Real Food? No thanks; I'll take the donut

That is how I feel today! As good as eating right makes me feel most days, today I woke up craving a donut, so a donut is what I had; and it was DELICIOUS!

I have to admit, when this whole organic, Real Food, no processed food thing hit I rolled my eyes. I was sick and tired of friends pushing it via Facebook, or in conversations with me. I grew up on canned veggies, and processed dinners, and I am still fine! We often had macaroni and cheese, processed loafs of meat, lasagna from a box, cookies, Spaghettios, fruit snacks, and the list goes on. I don't have cancer! I'm average to below average for my weight. I'm still living with no health issues. Why change what is working okay for me?!

Then I started reading and researching for myself. This made me frightened! How am I pumping my child full of chemicals and not thinking twice?! How am I doing that to myself and my husband?!

Commence the slow turn over to Real Food.

NOW! This is where I begin my "I am not perfect, no one is no matter how much they want you to think they are" portion of my post.

This week my grocery budget was shrunk down quite a bit. This meant I either had to get less food, which, who can do that with a 7 year old son and husband who still eats like a teenage boy?! Or, I could buy the cheaper version. Lest, very little organic food made it into my cart. I had to get the normal chicken tenderloins, the pesticide ridden strawberries and grapes, and so on and so forth.

Last night, as I was feeling SUPER guilty about feeding my son food that had so many chemicals in it, I got to thinking; for a bed time snack he asked for a bowl of fruit. I mean an OVERFLOWING bowl of fruit. He didn't ask for cookies, chips, crackers, ice cream, or candy. He asked for FRUIT! I scrubbed the fruit for a very long time in very warm water and peeled the apple and cleaned it again. He was eating Real Food. No, it wasn't the ideal, but it was so much better than the alternative! How could I feel guilty about that?!

This morning, as i was scarfing, and I DO MEAN SCARFING, down my donut I got to thinking again. I don't do this every day; I don't do this even once a week. This used to be a Saturday tradition for K and I, and I caved for the FIRST time in a long time today. Why am I feeling guilty?! I should be allowed to splurge every now and then and not feel bad about it!

Its hard to afford a completely organic, natural meal night after night for a family who loves to eat - especially if there is more than one child! Yes there are some of us blessed enough to be able to afford it, and yes there are weeks we have extra so we can splurge, but we can't always do that. AND THAT IS OKAY!

I'm sick of feeling guilty for feeding my family a meal out of a box here and there. I'm sick of feeling guilty when I have to buy the pesticide ridden fruits and veggies. I'm sick of being judged on what we eat and how we do it.

Yes, it is important to get the right food in your diet; we all know it. No one needs that rubbed in their faces. We are ALL doing THE BEST WE CAN with the resources we are given. That is the most important thing to remember.

So, tonight, as i feed my son a few more of the fruits that I have to scrub a little extra, I am going to be thankful that he is asking for fruit! I am not going to feel guilty that I couldn't afford the "better stuff" because I got the best I could and that is OKAY! No matter how you look at it, it is Real Food, and that, in itself, is a blessing to me!