“I’d like to begin eating healthy, but I really have no idea where to start. Help!”
My inbox is full of emails stating this or something similar. So many of you are interested in feeding your families a diet of real, whole food. With all the “healthy food” information out there, much of it contradictory, where do you even start? It’s overwhelming, and it’s life changing. Some even feel like the changes are so huge, it’s not even worth the effort!
I remember the feelings so very well. Seven years ago when we started our own Healthy Eating Journey, I knew my family needed to stop eating so many processed foods. But all of the information I read about switching over to whole foods had my head spinning. And then I started reading that not only did I need to eat more vegetables, but they needed to all be organic. And fermented. And our meat needed to be grass fed. And our milk needed to be raw. And our….
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was all too much. Not only did I feel like throwing in the towel, I felt like burning the towel and stomping on the ashes. (Yes, an adult-sized temper tantrum. Sounds pretty, huh?)
Frustrated or not, I knew that my family needed to make healthy changes. So what was I to do?
I prayed. I researched. I wrestled. I experimented. I worked. I asked others for help.
And guess what? Over the last few years, I have figured out that not only does creating and maintaining a Real Food Kitchen not have to be difficult, it’s actually quite fun. And the food tastes amazing and is very easy to prepare!
I am excited to share that over the last few months, I have been developing what I hope will keep you all from experiencing so much of the same frustration that I did when we first began our healthy eating journey.
Introducing….
This eCourse will take you through five simple and practical lessons that can be tailor made for your lifestyle and needs. And guess what? We won’t even touch on buying organic or grass fed food! I mean, you can go there during this eCourse if you want to and if you’re ready, but when I say “the first five steps”, I’m really talking about the first five steps.
What’s even better? Your first five steps don’t have to look like someone else’s first five steps. They can look the way they need to look for YOUR family! Yay! By the time you’ve completed the five lessons in this eCourse, you will be well on your way to a Real Food Kitchen, all while making painless and uncomplicated changes. And did I mention that real food is delicious? :)
We are working hard to put the finishing touches on this eCourse to have it ready to launch in January. You’ll need no special equipment to be a part of this class. You can work on it during any time of the day or night that works for you. You can finish it in one week, in one year, or in whatever time frame you need. You can do it in your pajamas. You can do it while standing on your head. (And if you do, please take a picture and send it to me.)
And best of all? It will only cost you $5 for the entire course. We want everyone to have a chance to participate. And we want everyone to know that when it comes to eating a healthy diet – YOU CAN DO IT!
Be watching for more information about this eCourse and others that we will be completing and featuring in 2013.
As we finalize our lessons, I’d really love to hear from you – What is your biggest challenge when it comes to creating a Real Food Kitchen?
Tara H says
Awesome! I will definitely be taking this course! Thanks for making it so affordable! My biggest challenge is probably my reluctant husband! :)
Lisa says
Cool! I’m excited for this! Thank you, Laura!
Mary Brandon says
I am looking forward to this. I read things a few years ago when my health failed, but reached STOP too. You deserve compensatio for all your work. I think the Bible says we aren’t to sell His word, but ours is fair game.
Amy says
The hardest part for my family is that no one else in our extended families eat the way we do. We eat 100% organically, basic, from scratch foods. If family comes, they bring food we will not eat. If we go there, we need to bring everything we will eat during the visit. Of course when our families eat at our place they absolutely love the food but have no desire to change how and what they eat. It is very frustrating to all of us.
jessica says
Sounds like a pretty awesome book!
Miriam says
Our biggest challenge is the finances. We aren’t able to eat/purchase EVERYthing organically/naturally, but we do the best we can with what we have. We do get farm-raised, natural beef (from family), and purchase organic/natural wheat berries, chicken and cheese from coops. We have cut out many processed foods/ingredients (wow, sometimes I really miss Velveeta macaroni! :P ), but my husband still loves his sodas and chips. :) The benefit, though, of eating better – even if it’s not ALL organic – is our overall health is much improved and sicknesses and allergies are much subdued compared to what they were before.
Judith says
This sounds like a great e-course. Thank you for taking the time to write it. I have done all that…grass fed beef, tofu fed pig (or whatever I should have called it), grind my flour, you get the picture. We have been failing as we are down to 3 from 7 kids in our home. There isn’t the same need for volumes of food!!
Thanks for hosting the linkup!! :-)
Amanda Sikes says
Affording the organic, raw, grass-fed, whole foods is where I run into the biggest issue. We don’t live in a big city so there are no stores around me that carry it and all the co-ops that deliver here are so high! Or they seem high to my budget. My grocery budget is only $300 a month and there are 7 of us. We have plenty right now and I make most of our condiments (many using your recipes!), sauces, mixes, breads, etc. But the switching of the meat and veggies I just can’t squeeze the budget that far.
Jen says
Amanda have you tried locating a nearby farm to purchase grassfed beef and other meats in bulk? Of course you have to have a large freezer to store it in, and it is a larger up front expense. But is MUCH cheaper than buying individual cuts at the store. There are two great websites I use to search for specific products in my area: eatwild.com and localharvest.org. You can see a list of farms, and other sources of foods in your area. It sounds like you doing a wonderful job of feeding your family real foods!
Dawn says
I can’t wait for the ecourse!! I have been dabbling in converting to a complete whole food diet for my family but cost is really an issue with us. We live in SC where organic is a luxury. I have already switched to Raw Butter, Organic eggs and milk but it’s the fruits, veggies and meat that is the most expensive!
Looking forward to the course!!
Jessica says
I’m serious in tears right now. My husband and I have been struggling with trying to get on a healthier eating pattern, for ourselves and our boys. But Hit STOP often. When grocery shopping I’m not sure what to get, what not to get. Our oldest son has been eating “the other way” so long I’m worried that he won’t eat the “new, better” way.
I can’t thank you ENOUGH for this course. I look forward to more information and the course itself.
LindseyforLaura@HHM says
Hang in there Jessica! I think most people have felt this struggle. :)
Amy Tucker says
Thanks so much for offering this at such an unbelievable
price!! ;o) I’ve learned much from you & have been
encouraged these past 2 years as my family enjoys your recipes!
My biggest challenge is the soaking thing. I never could
get the pancakes to turn out right & finally got discouraged
with that whole “adventure”. I’m trying to used mixed grains
as much as possible and am not able to grind my own flour, but do try to buy organic flours. At least I’m considering my efforts as doing “better” than before starting this whole journey! One baby step at at time, right?!! ;o)
Thanks again for being such a BIG BLESSING!!!
Michelle says
What a blessing your family is to so many other families! I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price. Thank you Laura!
Leigh says
Looking forward to the course!
I have two challenges – one is a tight food budget and the other is the picky/stubborn attitudes of my children. They like the packaged chicken nuggets instead of homemade, the boxed Mac & cheese instead of mine, store bought bread instead of homemade and on and on. Sometimes its just easier to throw in the towel and give in. Also they never agree on much – one likes corn, while another despises it, mashed potatoes – skin on or off: an epic battle……
Thanks!!!!!
Lisa says
I get hung up on the conflicting information out there too! Is milk good for you or not? Where to get grassfed beef? Are grains really good for you?
Everyone seems to agree that vegetables are good for you but how can I get more in their diet? Fruit is not a problem. :/
I look forward to taking the ebook course! :)
Abby says
I would one to have my family eat healthy but finances and picky eaters are my biggest obstacles. Looking forward to the course!
Alison says
This would be great!
I’ve always tried to look for healthier options, but finances and time have often got in the way.
Jane says
I’m definitely sold on this course! Our biggest obstacles to eating healthy are where to shop for healthy food, being able to afford to feed a large family on a small budget, and the preparation of healthy foods (such as soaking, ect.) I’m really looking forward to the course. I know the content and the price will be appreciated by many moms.
Dana says
For me, it’s the whole organic vs. local debate. Should I get the organic apples from across the country? Or the ones from my state that may not have been grown organically? Is it even right to drive 70 miles roundtrip to the big farmer’s market for “local” food? Doesn’t that seem contradictory? Since I don’t have local organic foods available, it’s hard to choose.
Myra says
As always Laura you’re truly an inspiration! After reading all the comments above, I can say I can relate to almost every one of them. My biggest challenge is the conflicting information about dairy & grains being good or bad. Then I get overwhelmed with trying to research. Tied with the first biggest challenge is budget. One humble income for a family of six. After our mortgage, our greatest expense is on groceries and I don’t really buy any organic or grass fed. Which leads me to my next greatest challenge…how to cut out the unhealthy, cheap chicken & meat & still feel like I’m feeding my kids all they need. Speaking of kids, it’d be great to have them actually like, and prefer the homemade vs. boxed meals. It’s an uphill battle! Throw in the in-laws who constantly buy JUNK even after asking them not to, and all the candy and “treats” the kids constantly get at school, & it feels nearly impossible to make the consistent changes that we need to make. I’m so tired of people making me feel like I’m the weird one for not wanting my 3rd & 4th graders to have honey buns & starbursts, etc. for “treats” at school.
Bethany B. says
This sounds like a great ecourse!!! For us, the hardest part of maintaining a real food diet is two-fold…pickiness and budget. Like many others, we have one salary that is tightly budgeted and there’s just not a lot of room for upping the grocery budget. For me that means I’m starting with meat and dairy, but not able to go much beyond that. The other issue is pickiness, and not from my kids…from my hubby. He won’t touch a veggie and is very particular about what he eats (just one example, he won’t eat a dish that combines meat and cheese). He’s an awesome husband and I love him to pieces, but it is a challenge. Our kids are less picky, but it is still a constant struggle to feed my family healthy, good meals and have them be eaten or at least not complained about.
Bethany B. says
I also wanted to add that I try to make as much as I can from scratch and am forever indebted to Laura for her MANY recipes that help me do that!
Amy says
I will tell my 18 year old about this. She is starting to come in the kitchen and learn. Hopefully she keep it going. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Love it!
Melinda says
Our food budget is low also, but I do find once buying ALL ingredients to make food and NO food in a package it balances out pretty well. We buy grass fed beef (from friends), local honey, and raw milk from a local farm. We garden in the summer and buy spices at Cash&Carry or Costco. Trader Joe’s is also a good place to find good deals on some healthy foods like yogurt, eggs, and lettuce . Our Fred Meyer has a lot of healthy options. Also Amazon.com can help those living in outlining areas …just some things that have helped me.
Carrie says
Very excited for this course, thank you for the blessing of offering it at such a fantastic price.
For my family the challenges are cost..small town and not a lot of organic available at reasonable prices. Although I will say since we have been eating better we have saved a lot on medical expenses (less sinus infections,ear infections,throat,allergies,and better dental visits). So it helps balance the money long term. It is weekly that is hard.
Time is an issue with trying to bake and make most from scratch. I try to do this on my day off but sometimes feel that is all I do.
Final is my picky 13 year old son. He hates beans,potatoes, and eggs. Makes it hard
He does love salad though..and eats all the fruit before anyone else can have any. I have to hide things from him so I have it to pack for their lunches. Lol. Sorry for the long comment. Thank you again!!
Amanda says
I think my biggest challenge and strongest need I have is to have my husband’s support. I want to honor the Lord in our home by respecting my husband as the head of our household. if he is not ready to jump in 100%, I don’t feel like I would be acting out of love if I threw away all his diet soda and splenda tomorrow, although some may argue that I’d be doing him a favor, but in my experience it would only cause more division and drive him further away from embracing whole foods altogether. Every big transition that we’ve undertaken in the past has always been together, so, I try to do what I can in the meantime, and prayetfully wait for the Lord to work on his heart.
Laura says
I agree with you – throwing out his diet soda is not loving, even if you do feel like in some ways it is “doing him a favor”. Prayer is stronger than aspertame, so I agree with you to go that route! Hopefully you can take this ecourse and set goals and make changes based on ideas that will work for both you and your husband. The beauty of this ecourse is that you can tailor it to fit your needs – there is not a one size fits all plan!
Amy @ Raising Arrows says
My biggest challenge is figuring out what is worth my time and what is not. I’m due to have baby #8 soon and we homeschool, so I know there are certain things I would need to either not do or buy already done for me. I’m not typically a person who lives by guilt, but for some reason, this really gets to me.