What "Nutrition and Good Eating" choices have you made?

[Lydia08]

I hope that title makes sense...

I have been making changes to how we eat, little by little over the years and I'm always looking for new things to add and change so that we are eating the best and healthiest.  I don't have any books to go off of... I just have been learning by what I've read on forums like this one (and 2 others).

It all started with eating natural foods and adding organic when it was most necessary and/or affordable... now we are eliminating sugar cane from our diets and looking into raw dairy.

I just bought some ground flax to add to our baked goods...

I'm stashing some money away for a grain mill so we can grind wheat berries...

What do you do?
What are some staples in your home that might not be found in the "average american's" home?

[bignerpie]

One of the first things I did to change our diet was to change the fats that we cook with. I lean more towards traditional foods, so that means mostly animal fats. I got rid of anything vegetable oil (margarine, crisco, etc.) and started using either coconut or olive oil, or animal fat. I'd say the "average american" home does not have a bag full of tallow cubes in their freezer. 

If you are looking for a book recommendation, I would suggest Real Food by Nina Planck. Nourishing Traditions is a popular choice here, too, but it can seem overwhelming at first.

I don't do raw dairy. I don't have anything against it; it's just too expensive, and I would have to drive 2+ hours each way to get it. That's not happening on a weekly basis with 2 small children. For me, pasteurized milk from a local farm where I can see how the cows are treated and fed is good enough for me.

Another important thing for me is to eat quality meat and produce. I get most of my meat from a somewhat local butcher shop, and I know where the animals are raised and how they are treated. They are not 100% pastured/grass-fed, but for me, it's good enough. Same with the produce. I try to eat seasonally and locally, which is more important to me than organic. I would rather buy from a farmer that lives a few miles away than buy the same thing from an organic farm on the other side of the country. But those are my priorities. 

[Sol_y_Paz]

Eat more organic when possible.  No fizzy drinks in the house, if someone wants something like that they have to take a drive and we don't live close to stores so it is rarely worth the effort.  Eliminate sugar as much as possible but when using try to use maple syrup or honey.  Making things at home rather than buying it if possible.  Carry packs of whole nuts, dried fruits, air popped popcorn, homemade granola, and similar foods with us on the road to prevent having to stop to get something with lower nutritional value while out and about.  Eliminate white breads and margarine, instead, focus on whole grains and real dairy if we are going to eat dairy.  Reduce quantities of meat and instead focus on the quality.  Make using a variety of vegetables important in the days meals.  Eliminate buying pre-made snack foods that are not filling and are expensive, make homemade snack foods healthier.  Make ahead meals for nights that we would otherwise be tempted to go out to eat, so we can still have a healthy meal that is quick.  Meal planning such as make a menu of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner that we can follow, this also helps a ton with grocery shopping and making sure we have certain supplies on hand.  Use kitchen time saving tools that also make food taste yummy, like the pressure cooker, rice cooker, and slow cooker. Keep healthy foods available 24/7 at the home and out and attractive, make up small trays of cut up fruits and washed veggies with homemade dip (greek yogurt with spices, hummus, homemade salsa, black bean dip) in the middle for munching and keep in a good spot when searching for something to snack on.  Keep the fruit bowl stocked with fruit.  If the fruit is starting to go bad, cut up the good parts and freeze for smoothies.  

[kitchensqueen]

Avoid corn syrup like the plague! 

We also try to minimize caffeine (easier said than done now that we have a newborn - sometimes we need a jolt! And everything in moderation). We try to bake and cook from scratch as much as possible to avoid all the extra junk that's in processed foods. We try to eat a lot of veg, especially leafy green ones. We get organic/local as often as we can. 

[Wolfcat]

We just began making changes to our diet about a year ago. I use real butter, coconut oil, high-fiber snacks (when we can afford them). We NEVER get plastic (American or processed) cheese. We grind wheat berries and meat (not with the same grinder, of course), and are always willing to try new meats or whole food. (We got the whole pumpkins from my co-workers, and have been slowly cooking and eating them... a pumpkin makes a LOT of food!).

We can't afford to track down and pay for raw dairy, organic meats, etc. But we do a lot of little things that add up to a whole lot better than what most people around here do.

One thing we've noticed is, if we travel and eat fast food, we all feel like crap. Now, we pack our food when we travel.