Thinking About Food

8 Tea West

Nicole, I’ve read both of those books, and would suggest that you also read Food Matters by Mark Bittman ( http://www.markbittman.com/books/food-matters ). I think it might be exactly what you’re looking for. It *is* Pollan + A Basic Cookbook.

Kathryn Humphreys

I really like thescramble.com for recipe ideas. all made it 30 minutes or less with very few prepared ingredients (and those are canned tomatoes and the like, which you could do yourself if so inclined). the 30 minute part is really nice with small children and we’ve all branched out from our comfort zone.

Lindsey

I want to do the same thing..but have been lost as to where to start. It all seems overwhelming, which is odd considering I want to “simplify” my foods. I watched Jamie’s new TV show the other night and was inspired. I’m going to have to pick these books up. Thanks for the tip. Feel free to share more as you learn!

Lindsey

Brigite

Oh! I see you mention organic in your tweet. A good rule of thumb is that the more protection a food has, the more ok it is not to eat organic. So a non-organic avocado is not going to be as “bad” as a tomato.

I could go on about this for hours. I’ve been eating this way nearly my entire life.

Janet

Speaking of Mark Bittman, I’d like to recommend his “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.” It’s really the only cookbook you’ll ever need, with variations on every recipe. Most of them are also really simple. I think you’ll love it…And yes, a CSA can be a great thing. I didn’t even know I liked kale until some came in my bag! Good luck!

Juliette

yes, it’s overwhelming sometimes. Have you see the http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ website? I’m not even vegetarian and I love this site! TONS of great recipes that are easy, not too out-there, and mostly fast.

hsp

We LOVE Jaime’s cookbook (have you tried the Mac & Cheese yet? Heavenly!) and I’ve been telling everyone I know about it (my own Pas It On effort.)

No matter what kind of food you’re going to cook, the best thing you can do to make it easier on yourself is planning the whole week in advance and then shop only from that list. Since we’ve started this (well over a year now) our grocery bill has gone down significantly and we don’t waste as much food. Plus, if you look at the week together you can see where you can cook extra of certain ingredients (chicken, rice, beans, potatoes etc etc) and use leftovers as part of the another dish (much as Jaime does with his leftover curry recipe) later in the week.

Good luck!

Rebecca

I loved In Defense of Food and I’ll check out Mark Bittman’s and Jaime Oliver’s books too. I thought Animal, Vegetable, Mineral was very inspiring even though I’m not planning on growing all my own food. And I also recommend seeing Food Inc., it was really well done.

As for recipe suggestions, I highly recommend two quinoa recipes that I’ve tried and have really like:

Quinoa Burgers
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/quinoa-burgers/

Mediterranean Quinoa (make sure you read the comments)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mediterranean-Quinoa/Detail.aspx

rachel denbow

this has been intimidating me since I started critically looking at what my toddler eats and how my body isn’t responding as well to exercise alone as it used to. I have a four month old and can’t WAIT to get rid of about 20 pounds and feel like this discipline (cooking fresh, local, healthy food) will kill two birds with one stone.

Thanks for sharing your walk through it!

Christina

I’m so glad you and your family have decided to change your food habits. After all, that is really all it is – a habit. My husband and I have been eating like this for about two years now, inspired mostly by Michael Pollan. I can relate to you and other readers comments about it being difficult to make the switch, especially if you aren’t comfortable making your own menus/cooking from scratch.

Some advice I would give to anyone about changing their food habits is, if you make the switch to local, seasonal, and organic foods you will commit to a lifestyle change and spend a lot more time in the kitchen. You will find a greater appreciation for food, which can be amazing to experience with your whole family. If you have a local CSA to join I would recommend that too. I still get items in my box that I have no idea how to cook, but it has stretched our minds and our abilities on the stovetop.

I also follow the rule: Stick to the periphery of the supermarket – avoid the aisles. This is where all those hydrogenated oils and refined sugars live. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup is easier than you think. And switching to a good quality chocolate will make you question why you ate terrible candy bars all those years! Thinking of meat as a side dish is also a great idea on the nights you don’t make a completely vegetarian meal. Good luck in your new food adventures!

Some Vegetarian cookbooks I recommend:
The Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen
The Art of Simple Food, Alice Waters (queen of the local organic restaurant movement)
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman

Victoria Rosas

I think is great that you want to be healthier, Im a new vegetarian, I started this year in january and its not always easy but the thing is find the good healthy food that suits your body. If you havent, I recomend you watch Food Inc it changes your life, really.

Good luck!

J.

In Defense of Food is the March book for the OP Public Library book group Genre X (for 20s and 30s peeps; meets in the Snug at Molly Malone’s in Forest Park the last Tuesday of every month at 8 pm). I loved IDoF so much I got a copy of Food Rules, too, and I’m totally looking forward to the discussion next week (which is usually pretty good, anyways).

Mama Em

I found that joining a CSA (a farm share) really helped me eat more healthfully. I had a huge box of fresh produce, harvested within 24 hours, at my disposal, for far less than it would have cost at the farmer’s market. Instead of wondering what to cook, I went about finding ways to cook what I had (often with help from epicurious.com, where you can search recipes by ingredient). I had so much healthy, organic, farm-fresh produce to eat that I ate little else. Many CSAs also have the option to add on beef, chicken, egg, or cheese shares to each delivery. Here’s a list of Chicago-area CSAs with reviews that I found super helpful: http://www.thelocalbeet.com/2010/02/11/2010-csa-guide/comment-page-1/
Good luck!

Allison

Good for you — not only for changing but for sharing! Food is such a sensitive subject in this country — almost like religion. I have recently read The Kind Diet, Food Matters, Omnivore’s Dilemma, and my favorite, Eating Animals all this year. Starting Jan 1 I went vegan thanks to these books (and Food Inc and Earthlings documentary). It’s been surprisingly simple and wonderfully liberating.

I highly, highly recommend The Kind Diet and Eating Animals. Highly.

Thank you again for sharing.

My First Kitchen

Food Rules by Pollan is great, too. And have you seen the movie Food, Inc? It’s awesome. You should check it out.

Abigail

Check out Simply in Season, available from Ten Thousand Villages (and on amazon… http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Season-Expanded-Community-Cookbook/dp/0836194942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269485379&sr=8-1) I’m an uninspired cook also, but these recipes are pretty simple and delicious AND encourage buying local, seasonal food. :)

paty fontes

eat better is the beginning, and we need to give example for our little ones! Books are great. Why dont you take some classes as well? I did and it was really nice. I am sure that you can fine some basic cooking schools over there. nothing fancy, new ideas and basic concepts….

lisa

My favorite cookbook is Simple Suppers by Moosewood Restaurant. Really, it’s easy, simple and tasty! Most dinners prepare quickly. So it makes eating healthy easier.
http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Simple-Suppers-Weeknight/dp/0609609122

lifeologia

I love this topic of eating healthy and being a vegetarian. I have recently changed my diet (4 months ago – and NO meat for just 2 months). I did it for health reasons. I was suffering from an autoimmune illness (notice I wrote WAS) The diet + some supplements I researched have CURED ME – although medically there is NO cure for this illness. AMAZING nutrients are in foods. We just need to educate ourselves and choose the foods that give us most benefits.
I book I would also like to add to the list is The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone,
I posted about it on http://www.lifeologia.com/?p=382 (come see my easy to prepare vegetarian recipes too. Since just a few short months I have transformed my life to being HEALTHY & HAPPY. I encourage everyone to eat healthy meals, no processed foods, no sugar (or very little), organic as much as you can afford.
Love your blog by the way!

Lisa

You should check out http://www.foodfashionmeetsfunction.com. It’s a blog about the struggles with dieting, eating healthy and food in general. Kristin does a great job with ideas for recipes and just food thoughts in general!

Sara

I’m a huge proponent of the eating whole foods trend. It just makes sense. Don’t you want to have control over what goes into your body rather than corporations or the government? My advice is to keep is simple. Meats, fish, eggs, butter, cream, cheese, vegetables and fruits.

I do a lot of cooking, so if you’re interested e-mail me and I can get some recipes to you!

Also, Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes is an excellent and eye-opening book about health and the way we eat.

Christen

My fiance and I are in northwest AL and it’s SO HARD to find organically grown produce and organic products here. We aren’t vegen or vegetarian but we incorporate ALOT of those practices into our meals.

I recommend Alicia Silverstone’s book “The Kind Diet.” It is a cookbook, but the first half of the book talks about what’s in our food, what it does to us, and what alternatives there are. (Most are easy to find, unless you live in an area like me with very few options)

I also recommend “30 Minute Vegan” by Reinfield and Murray. It has great, quick recipes including how to make your mayo – which is MUCH less expensive than buying Veganaise or other vegan mayos (though Veganaise is fantastic, it’s over $6 a jar in the only healthfood grocery we have in my area!)

Here are a few blogs I’ve come across as well that have awesome information and great recipes:
elanaspantry.com
blog.fatfreevegan.com
veganessentials.com
nutsonline.com (great for finding nut flours!)
benefityourlifestore.com (offers almond flour at great price)

Thanks everyone for sharing! I’ve gotten so many great ideas off here!

Nicole RJ

Good for you for trying to eat healthier! The hubs and I started trying to get better about eating healthy when we first moved in together and it’s been an interesting journey!

With our current budget we’re more concerned with non-processed than organic, and I’m also a lot more conscious about where my food is coming from. But even little things like substituting honey for white sugar and adding oat bran into cake mixes helps! It also helps ease your way into a new way of eating/thinking!

Not a cookbook, but a fabulous read: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver ~ the story of her & her family going local for one year. Very inspiring!

Meg

Excellent! I read the Michael Pollan book followed by his “Food Rules” and have found the rules it so sensible and easy to follow. I started the year out following weight watchers for portion control, and food rules for content, and I’ve lost 30lbs. Beyond that, I feel so much better lately! More energy, better sleep, digestive problems gone away… I always felt like a reasonably intelligent person, but never realizing before that such simple changes could make me feel so much better, I feel like a (healthier) moron!

I’ll have to check out the Jamie Oliver book. I’ve started to lose some steam with creating “meals”. Some new inspiration is just what I need!

Amber

This is exactly the transition we’ve made in our household over the last couple of years. I started out barely able to make scrambled eggs… and now cooking is my favorite hobby. I’ve read so many great books about the subject. Check out “Real Food” by Nina Planck, “Food Rules” by Mark Bittman, and “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Pollan as well… and head over to my site for some easy, fresh recipes (and plenty of food commentary!).

http://www.sustainablediet.blogspot.com/

Rebecca

Nicole,
I have a more modest proposal for you. If you don’t currently consider yourself to be much of a cook or a “healthy eater”, start slowly. I think it’s more about knowing how to make food than knowing exactly what to make. There are so many theories and philosophies out there, the stream seems never ending. However, if you know how to make it, you don’t buy it, e.g. tomato sauce. Making your own is infinitly healthier than buying processed stuff at the store, with it’s loads of salt and sugar plus lord knows what else. The books that you have are a tremendous start! Good for you! Eating clean means eating less processed foods, not necessarily becoming a vegan, vegetarian or going gluten free. Slow, steady and reasonable wins the race.

I hope you have fun with this! And for some DELICIOUS recipes with lots of step by step instructions, I recommend smittenkitchen.com and theparsleythief.com. Both good fun!

Good luck!

Rebecca

stephanie

for some inspiration, you might want to check out http://www.outstandinginthefield.com and sign up to go to one of their dinners…i know they host some in the chicago area.
best of luck!

laura

i would recommend you check out http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/

the blog has tons of really tasty yet healthy recipes. i’ve cooked quite a few myself and am never disappointed

Nicole

I just received a Real Simple cook book. It’s great for working moms with no time who wish to eat healthy. Recipes are simple, one pot and few ingredients.

Heather

I, too, have been reading “In Defense of Food,” and now I feel like the FDA, who I assumed was looking out for my (the consumer) best interest, is not looking out for me at all! I went to the food store to buy bread, and even ones marked 100% whole wheat had enriched white flour and high fructose corn syrup…I didn’t think whole wheat bread would be hiding those things. It makes me mad!

Vanessa

Hi Nicole,
I don’t have time to read all of the posts so I hope that I am not being repetitive, But I highly recommend the book “The China Study” (http://www.thechinastudy.com/). Good reading. Also there are some good documentaries out there, If you have netflix it is easy to get your hands on them.”King Corn” and “Food, Inc.” come to mind, but there are others too.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. One small step at a time.

Jillian Buechi

I had to comment because I just had my 3rd baby just a month after you had yours! It’s always an interesting challenge to get that baby weight off and then some…
I have recently read the EAT CLEAN DIET by Tosca Reno. It is not a diet book, but a way of eating clean for life. I don’t follow it completely, but it is a great guideline for healthy eating. Good luck!

PrutsPrinses

Waw Nicole, I didn’t expect this from you. I’ll be cheering on you!
I’ll add my vote for Bittman’s book (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian), but be careful not to be overwhelmed by the amount of recipes and info…
Good luck!

Lisa-Marie

Both of these books are really good. If you get the ‘Love Food’ series of books where you are, the ‘Seasonal Cookbook’ has really good ideas too.

I sort of took up the same challenge last year. I love cooking and actually bottles of sauce don’t taste good, so I thought it was worth a shot. My husband and I rarely eat processed food now – the only things we buy are the fresh torteloni type pastas, and an occasional pizza.

As well as feeling better for it, it is so, so much cheaper. The only thing I would say is that if you don’t freeze things or meal plan, you will waste alot.

And good luck!

CJ

I LOVE this! I have been thinking about eating healthier for quite some time but the amount of books out there is overwhelming and I don’t have much patience for them, but the one you recommended (In Defense of Food) looks great!

And don’t worry if you don’t get the hang of it right away (cooking in general is a work in progress for me at least!) but I think you are doing the right thing by starting when your little girl is young so she can pick up good habits!