We are trying to take some (small baby) steps toward a healthier lifestyle including many things such as:
*diet – as in nutrition not dieting
*exericse – we really should be out enjoying this nice fall weather while it’s still sticking around
*sleep – I still think it’s highly overrated and for wimps, but I’m trying to sleep instead of “nap.”
After a month on antibiotics and removal of all previously used skin care products from my cupboards I’m finding that my face is STILL itchy and red. The next step is to wash my pillow case, towels, and washclothes in some sort of hyperallergenic soap, if I can find any. At the same time I’m going to take some steps toward eliminating food coloring and preservatives from our diet. I’m just taking it one step at a time because I, obviously, can’t stop EVERYTHING else I have to do in a day/week/month to make time to completely revamp everything in a short amount of time.
So, I’m starting with Taco Seasoning since I’ve known for quite some time that Taco Bell taco seasoning has dye in it and other things that I have no idea what they are. I’m using up a package of Old El Paso seasoning right now and then all of the prepared package taco seasoning mix that I had previously stocked up on will be gone and I’m not planning to purchase any more. Do I really need silicon dioxide (anticaking agent) and Ethoxyquin (preservative) in my taco seasoning on top of the partially hydrogenated soybean oil? And what’s with the main ingredient being maltodextrin? Why do I need a moderately sweet polysaccharide starch when all I want is some seasoning to spice up my taco meat? If I cut out the packaged taco seasoning mix for no other reason it would be to cut out the unnecessary starch that turns immediately into glucose! But, hopefully eliminating some preservatives and dyes will help my face. We’ll see.
Kristine posted a GREAT taco seasoning recipe on her blog which I’m going to enter in a separate post below. I’m finding that my blog is quickly replacing my recipe box! I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had to reorganize the box this year after it’s been dumped over with recipe cards flying everywhere.
Does anyone have a suggestion as to what baby step we should take next on our road to better nutrition? I was thinking we should try Lisa’s tortillas next since we seem to eat a lot of Mexican food around here. According to her blog they are quick and easy, but I checked the label for the Hoy shells we bought and they don’t have any unidentifiable ingredients or preservatives so maybe we should look for something else that would be an easy (as in baby step) change. If nothing else, the boys would probably enjoy making them and it would give Emily and I some school time while the boys are happily occupied in the kitchen!
I’d really like to do something different about our pancake syrup and we did just run out o the big Costco size gallon of it so hopefully I can find something different before the smaller container of syrup runs out. Does anyone have a recipe for making your own maple syrup? My grandma used to make homemade maple syrup whenever we had pancakes and it was SO GOOD. Of course, I don’t remember any of the ingredients and when I ask her about maple syrup she looks at me like she doesn’t even know what maple syrup is let alone how she might have made it years ago.
So.. I need help, ladies. What’s the next small change we can make that will have the biggest impact on our nutrition? Thanks! I’m looking forward to the answers!
How about the refried beans? De’Etta posted a Moosewood recipe that is good! Really all you need for good beans is pinto beans cooked in water. Once soft, add salt to taste, mash and you’re done! You can add seasonings like onion and garlic powder but I’ve found that you don’t need to.
Ohh and I forgot to add that we’re allergic to all detergents except for Tide free.
I am so sorry to hear about your skin still itching. I had no idea you were still suffering with it. Good for you for making good changes to your diet. I should do the same. We have switched to organic milk and some organic vegetables. I think my next step will be the Kristine’s Taco Mix. Once you stated all the chemicals in the others I started to feel sick just thinking about it 🙂
Also, my friend has the best recipe for homemade syrup. Let me find it and I will send it to you!
I have the Moosewood recipe on my list of things to try, Lisa. Thanks for the reminder! I also love the Cuban black beans and rice recipe that you made for us when we stayed with you. I need to pull that out again!
Lisa,
Maybe I’ll try Tide free before I spend a lot of $$ on a special detergent from the health food store.
Emily,
I would LOVE the recipe for the homemade syrup. Go ahead and post it to your blog and I’ll find it there or you can email it to me, whichever you prefer.
YUCK about the taco seasoning, huh? I’ve never really paid too much attention to labels before and I’m not going to start reading a TON of them now because I don’t have time to revamp EVERYTHING all at one time.. just one step at a time!!
Sorry to har that you’re still having redness and itching. Just reading lab els and making substitutes is a great start.
Making your own maple syrup, so easy…
Find a maple tree. Buy a sap bucket and tap. Tap the tree in the late winter when the nights are below freezing and the days are above.
Every time the bucket fills empty it into something big. Collect something like 40 buckets of sap. Then boil and boil and boil and boil it all until you have 1 gallon of maple syrup!
LOL Not sure if this even works in your area but we have done it a couple times. Fun project, best tasting syrup ever and you know it’s all natural!
Good luck with the new project, Cynthia!
We do mainly vegie, mainly wholefood meals. I can’t afford organic, in this country, and we eat far too many dairy products, but the vegie, wholefood thing is where we are at.
You go! I second Lisa’s idea of refried beans – I make a bunch and freeze them in smaller portions as we like to slather beans on a tortialla, then a crispy shell, then taco fillings. LOL
I would think going for whole grains – storebought or scratch would be a good place to move to and fairly easy.
Yeah – it’s EYE OPENING when you begin to read those labels.
I’ll have to check out Kristine’s Taco Mix – I’ve been using the Taco Bell copy cat one…I was shocked that most my cookbooks no longer had a taco recipe…guess most use the packets.
Oh syrup – if you want to avoid high fructose corn syrup – Grade A maple is the way to go. Yum….or Agave Nectar in place of the corn syrup in any syrup recipe…..but maple “flavoring” may well be artificial so beware – homemade isn’t always best. ::snort::
Agave Nectar is sweet but low glycemic (doesn’t give high insulin spikes) and flavorless other than sweet…great for using in salad dressings where you don’t want a honey taste.
I use organic mainly for the few processed things I buy – because they will have the better ingredients I’m looking for. I use non-organic fresh produce – lots, whole grains(which happen to be from Wheat MT and all their grains are “better than organic”) and then if I have to buy processed (Muir Glen Tomato sauce, ketchup – because I can’t find a recipe I like – I go organic if I can’t find an option without ingredients that I can’t pronounce or don’t recognize as food. LOL
I’ve really found that most of your favorites can be tweaked to become healthier.