Considering eating naturally

[obxbound]

I'm at the beginning of researching a natural eating lifestyle and am looking for guidance.

My natural tendency is too use fresh ingriedients and limit processed foods, but want to take it a step farther. I want to try to make simple things from scratch and I want to try to discern what processed foods (if any?) are better than others.

As a mom of newborn twins, I'm not doing much of this now, but I am trying to educate myself so that as I start introducing solids (love Super Foods) to the twins I can also start making changes in my families overall menu.

As you think about suggestions for me, my rationale for doing this is that I already have a tendency and I want to build upon it. I also need to loose some weight (again, not right now..try to concentrate on feeding my boys) and figure a lifestyle change like this is a great way to go. Finally, I definitely want to instill great eating habits for my boys.

I appreciate any suggestions you have.

[dogmom327]

You might check out the book Real Food by Nina Planck. Great book, very accessible

[obxbound]

Thank you so much. I didn't even know where to start. Thank you!

[applecider]

I second that book. I'm reading it now and it just makes so much sense, it's scary. Easy read too.

[mamadelbosque]

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan is another good one thats just *about* food/eating... If your trying to learn to cook, I highly, highly recommend Mark Bittman's books. How to Cook Everything/HTCE: Vegetarian taught me a TON about cooking. And I still use them to make some of the recipes all the time, and for reference for other stuff.

[Magelet]

Real food is a great book. If you want a book in the same vein nutritionally, with recipes, and information, I hear full moon feast by jessica prentice is great. (I haven't read it yet, silly me.)

I love, for cooking, the art of simple food. It has a fair number of recipes, but also lots of method cooking information. That is, it will tell you not just a recipe for making roast leg of lamb, but a page and a half of theory and practice about roasting meats.

I very hesitantly recommend the joy of cooking. An old version. There is some very bad nutritional information, however, there is a recipe for EVERYTHING. The modern version at least is into all the wrong fats (they suggest using bad for you vegetable fats instead of the healthy for you butter, but they are useful for recipes. I can always substitute something healthy instead, and its a great reference, with tons of info. For example, a recipe for cream of mushroom soup, to use in another recipe which calls for a can of storebought cream of mushroom soup. whether your looking for rye bread or pad thai there is a recipe. puff pastry dough, mango lassi, or a bloody mary, there is a recipe there.