Adios!

I realize I didn't really give a proper goodbye to the readers of this blog. Life got in the way a bit towards the end, but hopefully you learned some valuable information and enjoyed your time here at Real Food. Real Lives. Real Simple. I'll be blogging at Green in a Pink World from now own, but will keep this blog up for its wealth of information!

Drop me a line or come visit over there! Thanks for your support.

xo Megan

Real Food Testimonial: Aunt Anne

This testimonial comes in from Aunt Anne. She asked me tons of great questions through email during the course of the challenge, and I enjoyed hearing about her variations in recipes. (Edamame kiku?!) Thanks, Anne!

I have enjoyed reading Megan's Real Food blog over the past 10 weeks. I haven't followed her diet but I have learned a lot about foods and I have also tried a few of the recipes which are very good and healthy. There is so much helpful information on the site. For example, I found the list of fruits and vegetables that are most susceptible to pesticides very interesting and now I tend to buy more organic produce. The blog has made me think more about what I eat and how to make healthy choices. I can't believe how much time and energy Megan has put into this. It's like a full time job. Keep up the good work. I love reading the blog. Thanks.

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!

Real Food Testimonies: Coming Soon!

I have a few guest bloggers putting together a blurb about their experience with the last few months, so please check back soon!

Eating Out

Week ten is all about transition, so we're eating out this week...out of this blog, that is. Grandma Bea always say the two best thing you can give your children are roots and wings. Hopefully I've given you some roots, and now it's your chance to use your wings! Below are links to some of my favorite real food eating blogs' recipe pages. Browse them, and do some meal planning from there! Enjoy!!

Vehement Flame
The Nourishing Gourmet
Passionate Homemaking
Nourishing Days
Only Slightly Pretentious Food
A Good Appetite
BURP! Recipes
Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
Organic Thrifty
Sarah's Musings

Bonus: Favorite Spring Recipes from Karina's Kitchen!

If anyone else has a blog with a recipe index, or wants to share their favorites, go for it!

Processing: Fake Food vs. Real Food

Ready for a shocking statement? My diet is filled with processed foods. Yup, I confess. I eat my food baked, cut up, fermented, sauteed, previously frozen, canned, and/or steamed. So what the heck am I doing blogging about Real Food? Well, let's get our definitions straight. Processing food simply means altering it in some way before consuming it. In fact, in many cases, processing, or cooking our food, helps make it more digestible. But what we've recently (since my grandmother roamed the earth) come to know as processing takes on a whole new meaning. I think the difference is in the manner the food is processed, and what's been added to it during the process. Enter, industrial food processing.

When you prepare food yourself, you have much greater control on the ingredient list. Granted, it can be more time consuming, and require preparation and foresight, but if you live a healthier, more vibrant life, isn't it worth it? However, if you buy food with more than one ingredient in the supermarket, chances are good you're going to find some add-ins in order to--

* Color - Farm raised salmon is pink, right?
* Stabilize - Watery gravy = gross
* Emulsify - Ever had homemade salad dressing? Oil and water just don't like each other...
* Bleach - We need to get the rat poop out of the flour
* Texturize - Nothing's worse than soggy cereal...
* Soften - It's as if the ice cream was churned twice
* Preserve - I'm so glad I can eat that box of crackers three years from now
* Sweeten - Even when it's sweet enough...
* Hide Odors - Do you really want to smell the fish paste in your instant Pad Thai?
* Flavor - Strawberry pop-tarts, anyone?
(Adapted from the Body Ecology site)

Maybe knowing that someone's messing with your food doesn't really bother you, but check out these fast facts to see if they ruffle a feather or two:

1. Harvard conducted a study that showed women who avoided processed carbs cut their heart disease by 30%!

2. Your taste buds become used to the strong flavors of processed foods and make you want to add more salt or sugar to the natural flavors of whole foods.

3. Convenience Foods save little time and lack nutrients, contributing to obesity and water retention according to this article

4. The World Health Organization (WHO) says processed foods are to blame for the sharp rise in obesity (and chronic disease) seen around the world.

5. Americans spend 90% of their food budget on processed foods!


Interesting Resources:
Natalie Butler, a Registered Dietitian, has a series of videos and a website detailing some of her holistic nutritional advice. I just think she's pretty cute, and she has some good basic info regarding processed foods!


Weston Price article on Industrial Food Processing
Freedom You Nutrition - The Dangers of preservatives and additives
Top 5 Hidden Dangers of Processed Foods
Twelve Dangerous Food Additives

Week 10 Testimonies

Hello Fellow Foodies!

I have been in touch with many of you following along in the challenge, though there are a few out there that may not be checking in regularly. I hope all is well with you.

Next week is the last week of the challenge. I'm turning over the blog to you, and I hope you'll help out. I'd love to hear your experience with the last 9 weeks. What was easy? surprising? difficult? frustrating? on your journey to eat real food? Where are you on that journey? No need to have lost weight/gained weight/revamped your kitchen/invented new recipes to participate. This is a journey, not a destination. We're constantly learning new things about ourselves, body, soul, and spirit.

I've recently come to terms with the fact that I can no longer eat apples and pears without intense abdominal cramping. (Why I continued to *test* this is beyond me...) I've been experiencing some other symptoms that have prompted me to look further into my diet to see if I may need to eliminate some other foods, at least temporarily. I'll be blogging about that a bit more next week over at Green in a Pink World.

I share that to say that there is no one-food-lifestyle-fits-all. We are different and our bodies have different needs. I hope this challenge has piqued your interest in fueling your body well, and pursuing real food as a way to help heal and stay well. If that's the case, would you consider emailing me your thoughts for next week's posts? If you have any favorite recipes, please include those as well! For spamming reasons, I'm typing out my address, but you get the point. =)

meganmassaro at gmail dot com

Shopping list for Week 9

Meat
2 chicken sausages
1 lb turkey sausages
4 chicken breasts
bacon

Produce
4-5 beets
bag of yellow onions
mushrooms
2 red onions
lettuce

Dried or Canned Items
Quinoa
Millet
Rolled or steel cut oats
whole wheat flour
dried apples
pomegranate molasses
2 c white beans

Dairy
eggs
goat cheese log
plain yogurt
creme fraiche
Parmesan cheese

Things you may have on hand...
sauerkraut
tomato sauce
sesame seeds
walnuts
pecans (egg salad)
olive oil
white wine
anchovies

Week 9 Menu

I know everyone is busy, and this transition to real food can be an incremental process. With that in mind, next week will deal with processed foods, and hopefully give you some pointers on what to look for if you're going to buy pre-made or processed foods. I hope to throw in some advice on eating out as well!

I've been working on some new recipes, but am trying to be discerning about which ones I post. I want them to be yummy, nutritious, and work well! If you're sick of the same old, same old, mix things up and check out some other blogs for new recipes. (I just can't guarantee I've tried them. =)


Features

Bread - Seeded Sour No Knead (this is Mark's favorite!)

Soup - Sauerkraut Sausage Soup


MENU

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with chopped apples or bananas
Roasted Beet and Cheese Pie (Likely needs to be made ahead for a weekday meal, but it's worth it!)

Turkey sausage patties and sunny-side up eggs with seeded sourdough

Omelettes


Lunches
Quinoa Mushroom Casserole

Caesar Salad

Easy Egg Salad


Dinner
Walnut Pomegranate Chicken and sauteed greens

Play with some Pizza

Sauerkraut Sausage Soup with baked Sweet Potato

Snacks
Butternut Squash fries

Peanut Butter Cups (Mark and I have eaten about a dozen of these...each...in two days!)

Power Bars

Crispy or sprouted nuts


Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins

Hump Day Exercise Challenge

I slacked on my exercise challenge last week...and maybe the week before that too. But you'll forgive me, won't you? I've been doing Zumba at the gym, with a new instructor on Tuesday evenings. It's so invigorating. I think all of the women in the room (and that old, creep guy, too!) feel young, strong, and sexy. In a non-exploitative way. It's an hour of letting loose to fun music, shaking your butt, and twisting those hips like you mean it: all for the sake of a good workout. There are times when I've almost been brought to tears just looking around the room and watching short women, tall women, skinny ones, fat ones, young ones, old ones, brown and white, yellow and tan ones, coming together without shame, with plenty of grace and smiles for all. So if you can't dance, don't worry. Most of the people in the class move to the beat of a different...song. Seriously. Sometimes I have to stifle my giggles as I watch some of the middle aged women trying to do those "hip gyrations" as my mother would say. Not that I'm much better...Suffice it to say, this is not a class of dancers!

If you have access to a gym that offers Zumba classes, you should definitely give it a try. Sometimes you can find Zumba on those extra cable channels that we don't have, so I can't exactly give you more info than that. You can find some workouts online if you search for "zumba" under the video tab in google. But the best place for a good workout might just be in the audiovisual section of your local, free library! Get moving!

A 2007 segment on The Today Show's "Take it Off Today" featured the Zumba craze.


Zumba in the Today Show -

Avoid the Dirty Dozen

If you're going to buy organic as you can afford it, check out this list, at foodnews.org, which is available in a printable wallet version. At their site, "Food News," the Environmental Working Group says that we can reduce our pesticide exposure by a whopping NINETY PERCENT if we avoid the "dirty dozen," which are the twelve most contaminated fruits and veggies.

So what are the most heavily laden fruits and veggies?
Peaches, strawberries, apples, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, cherries, imported grapes, pears

But this little ditty of a post wouldn't be complete without some good news. The produce that carry the least amount of pesticides?
Onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, and bananas.

I hope this brief little post will be useful and influential on your next shopping journey! I will be designing next week's menu with the dirty dozen in mind.

Week 8: Organic Produce

If you think organic produce is a marketing scheme that will just drain your wallet, or you're a bit skeptical about the whole industry, lend me your ear for a moment or two...

I would like to first start out by saying that I do not buy organic or local produce only. I liken my food convictions to my faith convictions. I feel strongly that patience, for example, is something that God desires for me: both for the benefit it will extend to me, as well as the blessing it will be to the one who receives it. However, there are times when I view patience as too costly, and I choose (though not so blatantly) to replace it with anger, frustration, or bitterness. Ironically, the latter three emotions are far more costly in the long run: they eventually morph into anxiety, depression, and self-pity. But at that moment, patience just didn't seem worth it.

Buying organic sometimes feels like this. I don't know if its worth it - and when I'm looking at the prices in Whole Foods, (I don't enjoy shopping there, but Massachusetts Farmers' Markets are very seasonal...) it's sometimes hard to justify. So sometimes, I don't. I just buy conventional. However, after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, when I reach for the $1.99/lb peppers instead of the $3.49/lb organic variety, I hear this little voice in the back of my head telling me that the run-off from the pesticide laden fields is seeping into our water supply, killing fish, contributing to cancer, deteriorating the health of the migrant workers in the fields of California...And most of the time, I put back the lemons and decide to make hummus without them, or lay aside the bananas until I make it down to Good Health, where they sell deliciously ripe organic bananas for $.29 a pound. But still, sometimes I don't. I say that because I want you to know that small steps are better than no steps. If you really want to make a mango salsa, but the organic mangoes cost $3 more than the conventional ones, and substituting just won't work - get what you can afford, but pay close attention to the rest of your list, as maybe the organic onions are only $.49 more a pound. Every step counts.

That said, I want to make it very clear where I stand and what I'm striving for. To me, organic produce, grass-fed meat, and fairly traded or recycled products aren't luxury items. They are a priority. Mark is unemployed and I'm not exactly raking in the dough, so our food budget is modest. But by eliminating processed foods, we're able to buy a good deal more in the fresh food department. And maybe it means we rent movies from the library instead of going out to the movie theater. Or perhaps I still wear those comfy blue corduroys I stole from my little sister's friend' in 2001...(they're so darn comfortable, really!) Or maybe we don't buy supplements and vitamins, because the food we consume is already filled with them.

I'll give some more "hard" facts in the coming days, but I have to say, although the information appeals to the head, what keeps me striving towards an organic lifestyle is my heart. I want my kids and their kids to enjoy the beauty of our land, in as optimal health (through good nutrition of course!) as possible.

Aruba, 2008. Photo by Mark Massaro

Shopping list for Week 8

Meat
1 lb sirloin or stewing beef
Whole chicken
1 lb chicken (breast or thighs) if you are adding chicken to the root vegetable cobbler
1 lb bacon


Produce
1 bag small onions (about 6)
1lb bag carrots
1 red, 1 green pepper
garlic
1 eggplant
1 leek
1 pound of red potatoes
1 russet potato
1 turnip
1 c peas
fresh ginger root
3 apples
fresh parsley
salad greens

Canned or Dried Items
dried cranberries
pecans
1 can coconut milk
lentils (2 c)
millet
pumpkin puree
12 - 13 oz canned clams (or fresh!)
1 large can salmon
clam juice or seafood stock (~2 c)

Dairy
cage free eggs
plain yogurt (Seven Stars Farm, Hawthorne Family Farm)
whole milk
2 c heavy cream

Other staples
coconut oil (favorite source - Mountain Rose Herbs: $41 for 1 gallon of unrefined or $22 for refined, which will last forever!)

spices: allspice, coriander, cumin, red pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric

You'll also need, but probably have on hand -
whole wheat flour
milk
yeast

Week 8 Menu

We'll be talking about organic produce this week. The menu does include some vegetables, but I do try to choose seasonally, so some of the info you'll be learning might be best tucked away for the late spring/summer!

I've decided to post a list for you to choose from, rather than a weekly menu (as it seems most people are picking and choosing anyway!!) All of the meals will include enough for two nights' dinners, for two people, so you'll be preparing dinner just three evenings (or if you're like me, all in one day to minimize cooking!). Adjust recipes accordingly if you are cooking for more than two.


Features
When necessary, prepare these early in the week so you have them on hand for recipes and munching!

Bread - No Knead Cranberry Pecan Bread

Soup - Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

Snack - Pumpkin Bread


MENU
Breakfasts
French Toast

Carmelized Apple Pancake

Omelettes


Lunches
Clam Chowder


Salmon Cake Salad

Root Vegetable Cobbler with Millet Dumplings (did you make this yet?? you really must!)


Dinner
Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

Crockpot Chicken with roasted carrot puree (Don't forget to save the carcass!)

Spiced Beef and Vegetables


Snacks
Butternut Squash fries

Peanut Butter Cups (Mark and I have eaten about a dozen of these...each...in two days!)

Power Bars

Crispy or sprouted nuts


Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins

Fermentation Recipes and Resources

I'd recommend trying at least one recipe over the next week. I'll be including a soup made with sauerkraut in week 8, so you may want to try that one!

Here are two ways to ferment cabbage:
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut with whey

And a recipe for fermented bean paste:
Fermented Bean Paste

Kefir is fermented milk, as is yogurt. Learn how to make each of them at home!

Resources:
Fun with Fermentation
Wild Fermentation
Benefits of and recipe for Kimchi
Delicious Organics' Fermented Foods

Week 7 lives on...

I've fallen off the proverbial turnip truck in terms of blogging. Please forgive me. I have been cooking easy favorites, and eating lots of salads with roasted beets (I still have 8 left in the fridge from my Lambert's run last week). Grades closed this week, I got my first grad school rejection, and I've been feeling a bit of the winter blues. That said, stay encouraged, and eat real food. I will be back soon with a few fermented recipes!

Week 7: Fermentation

............................My fermented vegetable collection...........................
From left top: Red peppers, pearl onions, ketchup, ginger carrots, coconut chutney
Left bottom: Beet kvass, sauerkraut, black beans, sweet potato

I hated science class from about fifth grade on. I thought it was either irrelevant or disgusting, or both. If I could pull a Billy Madison, I'd go back in a heart beat though. Science fascinates me, and I'd love another chance to participate in a science fair to compare the effects of temperature and time (and music?!) on fermentation. Or something cool like that. But alas, I'll just have to ferment in the kitchen and hope for the best! This week's, and next week's posts most probably, will hopefully bring out the scientist in you. I'm not going to say it's easy, or you can't mess it up - because it's not, and you just may. What I will say is that fermenting foods gives me such satisfaction, that I think it's definitely worth the extra jars and uncertainty lingering around the kitchen.

What IS Fermentation?
Quite simply, it's a chemical change brought about by yeast, bacteria, and/or mold. People have used fermentation for centuries to preserve their food. Many familiar foods are, or were at one time, fermented, including wine and beer, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, ketchup (from the Chinese word for fish brine!), and pickles!

Why Should I Ferment?
Let's face it - we spend a good deal of time focusing on our outward appearance. Some more than others, but regardless, I'd bet we all spend more energy on our outward appearance than we do considering what we look like on the inside. Our gut is home to over 200 species of bacteria - microbes help break down the food in our intestines, aiding digestion, fighting off disease (sauerkraut was given to sailors to prevent scurvy), and boosting our immune systems. Maintaining a balance in our intestinal flora is key to our health. If we feed our bodies hard to digest (read: dead and fake) items, fermentation will occur in our bodies, leading to gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and in the long term, possibly diseases and cancer. However, we can also provide our bodies with predigested foods, in the form of fermented goodies, to assist that lovely colony of microbes living under our skin.

Fermentation does more than just preserve food: it increases nutrients, including B vitamins in milk and vitamin C in fermented veggies. It also increases the bioavailability of these vitamins. You may have even heard of some of our microbial friends. Lactobacilli have gained popularity through yogurts like Activia and DanAlive, which both tout the probiotic, or "good bacteria" that the strands of lactobacilli provide. Now, you could just buy a bottle of probiotic pills and be done with it, but you know I'm not going to let you off that easily. The name of this blog is, after all, REAL food. Stay tuned for a post weighing the pros and cons of commercial probiotics, as well as some "How-Tos!"

Fermented Recipes
Coconut Chutney
Kefir
Dosas
Ginger Carrots
Fish Sauce and Ketchup
Beet Kvass
More to come!!

Resources
Wild Fermentation - Includes recipes, FAQs and more!
Fermentation is fun!
Lacto-fermentation

Week 6: Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is my new favorite. Just to prove it, I took out my coconut staples and had a little photo shoot with them. The large one gallon tub is coconut oil, which I buy at Mountain Rose Herbs. There's coconut milk, shredded coconut, coconut chutney, and nut butter in the pic too. I use almost all of these on a regular basis. I take a tablespoon of the oil in my tea in the morning; I add it to my smoothies; I bake with it; I use it as a facial moisturizer; it's become my only hair product; I sprinkle flakes on my yogurt and in my applesauce; I make yummy dishes with the milk - and on, and on. Coconut is rich in lauric acid, which has anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties. Lauric acid, an immune booster, cannot be produced by the liver, but is only present in mother's milk, coconut oil, palm oil, and in small amounts, butterfat. READ: this stuff keeps you healthy! Coconut oil can also help you lose weight and speed up your metabolism. Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon wrote a book detailing everything you ever wanted to know and more, all about coconut oil and fats, called Eat Fat, Lose Fat. It's a must read!

There are endless reasons that you should incorporate coconut oil, and coconut products in general, into your diet. I could rewrite them all in this post, or I could stop here, and just give a few links to check out yourself. I think I'll do the latter. =)

Scientific research on the benefit of coconut oil

Losing weight with coconut oil

Scroll down right past the "Coming Soon!", and you'll see Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Coconut Carnival has a host of coconut inspired reader recipes

Concise benefits of coconut oil

And Gayle, I've been looking into the refined versus unrefined issue, and all that I've been able to uncover is that refined doesn't have the coconut scent/flavor, but nutritionally, they are very similar! Do make sure you buy from a reputable source though. =)

Week 7 News

The weeks are flying by, and I haven't been able to do as many informational postings as I would have liked. So, this coming week and next (the weeks of February 22nd and March 1st), I'm going to call "Week 7," which means no new menu. I'm already anticipating that report cards are due soon, and I want to make sure I am thorough with fermentation, (which I have been doing quite a bit of after that crazy trip to Lambert's!). Just so we are clear, there will be NO menu for the week of March 1st, but instead, I'll be trying to sneak in a few extra postings.

Also, I'd like to hear where everyone is in their work to reach their goals. Please let me know how I can best help you! We are more than half way done with the challenge, so I want to make sure your needs are met. I'll be posting a survey soon, and completion of it will be the entry for our next Free Friday Giveaway! Oh, and congratulations to NewLife who won an Empanada dinner, made and delivered today. Apparently she and her loved ones ate it right up!

Week 7: Shopping List

These weeks are flying by! Here's your list for week 7. If you're going to try to make some of the fermented foods, you may want to purchase or obtain some wide mouth mason jars with banded lids.

Meat
3 lbs ground beef (half if you aren't freezing left over meatballs)
2-3 chicken breasts


Produce
1 bag small onions (about 6)
1lb bag carrots
1 red, 2 green peppers
spinach
1 sweet potato
garlic
eggplant
3 zucchini
bananas
1 lemon
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes
1 large rutabaga
1-2 turnips
1 head lettuce
1 c peas

Canned or Dried Items
1 can coconut milk
rice (1 c)
lentils (2 c)
millet or millet flour
anchovies
2 can crushed or "kitchen ready" tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 c shredded coconut

Dairy
cage free eggs
plain yogurt (Seven Stars Farm, Hawthorne Family Farm)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
raw cheese for pizza


Other staples
coconut oil (favorite source - Mountain Rose Herbs: $41 for 1 gallon of unrefined or $22 for refined, which will last forever!)

spices: thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, basil, bay leaf, mustard seeds, cumin, coriander seeds

You'll also need, but probably have on hand -

beef stock
1/2 c red wine
bread crumbs
olive oil
whole wheat flour
milk