What are You Going to Do?

I haven't blogged in quite awhile.  We were blessed with a new home and we've been spending the last couple weeks getting everything in order, figuring out new routines and all the other fun stuff that goes along with moving!

Right now, I'm feeling a little frustrated/defeated about the entire food thing.  I always feel like we can be doing better and sometimes I question where to draw the line.  I have a confession...I love diet coke.  Even to this day, if I can sneak in a diet coke I will. (I say sneak because my husband would never allow diet pop in his house :)).  I don't know if it's addictive or what, but I CRAVE diet pop.  I know I need to stop.  Really, it's poison, isn't it?!  It has so much crap in it and it goes against EVERYTHING I "preach" :).  Anyway, that's a huge struggle, even now.  Oh, but I love it!

Another thing I'm frustrated with is prices.  We spend so much money on food.  About a month ago, I totaled my bill up for that week.  I had spent $300 on grocery's and I didn't buy any protein.  I spent all that on fruits, veggies and some snack items.  I am at the grocery store at least 3 times a week.  Produce goes bad and I have to replenish.  We eat everything I buy.  After that $300 week I decided to put ourselves in a budget.  Our budget is $150/week.  I'm guessing that's on the high end?  It's VERY hard for me to stick to that budget.  I will never compromise on quality (grass feed beef, organic eggs, etc), so I've had to rework my menus.  I went back to making roasts, soups, and roasting whole chickens.  Most weeks we'll eat the same meal twice.  I know people who are on a tight budget and manage to eat well.  Nourished Kitchen, Kitchen Stewardship, and Keeper of the Home all offer great advice on cutting down food prices - you can follow them on facebook as well.  I just need to devote my time to figuring out how to do better in this area. 

Another confession I have is I am a cart snooper.  I like to glance and see what people have in their carts.  Just the other day I was in line with a man (I'm assuming he was single) who had about 10 Hungry Man meals, 6 six packs of pop and one apple.  I looked at him and asked if he was going to have a party.  (You know, he had TONS of pop).  He just looked at me and said, "Nope, I like pop and I drink a lot of it".  There was a man who knew nothing about nutrition.  I hope that one apple served him well!

Sometimes, I think I'd like to help people shop for food. I'd like to see what they'd buy and give them some guidance.  I know I am not all knowing in this area, BUT the stuff I see in people's carts blows my mind.  In their defense, they don't know any better.  Five years ago, I didn't know any better.  There is a direct correlation between food and health.  That is why we Americans are so ill...we have such a poor diet and we don't know it.

On a different note, I was very excited to find nitrate free hot dogs at Kroger (in Bluffton).  I paid $6 for a package.  What are you going to do?  :)