It All Began With Butter

That's right. Butter.

Butter and baby steps.

I used to be so overwhlemed by all the information on healthy and natural eating. Throwing up my hands and wondering how I could ever do it all. There was just no way. It would be too time consuming. Too much money. No one will like the food. Yada, yada, yada.

Then, revelation slapped it's firm hand on my face.

Do what you can and take one step at a time. Because any step forward is a step in the right direction. Earth shattering, I know - you can take a minute to catch your breath if you need to...

I've had a lot of fun reflecting on the changes that we made in the last year. Because suddenly, my baby steps have turned into a huge leap over the course of one year. I certainly have not "arrived", but there has been significant change. And when you can say that in a positive manner, it just feels good.

And it all began with butter. My first step in changing my family's eating habits was switching from using margarine to using butter. And the rest, my friends, is history. So, since I can't figure out how to post a celebratory dance for you, I'll just post my list of some steps we took to eating healthier.

• Butter - As I stated before, our journey began with butter replacing margarine. And this was probably the change that the family had the biggest grumbles about...because it was more difficult to spread. I'd like to be able to get organic butter.
  
  
• Cold Cereal - We cut out cold cereal. It was a big deal because we were big cereal eaters. We do keep some cheerios on hand and I'll pick up organic cereal on sale every once in a while for when we are really in a rush on hand. And I've really come to enjoy making a yummy and nourishing breakfast for the boys every morning.
  
  
• Water - Water, water, and more water. We purchased a Pur brand water pitcher and we are all doing so much better about drinking water. I am so thankful to have the chlorine taste gone from our water.
  
  
• Raw Milk - We were very blessed to be introduced to a source for organic raw milk.
  
  
• Whole Wheat Flour - The flour of choice in our cabinets. When it comes down to it, white flour just really doesn't have any nutritional value.
  
  
• High Fructose Corn Syrup - I am trying to avoid products with high fructose corn syrup like the plague. I just checked yesterday and I think I found 3 things in my kitchen that have it. I threw away one, so two more to go...if I didn't miss something.
  
  
• Whole Grains - I've tried to add more grains to our diet. Quinoa, barley, polenta. This is an area that I could improve a lot in.
  
  
• Snacks - Snack food is not something I always had tons of, but I've managed to get a lot of it out of the house. I'm making snacks instead. Again, I could/should be making more. I do buy organic snack bars, etc. when I find them on clearance for quick snack fixes. Better planning would do me wonders in this area.
  
  
• Brown Rice - Out went the white rice, and brown rice now reigns supreme in our house.
  
  
• Garden Fresh - We grew our garden with moderate success this past summer. It has been so joyful to make foods this winter with fruit and veggies that we put away ourselves.
  
  
• Baking Powder - I tossed our baking powder and made sure I bought a brand that did not contain aluminum.
  
  
• Organic Eggs - When I found my raw milk source, I also found a free range egg source. Yummy! The difference in taste is amazing. I need to find a more reliable source for these though.
  
  
• Sandwich Meat - I no longer purchase cold cuts. They are not only expensive, but not very healthy either. This was easier to do in conjunction with my pregnancy since I couldn't eat them during this time anyway.

So, that's what I could think of off the top of my head. I am so excited looking at this list and seeing the progress that we've made. My cabinets and refrigerator look so different now. Much more whole foods and a lot less processed foods. 'Cause I mean really, who can give up Kraft macaroni and cheese? *grin*

One of the great things about taking baby steps is that it all feels doable. And it is much more likely to become habit. If I had tried all this at one time, I would have given up. I am really excited to continue making changes this next year and crossing things off my list. We really can see the health benefits in our family.