From bargain to health

I used to be a bargain shopper, I mean who doesn't like saving money? I was one of those coupon ladies that you didn't want to get behind in line. Granted there were many "couponers" much better than I could ever dream of but I did alright. Then food dye and I feel out of love with each other and my family's eating habits change big time. I have been doing a lot reflecting this week over all of the changes we have made in this last year.

One year ago in my garage you would have found about 150 granola bars (the super healthy Quaker ones with HFC), about 100 boxes of cereal and fruit snacks galore. I would have gotten them at a super good deal if not free of course so why not get a ton right?!

So this week I found myself stalking up on mango's! I love mango's, they were on a good sale so I bought 42 of them! I know overboard, but not really. I am going to cut them, freeze them and make ice cream out of them. Yep just frozen mango pureed and it is amazing, and amazingly healthy.

Our journey with food dye has lead us to healthier eating, no more cereal for breakfast or lazy nights for dinner. No ice cream galore, well except our healthy homemade kind. We aren't total health nuts (well maybe) but we just don't need to indulge in the sugar all of the time.

We eat a lot of raw food and I love it. It makes me feel so good when I send my kids off to school now knowing that they have had a healthy breakfast eating real food with good for their body nutrients in it. So no, my grocery bill isn't as low as it used to be, but I have learned moderation, I have learned that price isn't the bottom line but growing healthy kids that have a good foundation is very rewarding. We were somewhere last week and we were eating less than healthy, which is ok now and then for a treat and my girls (who usually would inhale fast food) barely ate anything. As soon as we got home they all said they were starving and went straight to the fridge and ate fruit, of their own free will. That was a proud mom moment.

I am proud of the changes we have made as a family, I am grateful that I haven't had to drag my kids down this path kicking and screaming the whole way. There has been resistance at times but they love eating fruit and even some veggies. My two little ones eat the most veggies of anyone, I wish I would have started giving them to my bigger kids as infants I think that would have made a difference.