This pregnancy has really changed me... as a mother, a mother-to-be, and as a person. When I was pregnant with Mikayla I ate everything that was bad-for-you, such as McDonald's (those Big Macs really go down easily!), Oreos dipped in PB (yummm!), big huge ice cream sundaes, lots of sweets and cheese..etc. Looking back on it now I realize all of this. Something must have changed inside me, because all I crave now is huge bowls of veggies! I mean... the problem with being pregnant is everything that I eat tastes amazing, so I have to eat it all. Pretty much I don't allow myself to eat garbage this time.
In fact, this pregnancy its quite the opposite. Ive been reading information on food, reading other blogs, watching movies and documentaries, and just throwing myself into the eating world (both healthy and "un"), and I feel like I have learned so much. All of this really makes me more aware of what I eat. It makes me aware of what I am feeding my family, especially my daughter (who likes Pop-Tarts because, well, because other 5 yr olds like Pop Tarts and the SERVE THEM AT SCHOOL FOR BREAKFAST!!).
The funny thing? I felt like I have been eating well. I buy from the perimeters of the grocery store, I cook healthy dinners, we eat fruit and veggies... but now I'm learning maybe that isn't enough.
Yesterday at Price Chopper I discovered they are starting a section of humanely raised meat (chicken, steak, etc). It is more expensive, and I didn't buy it yet, but I probably will. Walking through the store, I despise seeing a 2 lb red pepper sitting in my hand, knowing that a pepper should never be that big!! Everything has gotten so HUGE at the stores lately! Its insane. True... red peppers are healthy... but how healthy is a 2 lb red pepper?? I bought the smallest one yesterday and it was 3/4 lb. FOR ONE PEPPER! Insane.
Here are my groceries:
I only bought one meat item, which was all natural ground chicken. I cant go insane on this, I still have a family that needs to eat, nor do I have the money or resources to shop at farmers markets and health food stores. I just need to make the best choices with what I am given.
Guess what?? I almost bought Mikayla EGGOS! I thought, wait.. I wouldn't eat Eggo's, why would I give those to my child?
Ingredients:ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL, PALM OIL AND PALM KERNEL OIL WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID FOR FRESHNESS), EGGS, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, WHEY, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, YELLOW #5, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), YELLOW #6, VITAMIN B12
Reduced Iron? What in the world is reduced iron? Yellow #5 and #6?? Huh? Instead I purchased a box of Van's, which I found popular on the blog world. I also realized I was sending her off to school with Capri Sun's everyday... those cant be good for you either, right? Instead, I found water flavored with natural fruit extract. When I drank one I was positive it wasn't coming out of a "juice box", it tasted so different!
Now, am I going to stop eating things I have been predisposed to know and enjoy for 28 years? Probably not. I don't live in a bubble. I'm still going to make brownies, and eat pizza, and drink the occasional soda or Gatorade. I am just going to make myself much, much more aware of the ingredients that are going into my body.
Whew.
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