Getting Real in My Kitchen |

Getting Real in My Kitchen

on May 3, 2013 by Jami Balmet 0 comments

This year I have several goals when it comes to my homemaking. I don’t ever want to be stagnant in my quest towards becoming a better homemaking, wife and mother who brings glory to God. My main focus right now is in the kitchen. This year I’m getting REAL in my kitchen…and converting to a whole foods diet!

I am on a quest and a journey right now towards making sure my family is eating healthy. I have been discovering what it means to eat a truly healthy diet and cook yummy nutritious meals for my family!

Here are some tips I’ve learned along this journey as well as some resources to help get you started!

Tips to a Healthy Kitchen

1) Throw out all your packaged Foods

Packages foods are usually the most processed. They most likely contain fillers and chemicals that are unhealthy and even dangerous!

Learn to avoid things such as artificial food coloring, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, preservatives and more! Here’s a handy guide on 7 things to avoid when shopping.

Throw out all the processed, packaged junk and learn to make things from scratch. For example, did you know it’s MUCH cheaper {and healthier and super easy} to buy a bag of dried beans and cook them yourself rather than buying canned!?

2) Learn to Read Food Labels

This is key to having a healthier kitchen! Many items that are labeled “healthy” or “natural” or “low fat” are actually the opposite!

It can be overwhelming to know where to start and what to look for when reading labels so here is a great explanation for how to read food labels.

3) Experiment in the Kitchen

If you are used to a highly processed diet then switching to a healthy diet may leave you stumped!

I never grew up eating many vegetables and even as an adult I have never really cared for them. But when I realized I really needed to get more in our diet, I decided to experiment with how to make the best tasting vegetables and this has led to many of our favorite recipes!

Start experimenting with new foods and I’m sure you will discover new favorites along the way!

I am learning how to make sourdough from scratch and I know it will be a new family favorite!

4) Connect with other Homemakers

Learn from others around you. Ask how your friends and ladies at church make certain dishes and be ready to share your secrets as well!

Homemakers shouldn’t be in competition with each other! Rather we should be learning and growing together for the sake of our families and for God’s glory!

Join us on Facebook to connect with other homemakers and have discussions centered around how to raise our families for God’s glory!

5) Do your research!

I didn’t truly know what eating healthy was until one day I stumbled across the 100 Days of Real Food blog. My eyes were opened and for 2 1/2 years now I have been researching what it means to really eat a healthy diet!

Here are some great websites to help you on your journey:

Those websites provide some great knowledge when you are starting out and if you want to dig even deeper {and broaden your recipe base} then here are some fantastic eBook resources you should check out!

Cookbooks

Crock On by Stacy Makes Cents

A semi-whole foods slow cooker cookbook – packed with a ton of yummy recipes!

20 Minute Meals by Intentional By Grace

Do you need simple, nutritious meals for your family without having to resort to pre-packaged, processed foods or carry-out? Leigh Anne shows you how to do it – and in under 20 minutes!

Real Food Real Easy by various authors

The book is a collaborative eCookbook with more than 70 real food recipes – This book can potentially be all a real food newbie needs (minus the cost of food!) to feed their family in the early days of converting to real food.

Simply Summer by Modern Alternative Mama

Fresh, seasonal summer recipes — exactly what you need when you want to enjoy summer’s bounty. The recipes are light and delicious.

Just Making Ice cream by Just Making Noise

An awesome book packed full of ice cream recipes that don’t need a fancy ice cream maker and are made out of nutritious ingredients!

Seasonal Meal Plans by My Humble Kitchen

I LOVE Diana’s menu plans!! I have done a few week so eating in our household off her menu plans and she has some amazing recipes! This eBook of 4 weekly menu plans is awesome 🙂