! And being aware is the most important part of eating!
I totally agree with you! This is an awesome perspective. It really depends on your body and what works best for you. I can’t go without breakfast and I think it makes me gain weight when I don’t eat it, but my husband has the opposite problem. We are always trying to experiment because what works for him doesn’t work for me. Great read!
Thanks Meagan! It’s so interesting how everyone’s bodies work a little differently! Love your comment!
Now I really want a peanut butter cup.
Ha ha! I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not!! You should go get one!!
I love your philosophy! I’ve been thinking about trying Whole 30 because I’m a crazy sugar addict, thanks for sharing your experiences!
I think programs like Whole 30 are great for helping you become aware of what you are eating and they can help jumpstart your health!!
Great philosophy! I love food and I try to remember to “eat to live not live to eat.”
Oooh! I love that quote! Thanks for your comment!
I think we have similar thoughts on food. And I agree, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are totally healthy. 😉
Ha ha! I’m glad we agree!
What a neat article! I too am pretty passionate about food. I’m no expert by any means, but like you – my husband has done a TON of research about certain things and ingredients and yes there are SO many opinions out there! I enjoy sharing what I do or don’t do, and don’t expect everyone to eat exactly like I do, but I love at least providing information that people may not know or find out about otherwise. The great thing is everyone is free to chose whatever they like! That’s awesome that you did a 30 day real food ‘challenge’. My husband and I have completed a 30 day juice fast and cleanse – TWICE! And.. I’d be OK never to do it again.. ha! Even though it was super great for us, it was SO hard!
Wow! That’s cool that you did a juice fast. I don’t think I could do that!! I love what you said about sharing info and letting people do with it what they will! Thanks for your comment Yvonne!
Great post! Portion control is important! And I’m all for dessert, in moderation!
YES! Thanks Emily!
I absolutely love this! I agree so much!
Thanks Debra!
I love this!! I’m all about eating pretty healthy most of the time ;o) I just can’t do the extremes… I don’t really know anyone who has long term success with that sort of thing…. they are all up and down and i can’t do that…
I totally agree. It’s better to learn how to balance and make healthier choices the majority of the time.
Love this article! I believe that one should not deprive himself / herself of good food. It’s all about moderation.
I totally agree! Thanks Britni!
Balance is definitely important! Sometimes you really need a Reese’s PB Cup for an afternoon pick me up, but that shouldn’t be the thing you go to all the time.
I definitely agree! Sometimes you just need a Reese’s to do the trick!
Great post, I have quite a few food allergies and intolerance’s, and instead of following the latest diet or fad, I have learned to listen to my body, and eat the foods that make me feel energized and satisfied after eating them. I’m like you and firmly believe that food is our bodies fuel, and you have to put in the proper fuel in order to preform at your best. Moderation is the key.
That is so refreshing to hear someone talk about listening to their body!! I love that you feel that way too! Thanks for sharing!
Truly a wonderful take on food and a healthy one at that!
Thanks Reesa!
Oh the whole, we eat pretty healthy, and I would say we eat real food most of the time. But there are plenty of snacks in my pantry that aren’t what you would describe as real food, and I don’t worry about that. Like you said, moderation. I would go crazy with too strict of a diet. My kids know the difference and that I think is what is most important.
It is definitely important for your kids to understand! I can relate to everything you shared! Thanks for such a thoughtful comment!! 🙂
I love your food philosophy! I have a very similar food philosophy. I’ve researched all the fads and I agree that it can be super confusing if you don’t do your research. There are so many conflicting ideas and opinions out there! I try to feed my family fresh and homemade foods, and try to stay away from processed foods and too much sugar, but I also think all things in moderation are key! I always have a hard time with chocolate though… I need to get my cravings in control! It is just too delicious!
Ha ha! Erica I totally agree, chocolate is too delicious! I felt like our beliefs on food always matched up pretty well and I think after becoming parents we want to make sure our kids are getting the nutrition that they need. That is one thing that motivates me to be more aware! Thanks for commenting, I love it when you do! 🙂
Great philosophy! I believe in something similar. Though HFCS is something I try to avoid after writing a paper on it. And, there are times I don’t get the anti GMO people. Do they eat bananas, seedless grapes, almonds?
Ha ha! I also try to avoid HFCS, from my research I have gathered that most foods that contain HFCS are highly processed. And totally hear you on the GMO thing! Ha ha… Thanks for your comment Stephanie!