Our Journey to Cleaner Eating Part One: Processed Foods I Can't Seem to Get Rid Of

I am on a mission to have a clean-eating home.  Just recently, I have been a part of several discussions among friends who are trying to do the same thing, so I thought I would share our journey with you.  It has taken me a couple of years, but over that time, I have replaced a LOT of things that we used to keep on our pantry and refrigerator shelves.  I have been so surprised at how much shelf space I have in my pantry now.  Gone are the thousand bags of 100 calorie snacks, cracker boxes, cookies, boxed dinners, and junky treats.   I don't think we could ever eat clean 100% of the time.  It's just not convenient all the time and I don't mind having bad stuff.  It's no secret, bad stuff is soooo GOOD sometimes.  But, I am trying to make the food in our home as natural, preservative-free, and homemade as I possibly can.  We will never stop our weekly trips to Salsaritas, Froyoz, and the like, and we will always hit our favorite restaurants without hesitation.  I'm not cooking all the time.  It just ain't gonna happen.  I am just making a goal to pick the best things I can for our pantry and refrigerator, and also to cook as much as I can.  I'm realistic, though, and I have no desire to give up some of life's conveniences.  There are some things, though, that I have just not been able to replace or stop using.

1)  Pasta: I thought for two minutes one time about making my own pasta, but then I realized that I have a life and that this might put me over the edge.  I talked to some friends who had made their own and they felt that, while you could do it and be successful, it was very time consuming and it was hard to get it consistent every time.  I was also going to have to shell out a good amount of dough (no pun intended - LOL) for some tools that would make it easier, so it wasn't going to even be close to cost effective. We don't eat much pasta, and I do buy whole wheat for most things, so I don't feel like we're at a huge loss on this one.

2)  Bagel Thins:   This is by far a key element in my favorite breakfast.  At least 3 or 4 times a week, I  eat a whole wheat bagel thin, Kroger-brand crunchy Nutella, and slice a banana on top.  Oh my word.  It is the best breakfast on Earth.  While there is inherently nothing wrong with a whole wheat bagel, it's still a processed food and it's chock full of preservatives.  We have moved to preservative free, homemade bread, and yes, I could just have toast with my nutella and banana, and I should, so maybe that's my next step.  I am an EXTREME creature of habit, and I know this breakfast keeps me full and 100% satisfied until noon, so I hate changing it.  I want to start doing the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, so maybe I can find a good replacement that way.  Any suggestions on that, by the way?

3)  Nutella:  Or, really, the Kroger brand crunchy hazelnut spread, because that is my all time favorite.  While it's not horribly processed, it's not the most healthy spread out there.  Of course it's loaded with sugar, for one.  It's also made with modified palm oil, and the verdict is still out on that one.  It gets a bad rap because it's a saturated fat, but I don't fear saturated fats at all (hello, I heart my real butter).  It has become the replacement fat in lots of items that used to contain trans-fats.  It's cheap and stays almost solid at room temperature, but it gets mixed reviews depending on where you look.  There are no sources that really call it "great".  Many just say it's OK.  There's no freakin' way I'm giving this stuff up, though, so I put it in the category of "If I Get Rid of the Rest of the Crap Food, I Can Justify This One"

4)  Margarita Mix:   This is not up for discussion at the moment.

5)  Sugar-Free Syrup:  Real maple syrup is clearly the best choice, but I literally cannot handle the sugar rush it causes.  I feel like I have just had my head slammed up against a wall about 2 hours after I have eaten it.  My body and that amount of sugar just don't get along.  I like every bite of my pancakes to have a nice coating of syrup.  I really wish I could wean myself down to just a drizzle, but that's going to take awhile.  So, to save myself (and my family) from me becoming postal, and also to save myself about 1000 calories, I have to stick with the sugar-free for now.  I do make healthy, hearty pancakes (except when I splurge and make real Cruze Farm buttermilk pancakes) so at least I am not getting the junk from the box mix.

6)  Cereal:  I basically don't eat cereal anymore, but TriDad eats it EVERY day for breakfast.  He's kinda on his own, but I feel like it's my job to feed my kids the healthiest food I can feed them, and they do like cereal.  Frosted Mini Wheats is probably the worst one we typically buy because it's so loaded with sugar.  I do try to limit them to once or twice a week.  Special K with Red Berries and Honey Bunches of Oats are the other big favorites.  Not horrible, but still processed and they have a lot of ingredients.  I did start making my own crock-pot granola, and Sporticus loves it a lot.  He will eat two bowls with raisins.  Digitt isn't the biggest cereal fan, but he will eat it from time to time.

7)  Salad Dressings:  I do only buy refrigerated dressings now, and I try to get the ones with fewest ingredients.  There's no reason I shouldn't make my own, but I just love the variety and convenience of the ones at the store.  It's on my list to change, I just need to come up with some good recipes that we all like.

I am sure there are more that aren't coming to mind right now, but these are the biggies at our house.  Stay tuned for Part Two:  Things I Can't Figure Out HOW to Get Rid Of.