I despise processed foods.  Before I go on a tangent about why I don’t like them, I feel the need to clarify what they are.  Processed foods are packaged in boxes, cans or bags.  They are usually loaded with fat, salt and sugar.  Convenience foods, that are “designed for ease of consumption”.  They are usually full of ingredients that can not be easily pronounced.

Livestrong.com best states the reason why I am a processed food hater, “While food preservation methods greatly enhance your ability to eat what you want when you want it, they also remove soluble fiber and other natural nutrients from raw foods and add ingredients that are, potentially, harmful to your health and well-being”.  If that statement is true, why is the United States the lead consumer of processed foods?  The answer is convenience.  According to the N.Y. Times, Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries.   Most of us are so tired and stressed at the end of the day.  Making a meal from scratch is the last thing on our over stimulated minds.  So instead of making a meal packed full of nutrition, we opt for the easy way out, grabbing a box of Hamburger Helper, Rice-A-Roni or Macaroni & Cheese, or driving through the Golden Arches.

I used to do the same thing. Rice-A-Roni was a staple item in my grocery cart.  Frozen bagged, one pot dinners were an easy go-to.  If that blue box of macaroni and cheese was in my cart, it was usually made the same day.  Then something changed, I had two beautiful boys, that I didn’t want to be tainted with preservatives and unhealthy food choices.  I wanted my kids to eat the best food they could, so they could live the best life possible.  Seems like something easy to do, till you realize you have to change your eating habits as a parent too.

The change didn’t happen over night, and it hasn’t always been easy, nor is it something we do 100%.  My husband didn’t like the change at first.  People around me did not support my choices.  But, I decided in this case I knew what was best, and no one was changing my mind.  Slowly my husband came around, and now embraces the changes.  Granted he still brings home items I would rather not see in our home, but every now and then donuts and chips aren’t going to ruin us. 

Today, our everyday diet is approximately 75% clean 25% processed.  I make dinner almost every night, from scratch.  If we have processed foods, most of them are organic or contain natural preservatives like celery juice.  The blue boxed mac and cheese makes appearances only when the husband goes to the store, which is rare.  American cheese is a never in our home, fruits and veggies are offered before any other snack item.

Yes, it is more work to make meals from scratch, but it’s worth the time I am taking to ensure we eat well.  If you find that it is hard to make a well-balanced dinner every night, freeze meals when you do have time.  Make two times the amount every time you make dinner, freeze the rest.  Figure out what meals are fast to make.  My fast go to dinner is salmon, frozen organic broccoli and frozen brown rice.  It takes only 10 minutes from start to finish, with virtually no clean up.

Another quick meal is organic boxed Mac & Cheese with all natural, preservative free, antibiotic free beef hot dogs, served with a side of organic apple slices.  Don’t knock it till you try it.  Once you do, that blue box will only be making cameo appearances in your pantry.  My ‘recipe’ is below.

Recipe

2 boxes of organic macaroni and cheese (I use 1 box of original flavor and one box of white cheddar)

1/2 cup of Smart Balance Butter

1/4 cup – 3/4 cup pasta cooking water (instead of milk, trust me you won’t miss the milk)

2 packages of the powdered cheese from the boxes

Boil the noodles, per the package directions.  While the noodles are cooking cut up the hot dogs into bite sized rings, set aside.  When the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat, and scoop up an entire coffee cup full of the pasta water, set aside.  Drain the rest of the water from the noodles.  In the same pan, heat the hot dogs.  Once the dogs are heated through melt the Smart Balance in the pan, then pour the noodles back in and mix with the butter and hot dogs.  Pour in a 1/4 cup of the pasta water and the cheese powder, mix.  Continue to add more pasta water till creamy.

Enjoy the preservative free version of this vintage dish!