Not another healthy food blog!!!

What would possess someone to blog about something that is already so painfully beaten to death? Well, I blame my mother. She, being the proud and boastful mother that she is, feels that I must have something to share with the world that they don't already know. Perhaps I do.

Some background: I'm a relatively new mother of a 2.5 year-old daughter. As so many new mothers will do these days, I found myself growing interested in issues of personal health (food and other wellness issues), as well as the health of the world. I want the best for my daughter, so that she can avoid the common American pitfalls of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and many others. I also want to make sure that my children and grandchildren have a world to live in, and that this world isn't stricken with famine, drought, flooding, or other extreme conditions that may making living a horror. My generation may not enjoy the standard of living of my parents' generation, but my children's generation may be left fighting for much more than the preservation of middle class mediocrity.

Little by little in these last 3 years (since all this started while my daughter was in utero), I have learned a good deal to help me on my quest to better my family and the world. And in typical fashion for my family, I am doing it all with a small, disciplined wallet (once again, credit to my mother is due here). It's all well and good to buy organic and fair trade products ... but having a bigger conscience doesn't give you a bigger bank account. We all have the reality of money to deal with, and my family has found a way to have our organic turkey (with Thanksgiving approaching) and eat it, too.

Back to my mother ... She e-mailed me this article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/health/nutrition/04well.html?ref=science) from the NY Times, and thought it was right up my alley, encouraging me to share my knowledge with the public. I'm not sure this article really speaks to my own experience. My family is middle class, and I don't know what it's like to live on food stamps. Perhaps that would be an experiment for another time. I am, however, amazed that the average American spends $7/day to eat, and they eat mostly junk. They must be eating an awful lot of junk because junk isn't that expensive! I wonder how much of the American food budget is squandered on quantity at the expense of quality. Perhaps our bodies wouldn't need endless gorging if we gave them what they are really craving ... nutritious, whole foods.

So, a blog is born, inspired by mom and the NY Times. I intend to post typical shopping lists for my family, meal planning tips, alternative places and ways to shop, recipes, tips to get kids to eat their veggies, and the occasional rant about the ills of society. I hope you'll indulge me, and enjoy! And please teach me, when you know something that I need to learn.