Real Food Testimonial: Lima Bean Green

Thanks to Gayle from Maine, who shares her thoughts today on the challenge:

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking to change my diet and I wasn’t looking to live more sustainably. However, Megan is an extremely busy person and I felt that if since she was going out of her way to teach others what she’s been learning, it’s atleast worth reading! Plus knowing her personally = more credibility in my opinion. And well, I was curious.

I’ve always thought my family’s diet was relatively healthy, but from the past 10 weeks, I’ve learned how small changes can make my family’s diet that much more nutritious. To name a few: soaking seeds/nuts, limiting microwave use, and trying to find/make breads that list/use whole wheat flour as the ingredient.

But more than that, I think one of the biggest changes in the past 10 weeks for me has been what I considered to be good food. Ingredients that I once thought of as fatty kitchen foes like eggs (yolks), crème fraiche (cream items), bacon, and butter are slowly working their way back into my kitchen. I was quite appalled at the blog entry “Yellow Gold,” the picture of the blocks and blocks of $75 worth of butter (was anyone else alarmed?), but spent some time reading up on the benefits of butter after seeing that picture. It’s hard changing old ways, but I am more open to these ingredients as part of a whole, real food diet. And along with these ingredients, thanks to this website, I have been introduced to many new foods like whey, kefir, sprouted grains, and coconut oil.

I was able to pick and choose recipes and ideas that work for my family now, but I know I can come back and implement more ideas when we’re ready. I’m still a ways off, but I feel like I am getting healthier and greener (maybe lima bean green? ☺). Thanks Meg!