Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Keep on Cookin'

Little Jenny Wren recommended it, and is it ever an eye-opener.

I grew up during the 1970's, and I would say that most of our meals were packaged and or assembled from packaged ingredients. I really never realized until adulthood, that food is so much better for you if you make it yourself. I also realized that my grocery budget could be drastically reduced by making my own bread, granola, sauces, dressings, etc. And they taste so much better too!

There are a few very interesting things, that really made me think.

"Factory conditions imposed strict limits on the sensory qualities possible in packaged foods, making them predominantly very sweet, very salty, or very bland. The more such qualities were reflected in a family's home cooking, the more acceptable they became-so much so that in the worst of the nations cooking, even dishes made from scratch paid homage to factory flavors."

and

"During the first decades of the twentieth century millions of American palates adjusted to artificial flavors and then welcomed them; and consumers started to let the food industry make a great many decisions on matters of taste that people in the past had always made for themselves."

And did you know that convenience foods really started to take off after WWII because the companies that made military rations didn't want to go out of business, so they repackaged them as "a homemaker's best friend" ?!!!?

What really gets me is now we all have a taste for bad food! My family is not the first to prefer pancakes made with Krusteaz, instead of my whole wheat variety. And don't even get me started about fake maple syrup and how my family prefers it over the real thing. After reading this book I feel like we've been tricked by the food industry.

One thing I do know, the more I prepare wholesome made-from-scratch meals, the more my family has a taste for it. Just like millions of Americans have grown accustomed to the taste of artificial food, my family has now grown accustomed to food made from scratch. It has taken years though.

What really saddens me is that it takes alot of will-power and determination to resist the temptation. It would be sooooooooo easy to just grab a quick meal from the nearest grocery store. They really do make it too easy. Sometimes I wish there weren't so many choices.

What keeps me cooking, is the peace of mind I get from knowing I am feeding my family the best way I know how. They are thriving, strong, healthy, bright, and beautiful. Healthy and whole foods are a big part of the reason.

I would highly recommend reading this book. Beware though.......you will be very dis-enchanted with the food industry :~)

I pray that you are having a healthy and happy week. In God's Love, Tami

5 comments:

  1. So glad your hubby found a new job!
    The book sounds interesting. I am working toward more and more from scratch in our house....there are a few things that aren't going easily....like boxed mac and cheese. My husband grew up eating it and I have a feeling it will forever stay in the cupboard :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm gonna check this book out. This has been an interest of mine for some time.
    Our family now has a taste for home made food. When we are in a situation where we must eat processed foods, we all get stomach aches. :(
    amanda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tami, this is a great post. I, too, for quite a while now, have moved my family to almost exclusively eating from home, from scratch, and only very rarely in a restaurant. We plan lunch bags for times when we are away from home, have sports bottles with us so everyone always has water with them to avoid any sodas, a bag of apples for snacks, etc.

    Eating whole foods has taken a little time, but has paid off tremendously. My kids' favorite meal is "salad" and my 4 year old requested baked chicken, cabbage, and squash for dinner a few days ago. So, I knew then that it paid off to avoid those center aisles of the grocery store.

    I'm trying desperately to teach my kids how to eat healthfully and I can see that it is catching on :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tami,
    This is really a great post.

    They have that book in our library system, so I'm going to request it soon. About being disenchanted with the food industry: I could say I have been for a while now, but thanks for the warning. lol

    Living in another country, I grew up with mostly home-cooked meals, and hardly any processed food. When I moved here I was shocked at how much processed and unhealthy foods people eat- until I got immersed in that culture.

    Well, I know better now. (I hope!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yay, I picked up the book from the library today!
    amanda

    ReplyDelete