Grandma knows best
As I began my trek down this healthy living path I somehow became an eliminator.
I decided if I didn’t eat certain foods (thankfully I’ve repressed what they were as I quite clearly recall the repetitive nature of the foods which remained) my excess weight would miraculously melt away. Swiftly, easily and permanently.
Not only did I possess zero healthy eating habits as I began to shed pounds, the healthy foods I did consume I ate over and over (and over).
Apples. Apples. Apples.
Big salads. Big salads. Big salads.
You get the idea.
And you know the prevailing wisdom about not eating the same foods daily because if you miss a nutrient once you miss it *repeatedly*? That was me. BigGapsInMyDiet McGee.
I’d arbitrarily pick a few healthy food options, eat them till I lost my appetite completely (take my word for how shocking this is), return to old junk-food habits, and eventually start the cycle again.
I firmly believe I’d still be in the ‘grasping at random healthy foods in a panic’ loop were it not for a comment a friend made:
“You need to eat like our grandparents did. Half a sandwich, some fruit, veggies, a few nuts and a glass of milk.”
Eat like our grandparents did.
Those words made sense to me. It was that basic: real food, real ingredients, wide variety.
For the next few weeks I thought about my grandmothers each time I reached for food or prepared a meal.
“Is this something they’d have eaten? Is what I’m about to place in my mouth something they’d have recognized as “food”?”
I’d be lying if I claimed I succeeded in answering YES to both questions back then.
Heck, I’d be lying if I claim I succeed in answering YES to both questions right now.
There are still times when I grab a snack pack (something neither grandmother would have recognized), but the victory is it’s a conscious choice and not done mindlessly or emotionally.
I strive, some days more successfully than others, to consume only real ingredients and a wide array of healthy foods.
I make an effort to eat as my grandmothers did.
And, on the days when eating healthy involves much preparation and work, I like to imagine them investing the same care and time in the foods they ate, too.
I like to imagine they’re smiling at my efforts.
Take a moment and reflect on what you’ve eaten over the past few days.
Did you consume foods our grandparents would have recognized or eaten?
Do you struggle, as I still do, with the ease of the processed?
Be well!
Carla
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May 10, 2012 @ 11:22:00
I often eat the same old thing for breakfast. It’s easy. Lunch is a variation on a theme. Again, simple. Dinner can be anything. And snacks vary, too. But almost everything I eat can be classified as a whole food. 8 years ago when I went gluten-free and refined sugar-free there was nothing on the market. No gluten-free pretzels or snacks. Thank goodness!! I learned how to eat real food – and when real food got to be popular I didn’t even realize I was already eating it. I just knew my diet was pretty healthy.
I like the idea of eating like our grandparents and keeping things really simple. My Grandma Ruth lived to be 97 with no major diseases. She never drank a soda and rarely ate processed foods. I am sure her diet has something to do with her incredible health.
May 11, 2012 @ 11:20:00
I would agree her diet contributed a great deal to her long life…
May 18, 2012 @ 02:20:00
AMEN, Carla!!! My grandmother lived to 85 and my great-aunt (her sister) is still living (she is 94) and is the epitome of health – she cooks, cleans, and attends ALL of the family events (she even sends over food to me!). They used olive oil, cheese, nuts like it was nobody’s business – and were two of the healthiest women in my life. But, like you said, it was a little of this, little of that approach. And they cooked EVERYTHING! Macaroni sauces, soups, even bread was all homemade – b/c that is what is healthiest! It is hard for me to do all of this – I think b/c I’ve grown up in a world where we are used to not having to wait for anything – so spending an hour to cook something when we can just pop open a can or bag and have it in 5 minutes doesn’t seem logical.
Great post – thanks for letting me go on about two of my favorite ladies in the world =) xoxo
May 18, 2012 @ 03:02:00
Healthy eating does involve thought and preparation, which is something that was foreign to me a couple of years back! Now, I take the time to think and plan my meals as I know the immediate and long-term benefits it has and will have on my health and overall well-being! I think my grandparents would have recognized and eaten my food over the past few days, although, I think they would have been in awe over the fact you can now buy Egg Whites by the carton! lol
Thanks for this great post and introducing us to your family!
May 18, 2012 @ 03:10:00
my grandma would have made something from scratch, from real ingredients. Heck I remember my great grandma telling me about foods they made during the great depression, no snack pack involved there. Convenience is often a love/hate for me. But i am learning to slow down and make more food for a healthy mind and body!
May 18, 2012 @ 04:33:00
Love this. I look to what my great-grandparents ate. Aside from the Spam sandwiches my great grandmother fed me as a child, she ate very well. Nothing fancy…just real food, not too much, three meals a day. She never ate between meals and only had desserts at the holidays. Simple, yet effective.
May 18, 2012 @ 04:39:00
I don’t find it hard to stay away from processed but do tend to repeat meals out of ease. Great points!
May 18, 2012 @ 05:02:00
Love this philosophy towards eating – I’ll definitely be thinking “would my grandmother recognize this as food?” from now on!
May 18, 2012 @ 05:28:00
Totally agree! The minute I started doing this was the minute I started truly understanding what “health” meant. My great grandmother lived to be 97. And I’m pretty sure she never ate a protein bar.
May 18, 2012 @ 06:18:00
I always think back to my great-grandmother who lived into her 90s. I was 18 when she died. What I remember most about her meals (and she lived on a farm in New Hampshire) was how fresh they were. Tomato and cucumber salad, ham or roast beef or chicken, macaroni salad, etc. It’s funny because she also was a huge fan of Oreos, but back then, they were made better
And two or three were plenty. I still do struggle the processed, but a lot less than I used to. These days, when I’m going for the processed, it’s usually a to numb my emotions (and yes, a blog post is forthcoming).
And it’s interesting, because for some reason I can’t really recall meals my grandmother (my great’s daughter) made. We were usually there for a holiday but the tensions in that house were so great…I think I blocked it all out! My other grandmother (Dad’s mom), died when I was nine. She was very frail and I don’t recall meals at her house either.
May 18, 2012 @ 06:33:00
Totally agree with you! I try to take things back to basics. Less processed, more homemade! I’m trying to do the same for Kaylin as she embarks on more real foods. The ease of processed is definitely appealing, but I always try to think about how those foods make me feel after I eat them
May 18, 2012 @ 08:22:00
I’m in the fortunate position of being able to say that about my mom despite being under-50. She was raised by Italian immigrants who wouldn’t eat frozen chicken because they didn’t know when it was killed. I also eat my share of the food group my mother referred to during my childhood as “crap,” but overwhelmingly, I’m used to doing the bulk of my food shopping in the produce and meat sections. I like eating things that used to be alive. I don’t struggle much with the ease of processed food because 1) I have no kids or husband so I just need to feed myself, and 2) it’s really not hard to cook actual food conveniently. A stir-fry takes no time at all, and crock pots allow you to invest ZERO effort into a good-quality, multiple-serving, super-low-fat meal with nothing but meat and veggies in it with no cleanup at all if you use the plastic liners. I’m extremely fortunate to have my mom’s example of how to cook properly embedded in my life, and being a daughter, it sank in for me.
May 18, 2012 @ 11:45:00
I really, truly, absolutely love this post!! I need to start thinking “would grandmama eat this” when I go shopping.
May 18, 2012 @ 14:11:00
I 100% agree with you on all accounts…except I have to laugh… when my grandma is up from florida and I make something like quinoa or even hummus, she’ll scoff at my “healthified” foods. great post Carla! <3
May 18, 2012 @ 14:39:00
Like all else with weight loss, getting fit & healthy & all that good stuff, the actual how is simple but the doing is harder.
I do pretty good in general – not perfect but I don’t eat a lot of processed or packaged goods. I did when I was younger & had to learn & train the taste buds to like that real food! 
May 18, 2012 @ 16:06:00
I certainly eat foods that are overly processed. It’s something I definitely need to work on!
May 18, 2012 @ 19:09:00
I eat more like my parents; my grandmothers liked jello salads, ribs slathered in tomato sauce (Swiss Chalet!) and coleslaw. I think my parents revolted against their parents and ate in a much healthier (and more palatable) way. Thank heavens!
May 20, 2012 @ 17:29:00
pretty much ate from mom and g’mas garden growing up. still do-! (mine!)
May 20, 2012 @ 19:44:00
I have to laugh because my grandma used to try to get me to eat fresh garlic every day! She swore it would keep disease away (along with everyone else!). I have to say, we are doing really well this spring – eating the foods our grandparents would recognize. Of course, our driving force is finding holistic ways to manage our daughter’s chronic illness.
I love how you stress the “conscious choice” way of eating as opposed to mindless eating/snacking. That in itself was a process and a journey.