100 (errr 50) Days of Real Food

I am a stay-at-home mom of two young kids. What does this mean? That I control very little of my life! Here's a small sampling, for example, of things I don't control:

• the # of outfit changes in a day in our household
• keeping Nug quiet when Cookie is sleeping
• when and if the toilet is used
• avocado being used as hair gel, every single time 
• the amount of food thrown from the high chair
• being on time for school
• Nug's desire to own a Barbie

But there are some things I do control: 

• screen time
• yelling (this is iffy)
• my attitude (so cheesy! but true)
• what food I put in my mouth

Loss of control is just another little surprise of parenting, and, of course (here comes the positive attitude), an opportunity for self growth. However, when I'm fresh out of zen energy, I yearn for a real, tangible, controllable measure of progress. Enter: diet. (Also, I just heard that our bodies/fitness are 20% exercise and 80% nutrition. NO WONDER I LOOK THIS WAY!)

Back in January I came across "100 Days of Real Food" and its fourteen week mini-pledges (see bottom of this post). I signed up and have learned a number of new things along the way, but I didn't totally commit. Now that the fourteen weeks are almost up, I've decided to re-commit and blog my progress weekly (so please blog, keep me accountable!). Since I have already integrated many good habits into my life over the past two years of healthy eating (read my before and after here), I'm doubling up on the challenges. That means this will be a seven week challenge- just in time for poolside!

Here's the layout:

• Week One: eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables with every meal + 100% whole grain
• Week Two: No more than one glass of wine per day + no refined sweeteners (=bye bye coffee)
• Week Three: no deep-fried food + no "low fat" or "lite" products
• Week Four: try two new foods + avoid food with more than five ingredients
• Week Five: stop eating when full + snacks between 2-5pm must be fruit or vegetable
• Week Six: eat one local food at each meal + only eat local meat 
• Week Seven: no sweeteners at all

First up... this week (Sunday-Saturday) I'll be incorporating two fruits or vegetables with every meal and eating only 100% whole grain products. I'll be taking photos and posting in one week's time! 

The original challenge:

14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges:

• Week 1: Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal – Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.
• Week 2: “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
• Week 3: Meat – All meat consumed this week will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). Meat consumption will also be limited to 3 – 4 servings this week, and when it is eaten meat will not be presented as the “focal point” of the meal. Instead meat will be treated as a side item or simply used to help flavor a dish.
• Week 4: No fast food or deep-fried foods – No fast food or any foods that have been deep-fried in oil.
• Week 5: Try two new whole foods – Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before.
• Week 6: No low-fat, lite or nonfat food products – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”
• Week 7: 100% Whole grain – All grains consumed must be 100% whole-grain.
• Week 8: Stop eating when you feel full – Listen to your internal cues and stop eating when you feel full.
• Week 9: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
• Week 10: No refined oils – No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.
• Week 11: Eat local foods – Eat at least 1 locally grown or raised food at each meal. This includes, but is not limited to: fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, nuts, meats, and sweeteners like honey.
• Week 12: No sweeteners – Avoid all added sweeteners including, but not limited to: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice.
• Week 13: Nothing artificial – Avoid all artificial ingredients including, but not limited to: sweeteners, flavors and colors.
• Week 14: No more than 5-ingredients – Avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients