As the Hounds in the Kitchen are actually paddling across a lake in Canada right now, we've invited some of our favorite bloggers to come fill the space here. Today's guest post is from Andrea, a fellow Columbus food lover.
Hi guys! My name is Andrea and my little home on the web is over at Offhercork.com. I talk about various things, but mostly about food because I love it so much! Food is one thing that everyone has in common. We all need to eat and every one of us could describe a favorite meal if asked.
One thing that I really try to focus on regarding the food that I eat, serve my family, and serve others is making sure it is as clean as possible. Clean eating to me means:
Local Foods: Something that is raised, manufactured, created, or made close to where I live. I try to make sure that the majority of our food intake comes from local sources. Produce from Farmer’s Markets and other local suppliers. Local eggs, poultry, and meat. If I didn’t live in the Midwest, I would be looking for local seafood as well!
Fresh Foods: I try and make sure that what we are eating is supplied to us fresh and not something that has been sitting on a shelf or at the store for very long.
Whole Foods: Not to be confused with the grocery store! Whole Foods mean real wholesome foods as opposed to processed and factory made foods. I try to keep our intake of processed foods down to a very serious minimum. Microwave meals? Nope. Boxed cake mixes? Nope. Refrigerated cookie dough? No way!
Unfortunately, the majority of foods that people eat in the U.S. are processed. We all know that fast food is bad for you, but those “lean” microwave meals, canned soups, and boxed mac ‘n cheese aren’t a whole lot better. Those are all processed foods. Processed foods contain chemicals, additives, and preservatives along with tons of sodium. Stuff our bodies do not need. As an individual you should be the one deciding what goes into your body and what doesn’t. Don’t leave that choice up to a big corporation who’s main goal is to make money ,not supply you with quality food.
If you make food at home, you are the one who is in control. You decide what goes into the meal, what seasonings to use, and how much to make. It’s fresh and you know where it came from. With processed foods, you have no idea when it was made, where it came from, and what all happened to it before it hit your counter. Why put that into your body?
To help promote the benefits of meals made at home, I’ve created Homespun Sundays on my blog. The idea behind Homespun Sundays is that one day out of the week (Sunday), every meal eaten is something that is made at home and from scratch. If you want pancakes for breakfast, set aside the icky boxed pancake mix and make the pancakes yourself! If you are going to have a lasagna dinner, don’t heat up a family sized frozen box, instead make it yourself!
Making meals at home is easy and does not have to be time consuming. They are healthier and they put you in charge of the ingredients.
One day a week, no processed foods. Want to join in? Just let me know!