06 February 2012

No Preservatives

Welcome back to Green Means Go(od)! I know I said that I was going to write about winter running in February, but after the massive snow storm we just received (over a foot of snow!), I'm guessing running outside won't be happening in the next week or so. Couple that with catching my heel on a step and nearly dropping Lila on her head and screwing up my foot, I'm not sure I'll be running in February at all.

So, using my Quality Comfort Food as an inspiration, I'll focus February's topic on eating preservative free. And, as luck would have it, NPR's All Things Considered just reported on the fall of lard and the subsequent rise of Crisco.

By no means have we cut all preservatives from our diet. We still eat crackers, cereal, boxed mac and cheese and canned tomato sauce. However, I try to make as much from scratch as I can. For example, I refuse to make cakes or brownies from a box. I make my own pizza crust and my own pie crust (using vegetable shortening, which I'll have to reconsider). We don't buy processed dinners and we try to steer clear of processed snacks. We almost never have soda or juice that isn't fresh squeezed. I realize that I have a long way to go to ensure that my family is eating preservative free, but I do feel like we're getting there.

Because the goal of these posts is supposed to provide small, easy changes in lifestyle, I thought I'd focus on a small, easy change that everyone can make to both cut preservatives from their diets as well as reduce the use of packaging: Popping popcorn on the stove.

Nate and I have never owned a popcorn popper. We have never purchased microwave popcorn either. Rather, we buy popcorn seeds and pop them in olive oil in a regular old pan on the stove. With a dash of sea salt, it's just about the best popcorn ever - and so much healthier for us. It's not just about health in terms of calories and fat either. Check out all the stuff that comes with microwave popcorn.

I am hoping to incorporate at least one guest post this month, so stay tuned! Happy popping!

2 comments:

Carissa L said...

I love the idea of slowly get rid of preservatives. I do the best I can but still have room to improve. It definitely takes planning and time in the kitchen. I only cook for two, I can't imagine cooking and preparing food for four :). In the next month or two I want to get better about making most of the bread we eat at home.

life's a bear said...

Wanna provide a guest post this month, Carissa? Would love to hear about recent recipes you've tried and how you're trying to cut preservatives out!