Friday, November 6, 2009

Eating Healthy In A Junk Food World…Odd Woman Out

First, look what I made this morning! 

straining pomegranates

We have had these pomegranates and nobody wants to deal with them.  FabPreteen and I ate some of them….but I hate swallowing the seeds and hate spitting them out, although I love those beautiful ruby gems….they look so pretty and taste so good.

At any rate, I couldn’t let them go to waste, so I cut and peeled and seeded and blended and strained, and after about half an hour of work I ended up with this!

pomegranate juiceTastes great….but lots of work.   When I get more pomegranates in my produce box I will juice them….but I won’t go out of my way to buy them to make juice!  Good thing I work at home.

The Healthy Eating Part

Tomorrow at this time I will be leisurely cruising down the Peace River in a canoe.  (FabHubs does most of the paddling…it sure is leisurely for me!)

We will be sleeping pulling over and setting up camp tomorrow night somewhere along the river, and then  putting in again the next morning.  

This is one of my favorite trips, an annual trip our Boy Scout troop makes.   Only thing is, this is my first major campout since I have been transitioning our eating habits and it really opens my eyes to just how cocooned my food world has become.

I surround myself with organic produce boxes, healthy eating blogs and lifestyles, nutritional books to read, and the organic section of the grocery store.  And that has become my world!  And when I step out of the cocoon reality sure hits hard!

What do you mean the rest of the world still eats junk food and artificially processed crap!  Don’t They Know????? (Gee…I sound like a reformed smoker, don’t I?!?!)

So this weekend the “troop cook” will be bringing along muffins and cereal with milk for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch, and spaghetti with meat sauce (jarred!) for dinner.  Kool-aid type stuff for drinks (I have never been a drinker of that stuff….I do have some healthy roots!) 

I asked for some veggies and fruits…and he said maybe, he would try.  (He proudly proclaims that he doesn’t eat anything green!  Never has, never will!)

And when I asked about healthier, meatless options for lunch and dinner, he said he would bring some lettuce for me.  Or that I was on my own.

So, while FabHubs and FabSS will be happy to eat the hot dogs and jarred spaghetti sauce…..FabTeen and I will be paying $18 a piece for food (everybody pays that) but still packing our own.  Sigh…..

This morning I am off to Whole Foods to get some fruits, veggies, garden burger type things, packets of almond butter, and other yummy snacky and meal things for us.  The bottles of water are already in the freezer so I am prepared there.

I will be getting some individual packs of almond or rice milk and packing along some Amazing Grass to make some shakes.  No blender, so no Green Monsters…but all will still be good.

I guess I have to take that Boy Scout motto to heart….I will Be Prepared!

But seriously, whether camping, or going out to dinner, or to a party, or on a school field trip, I have found that in order to have delicious satisfying meals out in the real world, I have to do a lot of planning, preparing, and packing. 

Eating consciously sure is a lot of work….and as I peeled and seeded and blended and strained my pomegranates this morning, all for a little shot of juice, I can see how easy it is for someone who is not committed to this lifestyle to succumb to the speed and ease of processed packaged foods.  

I am glad I have the mindset, and the time, to be committed!

If I don’t get back on today, have a great weekend everybody and I will back with some beautiful river and camping pictures!

4 comments:

Jessie (Vegan-minded) said...

Hi Jewel! Thanks for visiting my blog. :)
You are right, eating consciously is a lot of work, but it is SO worth it! Kudos to you for planning in advance and staying healthy during your trip.

Mindy said...

I totally agree that eating this way takes hard work and planning. it's awesome that you are thinking ahead and going in prepared. i hope you have a great weekend!

Moi said...

Have a great time. It sounds like an awesome time. It is a challange to eat better but you are worth it. Can't wait to see pictures

M and A said...

you should pat yourself on the back. if it were me on the camping trip i would be eating what everyone else is. i probably brought some of my food, but i don't have the will power not to eat the other. congrats!