When I was a teenager, I religiously mopped up the grease from pepperoni on my pizza and filled a napkin with it by squeezing my weekly Sunday brunch traditional kielbasa to death. One could say I was afraid of fat.
Last month my sister-in-law looked at my pile of discarded pepperoni and asked me if I wasn’t allowed to eat it because of the pregnancy. I said something like, “Well, anybody you ask will tell you something differently, but I’m a little afraid of the chemicals in cured meat (nitrites).”
From low-fat dieters to dyed-in-wool Weston A. Price Foundation followers, when it comes to food, everybody’s afraid of something. [photo source]
Even the most carefree skateboarder dude who gives hardly a care to what goes into his mouth most likely jokes about a “heart attack on a plate” when someone eats a big ol’ pile of fried food.
And just as butter incites fear and trembling in most Americans, who think Paula Deen is headed for destruction with her stick-at-a-time saturated fat consumption, traditional foodies get a little quivery when presented with powdered milk, shortening, or artificial sweeteners.
As much as I claim that I’m all about the positive, taking baby steps, and doing what I can to be healthy without worrying so much about what’s “unhealthy,” well…I still get all tight in my chest when I realize that the yogurt at my in-laws’ house, where my kids will be this weekend, is sweetened with Splenda, they only have skim milk, and it’s a gamble as to whether they’ll have butter, ‘light’ butter (what IS that anyway??), standard margarine or the latest “heart healthy” tub blend.
My daughter, who reminded me at least five times this morning, “Butter too,” as I was getting toast ready, wouldn’t eat a roll without a thick slathering of whatever is offered in the name of butter. What will she be eating for breakfast Saturday morning?
What’s Your Poison?
Are you fearful of fat and think a meal with butter, red meat, and egg yolks will knock you flat? Or do you embrace all of the above with a knowing smile but seize up when presented with margarine, factory raised low-fat ground turkey and pourable egg products? Do you go whole grains only or do even those, if not soaked, make you wonder? Perhaps grains aren’t your thing no matter what…
Maybe you’re all about low-cal, low-sodium, and you don’t mind if the products you buy have high fructose corn syrup to replace the fat. On the other hand, maybe you’d rather find calories that count for the most nutrition, including healthy salt and healthy fats, and just avoid the chemicals in processed foods as much as possible.
Do pesticides and synthetic fertilizers send you packing, or would you eat any vegetable you find but think raw egg yolks in a smoothie is playing Russian roulette? And how about milk? Skim, pasteurized, homogenized, whole milk, cream, fresh raw milk, organic, powdered, ultra-high temp pasteurized…I guarantee if you’ve delved into the subject of what milk to buy, one of those words increased your heart rate.
If you’re giving healthy eating a chance, there’s got to be something you just don’t eat, no matter how hard you try to just focus on what you DO put into your mouth. Grab a banana (organic, perhaps?) and ponder:
Everyone’s afraid of something. What gets your tastebuds trembling?
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But don’t forget that God’s in charge. He’s bigger than food.
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I am entered in Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday.
When my son was in grade school I wrote a song for him about margarine. It went
Margarine is evil
Margarine is evil
Now I’m not trying to be dramastic
But its one molecule away from plastic
Margarine is evil
Yuuuuuuck!
It was very show-tuney.
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Mystik Momma Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Love this! I started to telling my sons about ingredients and how certain foods were poison. But it seemed too harsh, so we now say bad ingredients and it is so much part of our everyday speech when considering what is good for us and what is not.
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Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
It’s hard to teach kids. I’ve taught my daughter that certain things are poison, too. But then how do I explain it when they tell their friends that something is poison but they eat it all the time and their parents don’t think twice about it? So more and more I teach her “We don’t eat that. It makes our tummies hurt.” Certainly no one can argue with that!
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WashingtonPharmGirl Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:26 pm
That is an excellent come back. Mine little song was for a schoolmate that teased Jacob when he turned his nose up at margarine.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 3:01 am
Ahhhh, you’re cracking me up! Love it!
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I would say MSG scares me the most when it comes to just knee jerk reactions. I’m not really sure why, but it just gives me the heebie jeebies.
But if I really sit down and think about it, I’m more scared about meat/dairy/eggs with added hormones and wondering how they affect my fertility.
But I’ve gotten much better about this from reading your blog. I love how you balance it all by doing your best and using prayer to fill in any gaps! No guilt trips for us when we can’t reach every nutritional goal or when food is outside our control (church wide events, weddings, etc.) I love your attitude about that (it’s refreshing!)
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You know, it’s SO nice read a post from someone like-minded and who goes through the same thing I do. Thank you for this. I feel like less of a quack (which I have been called behind my back – too bad they said it in front of my husband – not knowing who he was – and ended more embarrassed than I)
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:56 am
Oh! *eyebrows raised* People can be very untactful, eh? Let’s be quacky together!
Katie
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For me, it’s artificial sweeteners, soda, and MSG. It took me about 3 years of marriage (out of 4) to convince my husband to stop putting fake sweetener on the grocery list. Soda leaves a film on my teeth that makes me want to sprint for a toothbrush, and MSG gives me migraines. Does it make me sound neurotic that I have 3 things I’m afraid of?
PS When I was a teenager, I was petrified of fat. This was the late 90s, the height of the low-fat craze. Now, I’ve got undiagnosed infertility issues–makes you wonder, right?!
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Jenn Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
….same
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What a fun post! My in-laws love to embrace “healthy.” And by that I mean whatever the mega farm/GM food producing companies tell them is healthy. Their refrigerator and pantry scare me as much as my own parent’s refrigerator and pantry. So many processed foods! I’ve reached the point where I travel with food. My youngest has a peanut and tree nut allergy, so I use him and his allergies as an excuse (does that make me a bad mom?). I find that if I bring healthy, home made alternatives my kids will almost always choose those over store bought and processed. And the end result is that I don’t hear “my tummy hurts” because they are not ingesting horrible, unpronouncable chemicals.
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D Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Oh my goodness! My in-laws are the same! When they were here for Thanksgiving, I heard nothing but “ew”s and “you don’t eat that, do you”s about full fat dairy products (we eat pasteurized, non-homogenized, from a local farm) and natural fats. My sister-in-law even went so far as to tell me that she raises her kids right because they don’t like sour cream! Now, her kids have had lifelong dairy issues, as have mine, so I’m not sure if they’ve ever even had much, but I doubt it was her that made them not LIKE sour cream. My MIL won’t drink 1% milk, even if it’s in a glass in front of her, only skim. But she’ll eat “fat free” ice cream and “low fat” cookies, which have WAY more calories than what she just saved on that glass of milk. It all makes me totally crazy. I’ve given up on tact. We just eat what we eat, bring what we can, and avoid the really nasty stuff (HFCS, hydrog fats, processed soy, etc.), and I pull no punches about how I fell about the processed junk.
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D Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Oh, and my SIL gives her children, who don’t carry a bit of extra fat on their frames, lactose-free skim milk only. Now, I understand about the lactose, given the health issues, but SKIM? They are kids. Then she lets them order a huge basket of french fries, and have chicken nuggets at every meal we ate out. Sigh… Each to their own, but then don’t insult my choices until you take a good look at your own!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:34 am
LOL – love it, D, you just gotta be yourself. You’re among like-minded folks here at least!!
Katie
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:55 am
Esther,
Katie
The one blessing of a food allergy is that it gives you a great “out”, don’t you think? I think it makes you a great and resourceful mom, myself!
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Easy: soy. It’s everywhere in the standard American diet and not enough information readily available on its detrimental effects. Mind you I no longer will eat anything with soy in it, so my worry is possibly unfounded for myself.
Otherwise though, I eat so heavily of traditional foods that I figure occasional lapses and things getting in I don’t want hopefully will not lead to adverse effects.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:53 am
Soli,
Katie
Ooooh, I forgot about that one, that would have been good to include in this little rant.
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I relate to a lot of what you wrote. Hot dogs, ugh! Fat free anything, just the thought gives me a stomach ache. But what else scares me a lot, that isn’t ingested, necessarily, but is in the kitchen…when sponges are used to wipe down eating surfaces. I think I can see every germ just spreading across the table, yuck! We use a large amount of rags, each used only once, then put in the wash for a big load.
Love that margarine sing…I’m going to have sing that to my mother!
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I love this post, Katie! And this is why it takes me so long to make decisions for our family’s nutrition — everyone has a different opinion, and many times even conflicting opinions both make sense!
Artificial sweeteners, fake cheese (and I’m starting to feel the same about fake butter) and shortening are no brainers for me. The rest is all still up in the air!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:51 am
Thanks, Mandi – striving for the “awesome” instead of the “quantity.”
Katie
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After years of being indoctrinated that butter, whole milk and red meat are all the devil — I have to purposely change my thinking to remember that whole foods are GOOD! So I run from anything “man made”.
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Jenn Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Yeah, I was infiltrated with that way of thinking, too (not at all because of my dear parents, just all my…researching). Now I have to get used to the idea of eating those provisions of health from God!
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The most consistent and first of things to scare me are high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. They have been the first to go in our house (not saying we NEVER have them, but are avoided earnestly). Next is milk. We now drink raw from a local source. After that I strive for homemade, and not eating out of a box or (commercial) can.
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I try not to freak about things, but yes, any chemicals added tend to make me go “Ooooh…ahhh, no thanks.” Of course, i’m on a severely restricted diet anyway.
I WOULD fear Splenda. I’ve had it 3 times, all by accident (eating something homemade without questioning the content). Had severe reactions the second 2 times, the third landed me in ER.
While i know that i tend to react to things more severely than most folks, my belief is that if i’m reacting this strongly, it is probably bad for other folks too, they just don’t have a severe enough reaction to be aware of the problem.
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Esther Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Wow! My in-laws always swear by Splenda. They think it’s just amazing stuff. My feeling is if you want to consume sugar, just consume the regular stuff–not a chemically derivived version of sugar. Even though no one I know has ever had a reaction to Splenda, I’m certainly glad you shared your story. Stay well.
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Kathryn Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 6:33 pm
I guess that i’ve just realized that if something is “food-like” rather than actual food (Splenda falls here) that i don’t think it is healthy for anyone. Not being a mama, i’m in control of only myself and i try to limit how much “food-like” stuff i eat.
I do cook for hubby, but i don’t insist that he follow my own limitations. I’d prefer him not to eat things that are unhealthy, but he’s a grown boy. I cook for him as healthy as possible, most of the time.
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Sarah W Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Haha, I refer to such things as “facsimiles of food.”
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Oh and getting local grass-fed/pastured meats, and organic foods as much as possible!
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Fear is certainly very real. It is really hard for me to not criticize and be realistic when eating with family sometimes. Right now I fear what my dd will eat because a cousin or uncle gives her a taste, and the reaction that could take place. But I fear chemicals, I fear toxins that send me backwards when I’m trying to make continued progress, I fear breathing the air when I walk past a McDonalds.
Thank goodness good bloggers and a good God keep me sane.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:49 am
Jen,
Katie
At least McDonald’s air has to be better for us than standing directly behind a semi truck and inhaling, right? Stay sane!
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This made me laugh! I too would not eat fat. I would poke out all the fat in a slice of salami.. imagine what was left? Additionally, I would cut off every visible piece of fat on any meat I would eat. Bacon would end up looking like long red strips, very skinny. Sausage took me a long time to get over, as in there are too many fats globules there to manage. I still cut off all visible fat, but will close my eyes and eat salami if there aren’t large pieces of visible fat staring at me. It just makes me gag and that isn’t appetizing to me. Pork Belly? Not a chance!
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What a great post! I have a few things that really get me – and that butter-y stuff is one of them. I make almost all of our food from scratch and use as little processed food as I can and still please hubby! Working on helping him learn to embrace real food fully. He’s doing pretty well, but still has some misconceptions about a few things!
And I agree about sending kids to visit others who don’t understand or embrace our food lifestyle. So hard sometimes to have a child have a reaction to something and know there’s no way to pinpoint what it was or why they are acting out, etc.
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Thank you for this post, as I am constantly struggling with my views on food and chemicals and how God would want me to respond. The Bible clearly tells us not to fear anything but God, which is so easier said than done. I keep trying to remind myself that I’m not in control of my or my family’s health anyway, only God is. I can make wise choices (which I believe God wants me to do), but I should not put my food choices above relationships. I’m still trying to figure out what this means for me. I’ve also found that my kids (especially the 5 yr old), crave candy, and other “bad” stuff more than my niece who is allowed to eat whatever. My niece is the one who chooses, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers all the time!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:46 am
Julie,
Katie
I totally needed to include this link in this post! http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/04/09/soul-first-body-second/ Thanks for the reminder!
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Artificial sweeteners are the one thing I will not touch- even at someone else’s house…
Margarine is a close second, although I have been known to choke it down (literally, choke) in order to not hurt someone’s feelings…
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Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Ooh, I couldn’t do that. I’d just not take some, or say “Sorry, we don’t eat that.” But our friends and family are not easily offended. They choose what they want and we choose what we want and it’s all good. I’ve even had friends ask “Are you sure?” when talking about ‘compromise’ foods. Guess I’m lucky.
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Jill Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Yes, you are very lucky to have understanding friends and especially family! While one side of our family is pretty understanding about it, the other side pretty much thinks we are fruitloops, so I try not to cause any more waves than I already do! ha!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:37 am
Heh, as long as they don’t feed your kids fruitloops 24/7 you’re doing great, Jill!
Katie
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This was an excellent post. I find myself caught in the fear of food constantly. At first it was food that did not taste good, then food that was high in fat, then high in carbs, then high in anything, really. Now I find myself stuck needing to gain a few pounds and just eat *healthfully*. Dr. Price and various blogs such as this has helped me get on the right path, but I still struggle with being scared of food (aka homogenized milk???). I am learning that it is about being good stewards of your body, but not being obsessive. Living life with an open hand to glorify Christ. Looking forward to hear more on the subject!
Secondly, I missed the Nutrition course! Will you be teaching it again? I am currently studying nutrition and am sick of the false FDA standards, etc. Ick. I want the real stuff
Soli Deo Gloria,
Jenn
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Gi Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 9:52 pm
loved this comment-Living life with an open hand to glorify Christ!
thanks
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:45 am
Jenn,
Katie
The nutrition course isn’t mine but Food Renegade’s, and I think you still have until the end of Friday (2/4) to enroll, if you’re interested. Here’s the link for more: http://bit.ly/eO843k
Good luck!
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I’m afraid of anything that gives me intestinal cramps and headaches. That would be–wheat, corn, soy, artificial sweeteners, dairy and nuts. The good part of that means that I don’t eat MSG (wheat), GMO corn and soy, high fructose corn syrup or pasteurized dairy products. I am hoping to eventually be able to go back to having nuts and seeds though. This diet has pretty much nullified most prepared foods for me and makes me eat healthy.
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When I think too much I’m afraid of a LOT of things. Yesterday I knocked a packet of Sweet’n'Low out of my daughter’s hand (we were at a restaurant) and said “No! That’s poison!!”
I’m afraid of almost any food if I don’t know what is in it. I’m afraid it will contain additives. I’m afraid of “natural flavors.” I’m afraid of just about anything I can get away from home. Now, we still compromise sometimes. But I prefer not to most of the time. (At the restaurant yesterday we cheated and had some grains, but I stuck to non-gluten grains only!)
I have new fears now: raw veggies. Not for ME, I’m fine. But my son, we have discovered, does NOT do well with them. One night he had broccoli (lightly steamed) for the first time in awhile. Well, following that, he threw up, was gassy, did not sleep well at night. Soo…if I ever see him grab at raw veggies now I snatch it out of his hands or even his mouth! I can’t stand what it would do to him.
Oh and although it doesn’t matter much because we are off grains, I am afraid of white flour.
It doesn’t make us feel well.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:42 am
Throwing up is a very valid reason to be afraid of something – clearly something really doesn’t work for you son there! You do great with your family’s diet!
Katie
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definitely meat that is “unclean” so to speak! i prefer to buy the highest quality meat that i can find. i simply won’t buy it unless i know that it’s a good source. that a fake sweetners, those just turn my taste buds and so does fake butter!
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Great post! I’m new to learning about all of this, but I’ve always had a natural fear of artificial sweeteners. Now I’ve added refined sugars and flours. I read ingredients labels like crazy and fear anything I can’t pronounce or have never heard of, which means I’m making almost everything from scratch, which is good but time-consuming.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:37 am
Nikki,
Katie
You hit the nail on the head! Once you start reading ingredients for real, there’s no going back…
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I avoid HFCS like the plague, and scrub fruit with a 50/50 white vinegar/water solution to get rid of pesticide traces.
Apart from that, I am pretty much resigned to the fact that whatever you eat, SOMEONE will shriek how it’s the WORST THING EVAR!
So I don’t sweat it. Tonight I will be making jam roly-poly with custard
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It is so tough to not be a food snob when you eat only whole, natural foods. I don’t even realize how natural we eat sometimes until I got to someone else’s house and see how they eat.
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Eating out. I miss going out to eat now and then. I don’t know where to go or what to choose. If the meat isn’t coming from a good source then I don’t want it. Stay away from fried because they are probably using canola oil. Salads with pesticide residue and bad oil in the dressing? How about a sandwich where the grains were not soaked? I tear apart every choice I see on the menu.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:33 am
Linda,
Katie
I do that sometimes, too, but there are often “better” choices. I figure I had two incredibly healthy pregnancies on factory meat, and lots of it, so I’m really not that afraid of that one, especially for occasional eating out. Grains are hit and miss; I’d rather skip them. And a lot of places are using peanut oil still for fried food. I do make sure I check “is it real butter?” on my baked potatoes and often ask where fish was caught, but I try not to be too much of a food Nazi in a restaurant.
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Great post!! I am facing this right now as I watch a boy whose family isn’t as ‘food aware’ as we are and is a bit particular about what he’ll even eat. I was wringing my hands yesterday at the grocery store trying to figure out what I felt comfortable buying him to eat. The more I know about processed food, the less I can ‘stomache’ going near it. However, I wasn’t about to pay almost $8 for organic fruit snacks!
So I made a compromise: I’ll buy what I normally do and anything more expensive than that, within reason, I’ll just buy the other stuff. I don’t have to eat it and he’s used to it. I’d rather he was fed than anything else.
I’ll tell you though, in my head it was a tough debate. I was kind of looking at it like “Could I live with myself knowingly giving this child this stuff?” as if it were a deadly poison. While it’s not the best for us (by far, imho) it is food.
There’s no sense in getting ‘legalistic’ about it. Do the best with what you can and at the end of the day, call it even. When it becomes a rule, it starts to rule you. That leaves no room for enjoyment or even contentment. It’s not worth it.
Ok, that was long, so thanks for reading!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:31 am
Traci,
Katie
I feel the same way when I’m making treats for a crowd – do I use white sugar or expensive raw honey? I almost always go with sugar, b/c I’m not going to help the eaters all that much with one snack, you know? I’m sure the food you find is a lot closer to real food than most kids get every day!
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What a great post! I’m mostly afraid of anything processed, I hate the idea of not knowing what’s in something that we’re eating.
Living overseas, I sometimes struggle with the fact that I don’t have access to the same kinds of options as I would if we were back home. I can’t get hormone-free, grass-fed meat and milk (at least not that I know of). Heck, we’re lucky to be able to get any milk here that’s not UHT! I like what you said about doing the best we can and using prayer to cover the gaps.
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I found that doing a lot of research and understanding the actual effects of foods on the body has gone a long way toward getting rid of a fear of any particular thing, but has led to a longer list of foods I don’t/won’t eat, among them: grains in any form, pasteurized dairy, vegetable oils or margarine, artificial sweeteners or large amount of sweeteners of any kind. Some of those I will compromise on in the name of not offending someone, though sometimes, a kind “no thanks” can start a great conversation. In the end, if I am eating a real food diet with lots of proteins, fats and veggies at home, my thought is that the occasional bowl of ice cream at a party or non-free range chicken will probably not do too much damage.
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my food rules are in this order: no laboratory chemicals (this eliminates about 80% of the food sold in the supermarket); organic, local, small farm meats. I can’t control everything my kids or hubby eat away from home .. but educating them about good nutrition is a proactive approach .. instead of just telling them NO! I think they appreciate home cooked foods .. and are trying hard to avoid fast food.
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Stuart Carter Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:58 pm
This is a really good point: using education to combat the siren call of cheap fast food
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Since I’m surrounded by people who don’t seem to care what they eat, I guess I’m most afraid of the people who aren’t afraid of anything in their food, especially when these people are in my family and reject my efforts to help them nutritionally. SIGH.
My personal short list:
1. Anything with MSG (or the other names it goes by) or aspartame
2. Sodium nitrates
3. Corn syrup
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Afraid of: raw milk. Really. I think it’s healthier, but not so much safer. I don’t know…
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:27 am
Shannon,
Katie
That’s okay! There are a lot of scary stories out there about it!
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HFCS is probably at the top of the list. My kids love soda, so I allow them one a week as a compromise. But now that my son is 16 he’s making more of his own choices and is drinking two energy drinks a week. Ugh. I ask him to please try to get the few that don’t contain HFCS, but then they contain sucralose, and they’re more expensive.
Aspartame and any other chemicals would be 2nd. It gets me when someone brags at a potluck that their broccoli salad is made with splenda as if that’s a great thing, as they’re sucking on their Diet Coke and feeling so healthy.
My 16yo is doing a speech on the effects of energy drinks and cannot find hardly anything on the negative effects of splenda. There’s just not much research out there.
And the constant references on TV and elsewhere about a dish like bacon and eggs being “a heart attack waiting to happen.” It’s everywhere!
My Dad has horrible heart health and only alive by advanced medicine; however, he’s been fed all the American Heart Association’s propaganda of low-fat, no red meat, etc. It’s sad.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:26 am
Kim,
Katie
I’m so surprised there aren’t many sources talking out against Splenda…but it is pretty new. That’s a tough one – I’m sure you were hoping your 16yo would be totally convinced they were evil once he did his own research!
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Hot Dogs! I don’t care if they are organic, local raised meat, I can’t do it…it must stem from the book “The Jungle” set back in the 20′s – that’s a mind over matter thing that I can’t get over!
Considering I’m allergic to MSG and have terrible responses to HFCS and food dyes, I tend to stay away from that stuff regardless…although a Dorito every once in a while calls my name.
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Your posts, Katie, have helped me sort out my feelings about some foods. Achieving balance is important to our family (budget vs. buying the best).
We only consume raw milk at home. I take a couple gallons in a cooler when we go on trips, too. I only use eggs from a local farmer that I trust except for baking where I may compromise and use something from another source (like the farmers market). We eat mostly pastured meats, but occasionally have to compromise for a meal or two.
I follow the dirty dozen recommendations for produce.
I buy local as much as possible.
When we are with others or accepting meals from others, we accept graciously. If they offer something I will not consume (like margarine or fake syrup or artificial sweeteners), I simply say, “No, thank you”. I will often pass up sweets if they are a household that uses artificial sweeteners for other things. As for my children, I will speak for the younger ones but the older ones can make their own choices in this instance.
I do not worry when I’m out to eat. I cook and bake all the time for a large family. We eat out only a couple times per month and I’m happy to rest and enjoy the convenience at that time.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:22 am
I’m with you, Joann! A few compromises won’t kill us, but stressing out over the food we eat just might!
Katie
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I try to go with the “everything in moderation” approach to not freaking out about what my kids are eating at daycare/preschool/friends’ houses.
But for me…fake butter is just gross and I’m still scared of raw milk, no matter how many people tell me it’s a wonderful, miraculous, cure-all.
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I’m terrified of my in-laws pantry. I’m not sure if it’s the frankenfood or if it is the unlimited quantities of the junkiest frankenfood they let my toddler eat at their home. I pack staples when he goes over there- real butter, yogurt from real milk, good meats, etc. Still a 18 month old is going to reach for the brightly colored, sugar cereal if given the opportunity. I find the only way I can deal with it is to pretend it doesn’t happen. Afterall, kids survive SAD . . . right?
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:21 am
Heather,
Katie
80/20! Yes, your toddler will survive a visit to the in-laws’ every so often. Keep packing the good stuff and talking about how badly he feels after he comes home and how important the real food is, and eventually they’ll get the hint. They might not care and just ignore you, but for sure as 18mo gets older it will improve a little bit. Good luck!
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This is an excellent post. As a registered dietitian, I was trained to fear fat. We ate low fat for many, many years. It was so hard for me to start drinking raw milk and eating full fat dairy. However I finally realized that wide-spread obesity is a recent development in history. People have eaten normal full-fat dairy for thousands of years without negative consequences. It is only when man has started messing with it that we end up with homogenized fat and oxidized cholesterol, etc. I think these are the true problems we need to be worrying about, not the fat itself. My new mantra is to try to eat foods in as close to the form that God created it as I can. I still do recommend skim milk to patients because the fat has been removed. However after reading that skim milk has milk powder added to it, I am going to have to research how it is processed some more.
What I fear most is foods produced in a lab, GMO’s, and any animal products that come from a factory farm. I find it scary that farmers think they can feed animals an unnatural diet with no consequences on the nutritional make-up of the end product. And don’t even get me started on GMO’s. That is going to come back and haunt us all one day.
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heather Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 12:50 am
organic pastures here in fresno puts out an organic raw skim milk
my daughter drinks the whole milk. i don’t care for a lot of dairy myself. just a preference, not a fear.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:20 am
Jen,
Have you read my milk post on skim and powdered milk? http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/06/23/the-real-story-of-homogenized-milk-powdered-milk-skim-milk-and-oxidized-cholesterol/
Maybe a little less scary. What a nice surprise!
GMOs have been on my “ignore it for a while” list. Sigh. Someday I’ll get totally convicted on them, most likely, but at least the way we eat has cut down on any GMOs we’re exposed to by default.
Katie
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No Fear.
Have decided to just be diligent at home so that when we are out with friends or asked to try something someone made, we can do so without being worried about the 2% of the time what we are eating isn’t what we would prefer (whole, natural, chemical-free, full-fat, etc.). I agree with Paul in Romans 14:13-15 and do my best to manage our own diet well without judging or offending others.
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Katie Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Well done, good and faithful servant!
Katie
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Gotta agree with hot dogs. They horrify me! I read labels and LOOK for mechanically separated meat. This means the empty carcass was blown with steam to cook and blow off meat which is then scraped off the floor and fed to the poor. I get the willies just THINKING about hot dogs!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:18 am
Melissa,
Katie
Ooh, that’s a good one. Hot dogs should make us tremble!
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I’m not as afraid as I should be….but I am afraid of aspartame and trans fat! I am a little afraid of raw milk and whole milk (been reading you for a while and am working my way up from skim milk….not so much afraid of the fat as I am the taste and texture…how weird is that?) Since the new year, I’ve been trying to implement some of your suggestions/strategies/wisdom….this week I have been eating a ton of beans and have been afraid that I’d be….well….socially unacceptable (but so far, not as much as I’d expected….I’m having beans 3 to 4 times a day even)!
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Katie Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Awesome, Jamie! One step at a time! I was surprised at how much I really LOVE the taste and texture of thick, creamy milk now. Was totally craving it for a few weeks b/c of first trimester.
Katie
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Excellent post! I am thoroughly enjoying reading what everyone is (or isn’t) afraid of.
For me, it’s artificial sweeteners, MSG, and annatto food coloring. The sweeteners & MSG make my brain and body feel strange. The annatto makes my toddler’s tantrums even more tantrum-y.
And it frustrates me to no end when I’ve just consumed a dish at a potluck or someone’s home, only to find out that it was made with Splenda or Equal. Partly because I know I’ll feel bad later, and partly because I feel like I really shouldn’t have to question if that inconspicuous, healthy-looking fruit salad is contaminated. LOL
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Sarah W Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Some of Sally fallon’s recipes call for annatto! Once I saw that, I figured annatto was a natural coloring?
(Not that your toddler couldn’t still be sensitive to it.)
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Stuart Carter Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 10:14 am
Annatto is a natural spice and colouring – from achiote trees – but it is also the only natural food colouring associated with allergies.
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Dawn Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
It IS a natural coloring (it comes from seeds) but there is becoming a fairly sizable body of evidence that some people respond to it much like they would to some unnatural colorants. If you Google “reactions to annatto” you’ll see several articles/reports. I never knew about it until I was trying to figure out why my toddler’s tantrums were so hideous. Since cutting it out of her diet, the tantrums have become like “normal” toddler tantrums.
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Thanks for the post. It is nice to walk with others on this food journey. At our home we try to live by grace. We aren’t trying to prolong our life, as God is the only source of our living, but we are trying to make choices that help us have more energy or happy hearts and joyful dispositions. We do a lot that you, Katie, write about. But all in all I understand it is not necessary in my salvation with Jesus. So I research and learn and pray and live around others that do the same. What a neat adventure to be on! I’ve come a long way to not be afraid of this world. But still, I have a long way to go to continually trust in God’s care of my every moment.
Appreciate your work and the thought to think about fear!
Living by faith,
Gi
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Katie Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Gi,
Such an important reminder. I wish I would have thought to link to this post above: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/04/09/soul-first-body-second/
I’m with you on faith being first, for sure! Thanks for the important reminder.
Katie
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My fear for my little ones (and myself) is anything artificial. Anytime I buy processed foods, I try to get it at Trader Joes, where I know AT LEAST it will be all natural. I’m still “baby stepping” toward making everything fresh and homemade but, in the meantime, I’m grateful for a fairly inexpensive alternative!
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'Becca Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Sorry, Greta, you can’t make that assumption about everything at Trader Joe’s. For example, most of their frosted cookies contain hydrogenated oils; some even have >1 gram trans fat per serving so they have to admit it in the nutrition facts. Even at Trader Joe’s, we have to read labels.
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I agree with you Katie, but the thought that comes to mind is what exactly are we afraid of? What is the worst that could happen from a little bit of margarine or powdered milk? I agree that it’s not the best, and perhaps it sets a person up for MS or something, but is it worth making a fuss over every time a person goes out? In my opinion no, but then I’ve never been fussy about food.
Remember, we have victory in Christ, and all food is clean when we eat with thanksgiving. There is no need to be fearful; why accept fear in your life about anything? Make choices, and make them wisely, sure, but fear? I really try to reject fear from my life entirely. My trust is in God; there is nothing He cannot save me from. And if I get MS at some point, I will accept it from His hand as a trial for the strengthening of my faith, rather than the from the margarine I ate on occasion.
Do you know that there are people in the poorest countries (perhaps even in ours) where they know the water is poisioned, but they drink it anyway because they really have no other options? It is actually making them seriously sick, and they know it, but they can’t clean it or move. And we are fussing about a little bit of this or that? I wish we could do more to help those people that are in these kinds of situations, instead of worrying so much about our not-quite-perfect-diet.
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Kathryn Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
The water in much of our country IS poisoned. Fluoride is highly toxic and the type that is added to the water is nothing ever found in nature. Most folks aren’t aware that they are being poisoned. Some of us, however, are highly, highly sensitive to fluoride. I will live with its poisoning effects for the rest of my life.
You might be able to discount these choices with an easy “if i get MS,” but i have to live with a similar disabling chronic illness because someone decided to poison our population and it could have been avoided. Is this God’s plan for my life? I’m not a big believer in God causing things in our life, but i do believe that he promises that all things will work for his Glory when we are in Christ. So, yes, perhaps he can use me to help other folks from being poisoned in a similar manner, but i don’t believe he caused me to be poisoned. It is simply a result of choices i made without being informed. I think this could have been avoided had i been educated and made other choices. And then God’s plan for me would have taken a different twist.
I believe that all who are getting fluoride are being poisoned, but folks who are not as sensitive are just not aware of it.
I find your statement, “we have victory in Christ, and all food is clean when we eat with thanksgiving” offensive. When Peter spoke about all food being “clean,” he was speaking to a different population with different issues at hand.
Jesus told us not to to test God.
Satan was tempting Christ to throw himself from the temple pennacle using scripture in Luke 4 saying, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11 and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
There may be circumstances where folks take poison and are not poisoned for the glory of God, but to declare all food “clean” when it is poisoned and expect God to deliver you from the consequences is irresponsible.
Much of the food – or actually, “food-like substances” – people consume these days are filled with chemicals our bodies do not recognize and do NOT nourish good health or well being. God will not save us from making stupid or uniformed choices. Perhaps Katie’s use of the word “fear” was ill advised. Maybe a better way to say it is, “Are there foods you avoid at all costs? Do you have reasons for avoiding them?” But the word “fear” doesn’t always have to have theological connections.
I’m sorry if i am coming across as harsh here, but i live with a fairly severe disability because i was not wise about food and chemicals when i was younger. I will live with the result of those poor choices for the rest of my life. Could God have “saved” me from the consequences of my choices? Of course he could. However, in most cases i believe we have to live with the results, not avoid them because he gives us free rein to be irresponsible.
I feel strongly on this issue because it DOES affect folks. I’m never going to be blessed with children, and i’m much older than many of the women here, but please, your choices about these chemicals and pseudo-foods DO make a difference in your life and those of your children. I try not to freak about a few pseudo foods here and there, but believe me, i am very aware of the life-altering results these choices can have.
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Joyce Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
When the New Testament speaks of what people read as “all food being clean,” seems to be a very misinterpreted statement, as many interpret this statement as Jesus referring to the Gentiles now no longer being considered unclean and/or kosher versus not kosher foods such as food from scavenger/carnivorous animals such as pigs, shellfish, fish without scales, etc. There is an extremely interesting debate about just this topic on amazon in the reviews of The Maker’s Diet, by Jordan Rubin: http://www.amazon.com/MakerS-Diet-P-Jordan-Rubin/product-reviews/1591857147/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
Scroll down to the 4th comment and read the 25 posts in reply to the comment as to how many well read biblical “scholar’s” interpret what Jesus refers to as being no longer unclean…
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Joyce,
Katie
Thank you for including this link! The discussion is intense over there, and i’m only to comment no. 3. Wow. I did feel uncomfortable with Rubin’s ban on “unclean” foods as a New Testament Christian. I felt like “what if he’s right and pork is out?” but then I’m Catholic, and the Church in her Wisdom doesn’t ban pork, shellfish, etc. So in the end I stick with the Holy Father and 2,000 years of inspired tradition, rather than one book author who is – most definitely – trying to sell his own line of products, no matter how pure his intentions may be.
Thanks for the debate!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Kathryn,
I’m so glad you shared your story, and I also thought of “you shall not put the Lord your God to the test” when I read Lily’s comment. No, all food we eat is not good for us. Some of it is not even food, so how can we just eat it, not in ignorance, and expect God to save us? Isn’t that a little like not wearing our seatbelt b/c we pray before we get into the car? I truly, truly appreciate your honest and forthright response. You are a true blessing to this community!
Thank you – Katie
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Lily Reply:
February 5th, 2011 at 12:15 am
Hi Kathryn,
I didn’t mean to offend you, and am sorry I did. My understanding of the Bible is that I am free in Christ to eat anything. Some things are better than others – agreed. Some things that are called ‘food’ in our culture aren’t – agreed. My main point is that we don’t need to be afraid of food. Wise and informed about what we’re eating, yes, but afraid, no. There is a big difference to me about ‘what do you avoid at all costs’ and ‘what are you afraid of’. I fear God only. I avoid a fair number of things and situations. I don’t feel that I am testing God; I feel that I am trusting Him with my life. The word ‘fear’ does have theological connotations to me.
Perhaps I could be more assertive in rejecting margarine when I’m out with my parents, and maybe one day I will be, but for now to me it’s not worth making an issue about.
I’m glad that you feel strongly about this issue, and I’m glad Katie does as well. I’m very glad for this blog, and the things she brings up. Many things I have already implemented into my life years ago and prior to coming here, and many others I hope to do so soon. I think these things are important. However, I will not enter in to obsessive compulsion (not saying that you, Katie, or anyone else here does), but because I have that tendency. I live in freedom in Christ.
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Katie Reply:
February 7th, 2011 at 12:00 am
Lily,
Katie
Thanks for coming back and responding. Hopefully this was mostly a disagreement on semantics and how we understand/experience “fear” in our lives. You are certainly right that God doesn’t restrict certain foods for us, but He does say our bodies are temples. It’s up to each of us to prayerfully discern where to draw the various nutritional lines. God bless you!
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Lily,
I definitely strike a balance as much as possible between avoiding foods and compromising. I am certainly thankful our water is not poisoned…at least, that it’s not obviously making us sick immediately…and I do also pray for and tithe to those organizations helping improve the quality of life and soul in third world countries.
Thanks, Katie
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I’m scared of lots, I guess. Artificial sweeteners, MSG, food colorings, HFCS. Basically, if I can’t afford organic, I try to buy-all natural. Haven’t had anything but real butter in years, and recently have been able to find organic real butter. I only buy organic fruits and veggies. It freaks me out knowing non-organic has several kinds of pesticides, herbicides, and who knows what other -icides sprayed all over it several times.
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Cristina Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 11:20 am
They say that everything is okay in moderation. Anyone else seen that HFCS commerical? While it may be true that it is safe in moderation, how can we moderate it when it’s in EVERYTHIING? I just try to avoid it at home altogether. I’ll get my “moderation” on the rare occasion we go out to eat, or eat at family’s house.
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Katie Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Ditto!
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Joyce Reply:
February 4th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
If you think your food is really all “natural” please read this article about Whole Foods and Monsanto. Sadly, I too, cannot afford to buy everything organic, but please, everyone, educate yourselves about what “natural” means these days…
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22449.cfm
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I know so many people on a variety of diets and most of them are healthy and have healthy children. I try to remind myself of that fact and put a higher priority on eating ethically and in moderation. I am leary of a few ingredients but I try to be humble about them when I’m a guest. I am just as afraid of cancer as the next guy, but even the experts get it.
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I wish my in-laws were more supportive of our family’s diet. I’m scared of artificial sweeteners and I’m almost positive my kids get diet sodas when they go to Grandma’s house (among tons of other things they have no business eating). I’m known as “no fun, strict, rigid” by my extended family, all b/c I don’t want my children eating chemicals.
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Katie! Was this post your “announcement?” I read all the comments to see if anyone else mentioned it… maybe I missed it earlier if you had it on aonther post… but CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I’m so happy for you!
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Katie Reply:
February 6th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Sarah,
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/01/25/please-excuse-this-interruption-for-an-important-message/ 
Katie
Last week’s was “the announcement” – thanks for the congrats!
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fake sugar…of any kind. the stuff gives me headaches & leaves a HORRIBLE taste in my mouth for the rest of the day. It hasn’t been an issue, until my mil got re-married to a diabetic & they live on the stuff. Instead of just cutting out cakes/cookies, etc. this is how they justify it. I really struggle with my kids & taking a piece of candy at grandmas house, we talk about “fake foods” and they know how I feel, but what kid can resist? The hardest part, is my mil knows where I stand, but because she figures its ok, than its ok – very frustrating!
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“Artificial” or “imitation” anything. Also, most things that contain the word “product.” (I don’t want a juice product. I want juice!!) The farther away it gets from the original form, the less likely I am to buy it.
You know, my pantry is much less crowded than it was eight months ago. That’s because I have been buying fewer pantry items and making them instead. (Mayonnaise, bread, etc.)
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Katie Reply:
February 7th, 2011 at 12:09 am
Rebekah,
Katie
Good call! My pantry has changed, too, but I filled it all up with glass jars – just don’t move fast and knock them down, yikes!
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