Those are the three things my older kids were asking for at dinner last night. "Why don't we have sausage anymore?", "When are we going to have pizza again?", "I want Cheeze Its." It was actually a bit funny. DH and I explained to them that we have made some changes in an effort for all of us to eat healthier foods. We told them that we will have pizza again, but just not as often as we used to. But I didn't tell them that I have no plans to buy sausage or Cheeze Its ever again. I used to buy the sweet apple sausage from Trader J.oe's. It was "all natural", and "healthy", as far as sausage goes. But now, it's just not something I want to feed my family. There are no nutrients in sweet apple sausage that we can't get from another source*, with less cholesterol and saturated fat. Cheeze Its... I can't believe I ever bought them. I had a coupon or something and they were BOGO, the frugal shopper in me led me to make the purchase. Sure, they did not have high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils, but they do have enriched flour and an ingredient list a mile long. No, no more Cheeze Its in this house. Talk about the opposite of nutrient dense! And pizza? Well...I do like pizza and I will eat pizza in the future. But no, it's not something I want to have frequently. If I could get my kids to eat pizza that was topped with a variety of vegetables, that would be great. But they really do prefer to the plain cheese pizza. Again, opposite of nutrient dense. And I am all about nutrient density! Pass the kale please. :)
*: If I recall correctly, the only vitamin that animal products provide that we cannot get from plant sources is either B12 or B6. We all take a multivitamin. Mostly I was referring to protein, because a lot of people equate animal products with protein. And yes, you can get protein from animal products, but you can also get plenty of it from plant sources. And you don't have to worry about the pesky cholesterol and saturated fat when you get your protein from plants.
B12 is the vitamin that vegans need to be careful about, but if you're eating any other fortified foods like rice milk, almond milk, cereal, etc. it's usually added. I've been vegan for years and recently had my B12 levels tested. I was in the high range and don't take any supplements.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on going plant-based with your family! It won't always be easy, but it'll be worth it! Good luck!
Thanks Julie! I think it's in our multi vitamins. We also have the WF or TJ brand cheerios, which I believe are fortified.
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