Getting Started With Real Food

If you're new to the idea of eating real food, it might be overwhelming. There is so much information out there and some if it is contradictory. Here's an easy way to begin your own real food journey:

1. Define your purpose. Why is it, exactly, that you want to eat real food? Maybe your family has health issues or maybe you just want to prevent them. Maybe you don't feel well or have enough energy to get through a day. Maybe your reasons are more political and you don't want big corporations to dictate the food supply. It may simply be that you want food that tastes good. Figure out what your reasons are. This will help you to stick to it even if things get difficult or confusing.

2. Get the facts. None of us really thinks the food we are eating is fake until we have information showing us otherwise. Industry and technology have removed us from the original design of our world in many ways. Do your own research, but be careful. Science is important, but scientific research done by food companies is bound to be skewed. Not everything you read is necessarily true!

3. Make gradual changes. As with any life change, small "baby" steps are best. If you clear out your entire pantry at once, your family will rebel and you will eventually get discouraged and quit. Our taste buds are so used to fake food that introducing real food takes some adjustment.

4. Keep it simple. There are many rules and philosophies out there regarding food. When deciding on what works best for your family, keep your philosophy to a few principles. For example, instead of getting bogged down in a lot of specifics, I try to remember to eat what God made the way He made it as my "rule" when it comes to real food.

5. Don't expect perfection. Even people who have been eating real food for a long time have times of exception. Andrew Wilder of Eating Rules allows himself one cheat a week and Laura of Heavenly Homemakers relaxes her standards at relatives' homes. Food isn't something to make a religion out of.  Decide how far you will go and relax.