Real Food Challenge

Matt and I are starting a real food challenge on March 1.  It’s a ten day challenge to eat only real foods, nothing with more than 5 ingredients.  We will be eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, whole dairy products, and fish.  We aren’t sure where we are going to find locally raised beef, pork, or chicken this time of year.  I know there are plenty of farmer’s markets during the spring, summer, and fall where you can buy that kind of meat direct.  But for now I’m really okay with not eating too much meat.  I’ll be sure to keep the meals hearty and delicious for Matt.

What brought this on?  We both have a strong desire to eat more for our health and well being as opposed to satisfy cravings for junk.  I’ve followed the blog 100 Days of Real Food for a while now as well as the Facebook page.  I really like how the author is a real mom that educated herself and her family on how to eat less processed junk.  She’s real, not a total extremist never allowing the occasional treat.  On this blog, and in other places, I have read about the health changes people have had from simply eliminating processed foods.  That’s a pretty awesome notion.  Matt and I have been watching documentaries on Netflix about healthy eating.  Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a good one about juicing, Hungry for Change, and How to Live Forever are a few that we have recently watched.  We have Forks Over Knives and Food Matters on our queue to watch later.  We’ve seen Food, Inc.  I’m *this* close to buying a juicer!

What will we miss?  Sugar!  But there are natural alternatives to sugar.  Honey is a good one.  Regular Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper for me.  Mountain Dew for Matt.  We gave up all pop last year and I found it wasn’t really the pop I missed as much as the bubbles.  I love all that carbonated bubbliness!  That will be my biggest challenge I am predicting.  We love coffee and tea so we will still be caffeinated, no fear friends and family. 

I’ve planned Friday’s menu already.  I think for breakfast I’ll have oatmeal or a smoothie, lunch will be a salad or yogurt or both.  Dinner will be crockpot un-refried beans, cilantro lime quinoa, with whole wheat tortillas. 

Wish us luck!  I’m planning on posting what we eat and how we are doing during our 10 day challenge.