By the way...

I should really list what we (or I) eat during the day.  We are certainly not 100% non-processed, whole food eaters.  We still eat like normal people!  (I think)  I'll list what I'll eat today to give you some perspective on how we make it work.

My breakfast:
scrambled eggs (ok, I didn't eat them today, but I should have...)
banana
coffee w/milk & 2 tbsp sugar

snack:
1 carrot cut into sticks
1 apple, sliced w/1 tbsp Simply Jiff peanut butter

Lunch:
Salad
1/2 C iceberg lettuce
1/2 C spinach
1 chicken breast, chopped (boneless, skinless, sauteed w/ pepper, salt & rosemary)
1 stick string cheese, cut into disks
sprinkle of bacos

Dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch:
thyme
kosher salt
red pepper flakes
onion flakes

Snack
1 stick string cheese
1 cup popcorn (from popper, not bagged)

Dinner
Thin crust mexican pizza:
crust from scratch
flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, other ingredients I cant remember now
black olives
green olives
black beans (prepared from dry beans)
iceberg lettuce
salsa
sour cream

To drink:
water & coffee (1 cup caff in the morning, 1 cup decaf in the evening)

Evening snack
popcorn from the popper at home or a bowl of cereal

See?  Nothing crazy here!  It just takes more prep work than buying the ready-made versions.

Goal 1: Done!

Dare I say it?  The goal that started this whole healthy eating overhaul thing has been attained!  Back in October, B's blood pressure was way too high.  So I took that as a challenge to get our family eating better.  We started with the low-sodium DASH diet.  That was a great start but it needed to be a lifestyle change for the changes to take effect in the long term.  So I decided we'd all cut out sodium as much as possible.  Now we don't bring the salt shaker to the table, I use (literally) a pinch of salt in recipes instead of the usual teaspoon, and I started using fresh and dried herbs to flavor our food.  I know that isnt a lot, but the salt really does add up.  The most pivotal piece of information on our quest to low-sodium eating was found in a diet article.  It suggested never buying a product that listed more than 5% in the daily sodium allowance column (per serving).  I was amazed at how sodium laden our foods were, even the ones we thought were healthy.  So now, 4 months later, we are living a low-sodium lifestyle.  We occasionally eat something that has 10% in the sodium column, but it is rare, and we make adjustments as needed.  (If we have a higher sodium lunch, we'll make sure dinner is lower, for example.)  When I tried to buy products with (actual, not label touting) low-sodium, I found it nearly impossible.  So thats how the whole-foods thing came along.  I started really reading labels and realized how truly awful most of the processed foods are. 
So that brings me to the next nutrition goal:  reducing sugar.  It seems like diabetes is the new normal for everyone.  I'm only mildly surprised when someone tells me they have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes or are borderline diabetic.  Thats not right.  With diabetes on both sides of our family, our whole family is predisposed to the disease.  I had Graves disease as an adolescent which gives me a heightened risk.  We need to work NOW to avoid diabetes.  So we will.  It should be an easier feat now that we are on a whole food diet and the foods we eat are already more nutritionally friendly but there is definitely some sugar to eliminate!  Today I have no idea how I can live without sugar in my coffee, and I don't know how to pack a spill-proof drink for P that doesn't come in a pouch or box but I'll bet I can figure it out!  Hopefully 4 months from now I'll be writing about how we conquered the sugar habit too!

Scheduling Health

Challenge of the week:

Fitting the gym into our daily schedule. 

Its Wednesday and I've been to the gym twice this week.  Thats already an improvement!  I was going once a month, then once a week.  Now I'm up to twice in one week!  I hope to get there tonight.  I really would love to go in the morning before work but I just don't see that happening (yet).  My goal right now is to just get to the gym at some point during the day for at least 30 minutes.  P is still enjoying the Kids Club and I dont feel too guilty for leaving him there for 45 minutes.  I'd love it if I could go while he sleeps- either in the morning or the evening but I can't get there just yet.  So if I'm going to go after work, I have to fit in eating somewhere.  I'm usually starving when I get home and so is P.  Today I've decided it would be best to eat a small meal or big snack as soon as I get home, go to the gym and then eat another small meal or big snack.  So I need to revamp the meals to be small and quick.  Hmmm... more work to do!  Thats why this eating thing is a hobby! 

And it starts...

I planted the first seeds on Saturday!  I have 36 little peat pods in the window sill.  I started the grape tomatoes, cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers, green beans, onion & carrots.  I learned last year that some of my crops needed a better root system before I planted the seedlings so this year, I am starting just a tiny bit early and will pot up the little seedlings before I put them in the garden.  Our spring wind is hard on the little ones.  Plus I get to start a little early!!  Each variety has only six plants which, compared to last year, seems like nothing, but I have many more crops this year so I'm trying to scale back a bit.  I'm also going to try to plant roots in the fall so I need to hold some seeds back.  (not that I have a problem with that... I think there are like a hundred in the onion and carrot packages)  Next week I'll plant another row of roots.  I'd like to stagger my planting over a few weeks to have a longer harvest time. 
Oh- and I've decided to add roma tomatoes back to the garden.  I realized that I can't make the sauces I want with the grape tomatoes.  So now I have how many varieties???

Week 3 Menu

Here is next week's menu:
(I've left out breakfasts this week because I alternate eggs and pancakes every other day... no imagination there yet!)

Sunday
Lunch
Roasted Chicken
Roasted potatoes & carrots

Dinner
Tacos

Monday
Lunch
Big Burritos
*Wrap in parchment for microwaving

Dinner
Broiled Tilapia w/lemon & fresh parsley
Sauteed Mushrooms
Salad
Cornbread

Tuesday
Lunch
B&A – Salad
Peyton – ‘lunchable’
(pepperoni, cheese slices, crackers, etc.)

Dinner
Cilantro Chx
Mac & Cheese
Salad

Wednesday
Lunch
Chx Quesadillas

Dinner
Pan sauteed tilaipa
Brown Rice
Stir-fried veg

Thursday
Lunch
B&A – salad
P - PB Sandwich

Dinner
Big Burritos

Friday
Lunch
Big Burritos
*Parchment

Dinner
Chicken Marsala
Italian Chopped Salad
Dessert

Saturday
Lunch
Pasta Salad

Dinner
Oven Fried Chicken
Smashed potatoes & gravy
Steamed green beans

Fried Zucchini

I know- fried is a bad word in the whole foods, healthy eating world, but this wasn't so bad! 

1 zucchini sliced into 1/8 in slices
4 tbsp olive oil
some milk (1/4 C maybe)
1/2 C canned bread crumbs
Seasonings to taste (I used premixed italian seasonings)

Heat the olive oil.

Mix the bread crumbs and seasonings

Dip the zucchini slices in the milk and then coat both sized with bread crumbs.  Brown both sices of zucchini in the olive oil and drain on a paper towel. 

I only used one zucchini but I wish I had used two.  Everyone except R liked these a lot. 

Pork Chops Dijon

I found a very quick/easy recipe this week that was a hit at our house!  It was Pork Chops Dijon from http://www.bhg.com/.  The mustard and italian dressings are processed, but I might try it again with a from-scratch vinaigrette.  I don't know how to mess with mustard yet but I might later... :)  All three of my boys (B, P and a friend, R) ate it and commented that they liked it- well, except P but I count it as a compliment if he ate more than a bite! 

We had pork chops, sauteed onions, steamed brown rice and 'fried' zucchini. 

Fridge to Stove to Table Time: 20 minutes (rice was ready in the steamer)
Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons low-calorie Italian salad dressing
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 pork loin chops, cut 1/2-inch thick (1-1/4 pounds total)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium onion, halved and sliced

Directions
1. In a small bowl combine mustard, Italian dressing, and pepper; set aside.

2. Trim excess fat from chops. Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and brown on both sides. Remove chops from skillet.

3. Add onion to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Push onion aside; return chops to skillet. Spread mustard mixture over chops. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until juices run clear. Serve onion over pork chops. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 248, Total Fat (g) 14, Cholesterol (mg) 80, Sodium (mg) 390, Carbohydrate (g) 2, Protein (g) 25

The only change I made was not covering the meat or the onions- my pan doesnt have a lid - and they came out slightly dry.  I might add just a bit of water next time- or just upgrade my pan- I really need to do that!!  There was a little leftover sauce so I just drizzled it over the pork chops on the platter.  I would definitely want to do that again.

OK I just realized that I'm not thinking ahead on my work snacks...  I had instant oatmeal for breakfast at work this morning because I had a packet in my desk drawer but I should have brought a few bags of my own oatmeal up.  I mix plain instant oats with a little brown sugar and a little cinnamon- exact same thing but I get to control the sugar.  Not that a little sugar rush won't help today... there are only a handfull of us here today.  Its going to be QUIET!!  (That's why I'm writing about oatmeal...)

In Love With A Rice Steamer

I'm trying a new recipe for Pork Chops Dijon tonight.  It looks quick and easy.  We'll see how it goes! 

Did I mention that I am loving my new rice steamer?  I did NOT believe we needed another appliance to store but B insisted that if we were going to be eating rice 4 times a week, we needed a rice steamer.  I wanted to encourage the healthy eating habits so I conceeded and, sure enough, he was right!!!  The rice is SOO much better from the steamer.  It comes out the way it's intended.  White and some brown rices come out slightly sticky.  We haven't tried other varieties of rices but I'm sure they will come out just right.  There are specific directions for each variety- white rice takes less than half the time to cook as brown rice and less water.  Basmati rice has way different procedures.  We like the brown rice so we put in the extra time.  It works for us right now because B gets home earlier than me and can start the rice but I dont know how we'd do it if we got home at the same time.  It takes at least 1 1/2 hrs to cook the brown rice.  And I do love that we can pare down another processed food item.  (not that instant rice is very processed...)    We like the rice well enough that we have had it as an evening snack several times.

Its Sunny!!

The sun is shining!  It might be 20 degrees but...  Even if it's only out for a few minutes today, I'll take it!

Apparently our family is ready for summer... last night at the gym P cried when he didn't get to swim.  (So we are swimming this evening) And yesterday I spent the gray, rainy afternoon learning about growing garlic and shallots.  I've pretty much ruled out potatoes for the garden this year.  Maybe next year.  It sounds fun but I've got so many new crops to try this year, I don't need another garden entirely.  (I like the elevated garden method the best for potatoes.)  I say that but I've already planned too many crops for my garden and overtook the area where I was going to let Peyton garden.  So now I've decided to convert his old plastic wading pool into a small garden for him.  Seriously... the weather needs to get warm soon or I'm going to have plans so big they won't fit in my backyard. 

The garden plans as of this morning:

Outside:
yellow squash
cayenne pepper
jalapeno pepper
bell pepper
sweet peas
green beans
grape tomatoes
onion
carrots
garlic
shallots

Inside:
cilantro
italian parsley
(container inside & out) spinach
(container inside & out) iceberg lettuce

USDA Nutrition Database

Hooray!!  I finally found nutritional information for whole foods!  I hate that I can't figure out how much potassium or sodium or whatever is really in the carrot or banana or whatever whole food I just ate.  I finally figured out where to find the info and it's easy!!  http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ is the USDA's nutritional information database.  You plug in the food name or keyword and it pulls up a list of possible foods and then asks you how much you want and spits out more nutritional information than you ever wanted to know!  Its organized in a table so its not overwhelming.  I think its great! 

Light at the end of the snow tunnel

Its Monday morning and I am monitoring the news websites for updates on the latest winter storm.  It was snowing so hard I couldn't see across the street when I came in but this should be a mild storm.  Mild...  and I couldn't see across the street...  Thats the kind of winter it's been.  Generally, the only thing good about February is that we are a month closer to spring but I just found one more reason to be excited about February... Seeds were available to buy this weekend!!!  After a nightmare grocery store trip on Saturday (truly horrible!  there was a yelling scene in the produce section & cart jams so bad you literally could not move at times) - P and I ventured to Walmart and parked next to the garden center where I happened to notice a small aisle of seed packets!!!  Hooray!  The first batch is in and the selection was still pretty good!!  I'm trying to pace myself- I'm sure I'll need a pick-me-up again soon... when the next storm hits...  This time I got green beans, snap peas, yellow squash and grape tomatoes. 
I have to confess... I also sketched out the garden plan this weekend.  Its probably way too early for that.  Maybe not, though.  Right now, the plan is to add cayenne, jalapeno & bell peppers outside and cilantro, italian parsley, spinach and iceberg lettuce inside.  (lettuce will be in a container outside some of the time).  That leaves a considerable amount of room in the garden (I'm only doing about 5 plants of each this year), so I'm trying to decide if I am going to put in a root garden in the fall with onions, carrots & garlic or try melons again.  I need to find out if I can do both.  I won't plant the roots till fall so I might be able to do early melons in the spring/summer and then plant roots over them but I dont know if that will work.  I guess that means I have some research to do!  :)  See, February is looking brighter!

Quick lasagna

Between the latest ice storm and the flurry of work that it caused (at work), I never got around to posting this week's menu.  It didn't matter since I don't think we stuck to the menu once this week...  Oh well!  Tonight's dinner was ON the menu, just not on tonight's square.  I was actually thinking ahead and made lasagna for tonight.  I just have to cook it.  If it works out, this one should be a giant time-saver.  It probably took me 20 minutes of active time last night to put it together because I boiled the noodles while I put P to bed.  Then I'll put it in the oven for 20 minutes, put in the bread 1/2 way thru (store-bought this week) and I'll throw some salad greens in a bowl and be ready to eat by the time I get my clothes changed.  (Yes, it can take 20 minutes to change my clothes!)  I think this meal will have 1 fresh ingredient (mushrooms) if you don't count the salad... :(  but its not TOO bad! 

My lasagna (modified from my MIL's recipe):

Lasagna noodles
1 large container cottage cheese
1 can sliced olives (or whole, sliced)
Fresh mushrooms
1 can basic spaghetti sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
6 cups shredded (not finely shredded) mozzerella or italian blend cheese

Layer all ingredients, bake at 350 for 15 or 20 minutes or until cheese is browned

For the garlic bread, I'd love to buy a frozen, pre-buttered loaf for a dollar and a half and stick it in with the lazagna but I can't do that to our health!  I cut the number of bread slices I need and mix a tsp garlic powder with about 1/4c margarine until it is thoroughly mixed.  Then I spread that thinly on the slices and bake for 10 minutes.  We actually like this better than the frozen stuff anyway and it costs the same or less than the frozen bread.

I doubt P will eat the salad greens (spinach and spring mix 50/50) but I'll make his 'chopped' salad minus the greens.  He eats chopped tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and cheese. 

And now I'm going to go find a snack b/c writing about dinner has now made me hungry! 

Food Article on Yahoo

I found this article on Yahoo.com today.  I thought it was interesting- probably because it backs me up on my shopping/eating philosophy!  Go with whole foods- real food is good food!

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/280/nine-food-label-lies.html

Drying Spices & The Mini Farm

I'm slowly replacing my dry spices and tried drying my own recently.  I'm LOVING it!  I keep fresh parsley and cilantro on hand anyway and I needed to replace the dry parsley so I chopped up the fresh very finely and spread it thin on a small plate.  I set it up high in the kitchen out of direct sunlight and water spray and it dried beautifully in two days.  I ended up with about an ounce of dry parsley and I need about 2 1/2 so I've got another batch drying now.  I think they charge about $2 for that at the store!!!  Cilantro, onions and mushrooms are up next! 

Oh- also, I need to start planning this year's miniature farm.  I'll need to buy seeds for the garden soon.  I'm seriously debating whether i'll start them indoors or not.  Either way, I need to buy them when there is a good selection.  So far I've decided on: italian parsley, cilantro, spinach, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, (some) cayenne peppers, (some) jalapenos, bell peppers and grape tomatoes. 

Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia, Rice & Stir Fried Veggies (new sauce)

B ate green vegetables!!!!!!  Thats huge!!  Last night I made Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia, brown rice, stir-fried vegetables and oven rolls.  Success!  Well, except for the rice.  I've seasoned the rice with lemon and fresh cilantro before and the boys liked it but this time I think it was a little strong.  I also tried the microwave steamer bag for the rice and it was exactly the same as if I'd made instant rice- just 7 minutes quicker.  So I dont think I'll be keeping it stocked. 

The tilapia was a new(ish) recipe.  I found it on allrecipes.com and used it because I had all of the ingredients on hand (because our stand-by recipe is SO close) but I learned a few things along the way.  I poured lemon juice over the fillets on a plate, turned them to coat and let them sit for a few minutes.  Then I sprinkled dried oregano, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh cilantro on top.  (recipe called for dried cilantro)  I let that sit for about 15 minutes and then sauteed in a skillet with olive oil.  B liked it a lot.  P wasn't in the mood for fish. 

The veggies were cleaned, chopped and ready to put in the wok.  I heated veg oil in the bottom and seared the vegetables (fresh: green beans, yellow squash, baby portobello mushrooms, onion & green bell pepper) with a healthy sprinkle of garlic salt.  Everything except the green beans were soft(ish) when I added about a tbsp of soy sauce.  About 3 minutes before I was ready to take the vegetables off the heat, I sprinkled in a pinch (seriously) of white sugar.  It was so yummy!!!  And we all loved them.  Oh- and the green beans were crunchy which we liked.  Everything else was regular stir fry consistency. We even used the little sauce left in the bottom of the wok to season the rice. 

So if I chalk up P spitting out the rice as if I'd insulted him by serving it, to a learning experience, I'd say this dinner was a keeper!  The vegetables can definitely use a healthy make-over.  I need to reduce the salt by at least half.  I think low sodium soy sauce and garlic powder instead of garlic salt will work.  I'll have to try it again soon!

Wiggle Room

OK its Day 2 of using the menu and, surprise, surprise, I'm already changing things up!  Oh well!  Plans are always flexible.  We did eat tacos for dinner last night but the pork loin wasn't thawed in time to roast so I threw in a chicken breast I already had thawed.  It was just P and I so I didn't feel too bad substituting a less attractive piece of meat.  The vegetables were good, though.  I didn't try the baked apples.  None of us were in the mood for dessert so I will use the apples for snacks this week. 
Today, instead of pork sandwiches (since I didnt roast the pork on Sunday), I substituted Big Burritos for lunch.  I really like these!  I used a wrap-size flour tortilla with added omega-3's and put mexican rice, black beans, and an assortment of other ingredients in the middle and wrapped them up like a burrito from Qdoba.  I thought it turned out pretty well.  I used fresh cilantro and squeezed in just a couple of drops of lime juice and thought it was pretty good.  You definitely have to steam the tortillas well before putting everything in or the ends will split when you try to fold up the burrito.  I put mine in a medium-size plastic container to take to work so I can microwave it.  I put B's in foil.  He can either put it on a plate to warm it or throw it in an oven at the restaurant.  P has a stomach bug so he got an assortment of low-sodium crackers and some leftover potatoes and carrots.  I'm interested to see how B liked the burrito.  For me its a keeper.
Tonight we're still on schedule to have tilapia, I just don't remember what recipe I had in mind.  Its on the counter.  I was smart enough to thaw the filets I'll need.  and the veggies are cleaned, chopped and ready to go in the wok.  I shouldnt be pressed for time but I am planning on using a steamer bag of brown rice I found at the store this weekend.  The listed ingredients are 'brown rice and water'.  So if it tastes good and really cooks in 2 minutes, I'll keep it on hand for busy nights.  Its $1.25 for 2 cups so its not cheap but sometimes time takes the priority.

Monthly Meal Planning

Last week I sat down with a cup of coffee and tackled a meal planning strategy I have been contemplating for a while.  I planned four weeks worth of meals, three meals a day.  It took about an hour to plug in a breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday for 4 weeks.  It found it amazingly easy!  And I felt SO good after I was done!  Each week I tried to plug in 2 fish dinners, 2 vegetarian dinners and fill in the rest with our favorites.  When I had a hard time deciding what meal to have on a day, I just put in the category and moved on (fish, chicken, vegetarian, etc).  It was easier to fill in the details later, after I had decided on the meals for the rest of the week.  I do my grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon (like a crazy person), so I put the meals with fresh produce in the beginning of the week.  I will use frozen vegetables for meals at the end of the week. 

I kept breakfast simple with alternating meals:  eggs and pancakes every other day.  I make pancakes on Saturday mornings and will make extras to freeze and pop in the toaster in the mornings.  My son will have milk, my husband will have a low-sodium V8 and I will have my coffee.  Breakfast is NOT the most healthy meal of our day.  I need to work on it.  We do all have morning snacks in our lunch bags, though, but I consider all of that as part of our lunches. 

I pack a lunch bag for each of us at night.  I planned lunches according to what we had for dinner the night before.  Most days I have a new spin on dinner but some days I listed straight-forward leftovers: spaghetti for lunch the day after spaghetti for dinner.  I know, not creative and the boys will be unhappy when they open their lunches but I had to start somewhere!  Two days a week my son goes to a preschool program and needs cold fingerfoods for lunch.  On Tuesdays he will have a 'lunchable'- slices of cheese, diced chicken or whole beans & crackers.  Thursdays he will have a peanut butter sandwich.  For lunches on the menu planner I only listed the entree.  I always throw in 'snacks' to last through one morning snack, lunch and one afternoon snack. 

For dinner, I tried to detail the meal as much as possible to eliminate any thinking at mealtime.  I should be able to look at the calendar the night before and know exactly what I need to prepare or thaw for the next day's meal. 

Here's Week 4:  (I started on Week 4 because I'd like for my weeks to coincide with the month)

Sunday
Breakfast
pancakes - leftover, toasted

Lunch
Roasted Pork Loin & Vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onion)

Oven Rolls (Sister Schubert's)
Baked Apples

Dinner
Homemade Tacos (lightly fried corn tortillas, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, black olives, sr cream, salsa, shredded Mex. cheese blend, chopped onions, lean ground beef)
Cookies (homemade chocolate chip)

Monday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
Sliced Pork Sandwiches

Dinner
Tilapia (I left the recipe on the counter... will add tonight)
Instant brown rice
Stir-fried veg (all fresh: yellow squash, green beans, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms)
Oven Rolls

Tuesday
Breakfast
pancakes - leftover, toasted

Lunch
B&A – Salad (spinach/spring mix, black olives, mushrooms, bacos, cheese, boiled egg, 1tbsp dressing)
P – ‘lunchable’
(pepperoni, cheese slices, crackers, etc.)

Dinner
Spaghetti (whole wheat angel-hair, Hunts mushroom spaghetti sauce, add: fresh mushrooms, green olives, black olives, chopped onion, minced garlic, s&p)
Salad
Toasted garlic bread (Split Sister Schuberts oven rolls lightly buttered w/garlic powder mixed into butter)

Wednesday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
B&A – Spaghetti
P - quesadilla (handfull of shredded mex. blend cheese & 1 corn tortilla - his sitter can microwave)

Dinner
Tilapia (I left recipe... will add)
Mashed pot & gravy (peeled white potatoes, gravy from mix)
Steamed whole-kernel corn (steamer bag)
Corn bread (from mix)

Thursday
Breakfast
pancakes (leftover, toasted)

Lunch
B&A – salad
P - PB Sandwich

Dinner
Homemade pizza (crust from scratch, diced tomatoes, mozzerella & italian blend cheeses, black olives, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, leftover ground beef from tacos)

Friday
Breakfast
Eggs

Lunch
B&A – Pizza
Peyton - Pizza

Dinner
B&A planning to go out
P - peanut butter on crackers, sliced cheese & apple slices

If we stay home
Pork
Box Rice
G. Beans w/Mushrooms
Ovn Rolls, Choc. Souffle

Saturday
Breakfast
Homemade Pancakes

Lunch
Pasta Salad (rotini pasta, b&g olives, chopped mozzerella cheese, chopped tomatoes, drizzled italian dressing)

Dinner
Homemade vegetarian lasagna
Salad
Crystal Light popsicles

The Challenges

Even when I was a stay-at-home mom I didn't have time to plan out and cook elaborate meals from scratch.  Now that I work I have less room for error.  I still insist on healthy meals for my family, though.  We eat, essentially, no processed food.  I guess I should define processed.  Fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible.  Frozen when fresh isn't available.  No canned veggies.  Dry beans when possible.  Occasionally I will use canned fruit but VERY sparingly.  Animal products are tougher as I do not live on a farm.  I prefer butcher-fresh meat but I do take advantage of my husband's restaurant discount with a national food supplier and buy frozen chicken breasts and tilapia filets in bulk.  I don't love that we eat a lot of sodium-glazed meats but I try to compensate in other areas.  My favorite place to shop is my small backyard garden but, again, I don't live on a farm.  I just do the best with what I have available. 

The Budget:
I might as well start here as it plays just as big a role as nutrition in our household.  Like everyone else, my money is spread thin and I have to make the very most of my grocery dollar.  I know that buying fresh produce is not the cheapest way to eat.  However, I also know that a diet of canned ravioli and ramen noodles will lead to serioius health problems with serious health care bills.  Bottom line: I have $100/month to spend at our local warehouse club and $65/week to spend on groceries.  This has to cover food and toiletries for two adults and a 2-yr old; 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.  (we rarely PLAN to eat out... more on that later)

The People:
I'm feeding my husband, my son and myself.  My husband is a restaurant manager and is around food all day long.  He is a great cook but hasn't cooked a meal in our house in years.  Thats totally fine with me, I love to cook!  But that does mean I have to be creative about what I put on the table.  He manages a BBQ restaurant so brisket, ribs and pulled pork are OFF the menu!  My son is a very agreeable 2 year old but he IS 2!  Currently he dislikes 'slimy' food.  If it makes a mess or leaves a residue on his fingers (he rarely uses a fork), he doesnt eat it.  He loves plain pasta, breads, and cooked vegetables.  Today.  (who knows about tomorrow!)  My husband and I were raised on steak and potatoes and he began his career in a steakhouse.  We eat meat!  But he has blood pressure issues.  I try to keep our sodium intake low (1500 - 2000 mg/day) and serve at least two vegetarian meals per week.  I... have dietary issues... I am allergic to aspartame and have a high need for potassium.  Iron and soy interfere with a daily medication.  I also plan on feeding 1-4 guests per week.  We are very close with my husband's family and have a good friend over a lot.  These are rarely planned visits and I like to feed them when they are at the house.  So I try to keep their tastes in mind when I plan meals, whether I know they will be with us or not. 

The Food:
We're food people.  We like to eat and we like to eat good food.  A huge challenge of mine is replicating restaurant entrees.  I know, it doesnt REALLY matter if my chicken alfredo tastes EXACTLY like Olive Garden's chicken alfredo but that's the goal.  When a family member or friend loves a dish, I try to replicate it and serve it when they'll be around. 

Time:
Including dropping of my son and picking him up from our child care, I commute an hour to work and an hour back home.  This leaves me with about 4 hours to cook dinner, connect with my family and get ready for the next day.  It works but there is no room for time management mistakes.

So these are the challenges to my cooking.  I know- I make it sound like a battle!  But really, isn't it?  Isn't that all we hear about these days?  Battling the obesity epidemic, the divorce epidemic, absentee parents...  Its kind of a challenge when I think about everything I should be addressing with mealtimes.  But I know generations have raised healthy, well balanced families and with the right discipline, and a whole lot of prayer, we'll do it too!