A Few Unexpected Consequences

When we started the Year of Processed Foods, we suspected that our health would improve, though we had no idea how much or in exactly what way. That makes sense. But there have been consequences we didn't expect:

1. We produce about half the trash we used to. Being just two people, and having compost and recycling bins, we weren't ever producing much trash, but now our food doesn't generally come in bags, boxes, cans, or jars, so we have very little trash and almost no aluminum recycling. It's quite fabulous to have a good thing happen that we weren't expecting. Who knew we would be helping the environment?

2. Greater food choice. No, my brain hasn't snapped under the stress of the lack of high fructose corn syrup. It's simply that we are allowed 2 cheats a week, and they can be ANYTHING. How many times have you beat yourself up over eating something you shouldn't? Exactly. Twice a week--and ONLY twice--we can have anything. Homemade chocolate cake & homemade chocolate ice cream are even LEGAL. Can't beat that.

3. It stops the "mindless" eating. In a normal day, there might be muffins in the break room and maybe you'd take a small piece. Then someone has chocolates on his or her desk, so you might have one. Then you might decide to have lunch out, and maybe you'd have a few crackers before dinner, and maybe a snack afterwards. Something to that effect. In most grocery stores, there are two to three aisles devoted to "snack foods," so snacking is a very big part of our lives in America. It's easy to do, and we often do it without thinking. BUT, what if you only had 2 "cheats" a week? You'd think long and hard before having that cracker--would it be worth giving up something you REALLY wanted?

4. Two "cheats" a week is a pretty livable and a very healthy diet. Now, I'm not saying this is an easy experiment. There are indeed times when I think I must have been out of my mind to come up with this idea. However, it's in some ways easier than just trying to eat healthy because I would never have allowed myself chocolate cake or homemade ice cream or jam because it wasn't good for me, and I would have felt a bit deprived and might have had a secret rendevous with Ben & Jerry one night in frustration. Now, a couple things are okay because we are eating so darn healthy in general.

5. We're eating a lot less salt. Not that either of us were too concerned about high blood pressure, so we weren't actually trying to lower our salt intake, but there's a lot of salt in processed foods, and more than we would ever add back into cooking.

6. We're learning to enjoy the taste of foods. I've always enjoyed cooking, and I've always been a vegetable fan, but I never realized how good simple food could be. Roasted onions, grilled asparagus, sautéed spinach, cooked wheat berries (hard red winter wheat)--they're all really good on their own.

7. Other people are changing their diets. Blogger doesn't let me reply to comments (no idea why), but I really enjoy the number of people who have left comments saying they made a meal we could have had, or they've started reading food labels, or they're eating fewer processed foods. I love it! We have a "Play At Home" version! :)