2022 Choices Road Trip for Health: Week 1--Know Your Food
2022: Inspiration for Change!
Welcome to the 2022 Choices Road Trip for Health!
Good food. Good mood. Good energy.
At Choices, we believe that eating good food nurtures not only your body but also your spirit. When your body and spirit are supported your mood and energy improve. You may think this is easier said than done. But, the secret is in keeping it simple. Let’s break it down into small weekly changes that can yield big results over time. Here we go with tip #1.
Know What's In Your Food
Read the labels in your pantry and refrigerator--especially the ingredient labels. How many of the ingredients would you actually use if you were cooking it yourself?
Read books, visit websites, and watch films that explain the implications of eating processed foods and the benefits of transitioning to a diet of real foods. Learn about GMO's. What are they and how do they affect us and our environment?
The public library has a wide variety of books on this topic (authors: Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, Kris Carr, Robyn O'Brien) and in a variety of formats; including digital, CD and hard cover.
Great films to stream, and are readily available on line:
Food, Inc.
In Defense of Food
Fresh (the food documentary)
Super Size Me
Forks Over Knives
GMO OMG
Unsure of what to look for when reading food labels?
Here are tips from food blogger, Lisa Leake, of 100 Days of Real Food.
www.100daysofrealfood
Websites for Information and Encouragement
There are many websites out there to support you on your journey to make healthier choices. Below are a few of our favorites!
100 Days of Real Food Lisa Leak is a food blogger who has chronicled her journey as she worked to eliminate processed food from her family's diet. She offers many recipes, videos, and helpful tips.
Living Non-GMO This website explains what GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are and helps you find products that have been certified to be GMO free.
Forks Over Knives Forks over Knives encourages a vegan diet, and provides plant based recipes and planning tools to help integrate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. You don't have to be a vegan to appreciate the delicious recipes and information they provide!
You can find a more extensive list, with descriptions of various healthy eating websites, if you click here.
One excellent video that explains real food, good food in simple, easy to understand language is “In Defense of Food” which captures Michael Pollan’s journey to figure out what exactly we should eat to be healthy. You can view the trailer below.
Buy Healthy Food Without Breaking the Budget
Shop Our Sales
The Choices sales are unique in that the prices are good for the entire month, not just a few days or for just 1 week. Click here to see our complete January sales flyer. We have over 1500 items on sale this month, so they don't all fit in the flyer. Look for the bright yellow sale tags on our shelves throughout the store to identify the sale items
Get in the Kitchen & Cook
SPICY PARMESAN GREEN BEANS & KALE
This is the first recipe I tried when introducing kale to my family. You have green beans mixed with the kale and mushrooms. At first, I used less kale and mushrooms than it called for. And over time, I increased both. You can include the spicy red pepper flakes, or leave them out. You can top with parmesan, or leave it out if you're vegan. This is such a winner that it has had a regular place in our side dish rotation ever since we first tried it! Click here for this Food Network recipe from Giada de Laurentiis.