Every since baby has been on solids, I've further cleaned up my eating habits. My habits are generally pretty good but lacking in some areas- never organic, little raw (fruit only with the odd salad) and can't say no to "treatsies" (chips? yes! brownies? um hello! chocolate bar? does a bear poo in the woods!!-that was an editted answer from a Friends episode for all you that didn't get that reference).
So because I am overly caring, hyper particular mother, my baby gets the best of the best. Organic, homemade, healthy happy foods. This has re focused my former good habits (pre pregnancy). Not sure why pregnancy opened a door to chips, brownies, cheesecake? Luckily, it was only a couple weeks in the 2nd trimester, but I digress. Also, how and why would baby be pro zucchini if papa and mama are eating Lay's Sweet Chili? Example! Before, I go on, I want to clarify that we aren't generally bad eaters. We don't do that fast food thing and we don't indulge in packaged crap which I haven't been a fan of for years. I just want to get our diet even more squeaky clean to match baby's needs too. More organic and raw in particular. Note- Baby won't be a raw baby cuz she does require iron, but it'll come from clean free range organic sources. My husband doesn't want to eat meat anymore though and I've never been a big fan. But we aren't announcing vegetarianism either. Meat will be rarely consumed by us parents.
Alright, I've tried to get heavy into raw foods twice now. The first time I was an eager beaver. My family had equipment too-blender, food processor, juicer and a cheapie food dehydrator. It was the summer before I moved to the other side of the world. I had quit my job 6 weeks in advance so I could just be with the family before leaving on a jet plane. I was in a city that had a bulk food store with cheap nuts and seeds and health food shops for any other need on the ingredient list. I went gung ho...for 4 days. Then I got tired of spending my day in the kitchen soaking, processing, blending, juicing, slicing, drying. It was a lot of work to prepare one meal which had to be done in advance.
My second attempt was somewhere around the end of 1st trimester (before I got crazy with cravings in 2nd trimester). My nausea was calming down and I had enough of it and figured raw foods would do it. I didn't have the equipment. I had a blender. So I combed through my raw foods book for recipes that were pretty much salads and blended drinks and soups. I did have a stove top oven which had a low setting so I tried one dehydrator recipe. It turned out mediocre at best. Well, that lasted maybe 2 days? My gag reflexes kicked in at the thought of another raw thing. I wanted a warm plate of saucy pasta. The cravings had arrived.
I had dabbled here and there inbetween those 2 attempts to go raw again but it's tough. And in that time, I had come up with excuses why raw is tough.
1. I don't have the equipment- vitamix, bosch, excalibur, cold press juicer, veg spiraler, mandolin
2. I like to have a warm plate of food- mmmm, lentils and rice
3. I don't have time- soaking, processing, blending, drying, slicing, juicing...I have a busy baby!
4. I like yogurt, eggs and salmon
5. Nuts and seeds are so expensive this side of Cape Town
So here we are again, take 3. But this time, I'm gonna be smart and I have a plan to attack those 5 excuses:
1. I don't need all the equipment. How hard is it to chop up some veg for a salad? Crush some walnuts, toss em with spices and soy sauce and add this "taco meat" on top. I'm gonna do simple stuff that doesn't require a counter full of gadgets. Salads, soups, drinks, desserts, snacks.
2. I'm not gonna commit to being 100% raw. We watched Food Matters the other day, loved it, and they said that eating just 51% raw foods diet will do the trick of raising your health up up up. So that is my goal. Take plate, and fill slightly more than half with raw organic produce. Easy.
3. I'm not doing the time consuming recipes. As for soaking nuts, how hard is it to pour some water over the almonds before I go to bed?
4. I will still eat yogurt, eggs and salmon. Natural organic yogurt that I flavor with stevia and fresh fruit. Free range eggs sunny side up (yolk still raw). And salmon sashimi...drool everywhere.
5. Not much I can about the price but I can cut down the amount that the recipe calls for. Still works.
