Just a Regular Mom

I am just a regular mom..  I am not a nutritionist.  I am not a doctor.  I am just a regular mom, who is looking for a realistic way to incorporate healthy eating habits into my life.   

Unfortunately for me, I grew up in the 80's on Cookie Crisp, Kool-Aid and Velveeta.    Sure, I've graduated to the "adult" version of these, but is that much healthier?  I still eat boxed cereal on most mornings.  I've traded sugar-laden Kool-Aid for soda and Chai Lattes.  I know better than to bring Velveeta in my home now, but we still use packaged mac-and-cheese, canned soup and so many other things that could easily be made from scratch.  

For ten years, I've been reading books and websites on healthy eating.  I am aware of the benefits.  I know we don't eat enough fruits & veggies.  I know we should switch to more whole-grain foods.  I am fully aware that it takes just as long to make a simple grilled chicken salad as it is to make grilled cheese and tater tots.  But I guess old habits die hard.  When it comes right down to it and life gets crazy, I tend to grab the foods I am familiar with.  And mostly, they are not the healthy choices.  

So that's where I'm at right now.  Wanting to change--knowing I should change--but struggling with exactly how to do it.  Occasionally, I get the urge to tear through my pantry and throw out all the cereal, chips, and all the pre-packaged  junk I know shouldn't be there.  I imagine the shelves being lined with jars of dried beans, whole wheat pasta and freshly dried organic herbs.  

Some day.  Right now, I know that would be a bad idea.  For one, it would cause a riot among the 5 other people living in this house (especially the little ones).  Two, I wouldn't know what to eat.  I'd  end up running out to the store when I'm in a pinch and buying the same old junk again.  

So instead of a panic-driven, massive pantry make-over, I'm going to take  Fly Lady's advice, and try to focus on changing one bad habit at a time. I'm going to choose one thing that really bugs me and change it.  It will be a lot easier to come up with alternatives for one thing at a time, instead of everything at once.  When that change becomes a habit, I can pick another, and so on.  This is the theory, anyway.  We'll see if it works, and you are welcome to follow along.  
Share my ups and downs as I stumble through this journey to transform my food habits into ones that I can be proud of.